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| TN Naturalist class visit the Keyhole at Ross Marble Quarry on the east side of Ijams. |
The TN Naturalists @ Ijams class of 2015 got down to the bedrock of the Ridge and Valley, our geologic province.
After covering the different geologic provinces of the state—from the Appalachian Mountains in the east to the Mississippi River alluvial valley in the west—and the basics of our own geologic province indoors, the class ventured outdoors. We walked from the west end of Ijams to the east, covering four different rock formations along the way (all sedimentary, all Ordovican in origin). The four formations of exposed bedrock at Ijams are Ottosee (shale), Chapman Ridge (sandstone), Holston (crystalline limestone) and Lenior (silty limestone).
The last class of 2015 is in two weeks: Saturday, November 21. We'll cover the second half of the birding curriculum. And then have lunch.
The TN Naturalist Program @ Ijams is 40 hours of naturalist classes covering a wide range of topics plus 40 hours of volunteer work.
The classes begin in March and wrap up in November. We are already taking registration for 2016. To register call Peg at (865) 577-4717, ext. 114. (She needs your name, phone number and email address.)
- Stephen Lyn Bales.
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Chunk of shale, part of the Ottosee Formation
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Chapman Ridge formation originally deposited roughly 450 million years ago.
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Cave on boardwalk illustrates karst topography of caves and sinkholes
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The geologic fold and faulting occurred roughly 250 million years ago
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Chunk of crystalline limestone, part of the Holston Formation
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Silty, crumbly limestone from the Lenior Formation
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She took a selfie! Our youngest TN Naturalist student ever:
the go-anywhere, do-anything Joe Fairchild poses with teacher. |
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