Prez Says...

by Dan Teich, MSDC President

Hard to believe we have come to October! I’m still reflecting upon our last meeting with Les Presmyk, the Arizona State Mine Inspector, and his deep dive into the history of Bisbee, Arizona. Many of us know the specimens in the Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum, and it was fascinating learning the history of this storied mining area and city.

Rocks themselves are history – geologic – and whenever there’s people involved, we now have a human-interest story regarding the narrative of exploration, extraction, use, and culture of ores and minerals. Les shed a new light on Bisbee for me.

"In the deeper reaches of the mine, copper-rich waters have dripped for millennia, creating green, bulbous structures that mimic the organic growth of a tropical forest—a “biological hallucination” rendered in heavy metal." From Bisbee 101, Bisbee Minerals & Gems.

For October we move a bit closer to home with Dr. Jacob (Jake) Margolis’s talk titled: "Siderite, Barite, and Millerite from the Mount Savage Clay, Frostburg, Allegany County, Maryland.” Maryland frequently gets a short stick when discussing minerals, Dr. Margolis will be showing us that it’s more interesting than we have been led to believe. I’m all for local mineralogy.

Shawn, Calvin, and I are all back home, for now. Over the course of our travels across the continent, we collected 23, yes you read correctly: 23, flat-rate boxes with minerals from New York, all the way to Alberta and Alaska. Most will be used for the annual mineral sale at George Mason, with a few sticking around on my shelves. This is definitely one of those times I am thankful I live in a reinforced concrete building.

As I unpack and sort, I am starting to write a travelogue that I will present next year to everyone. There’s a ton of roadside geology out there - for viewing and collecting.

Always be curious!