SOUND FIELD TRIP PLANNING TIPS
In the event you are craving a club-sponsored rockhounding field trip, you are not alone. With that being the case, we thought we could at least live vicariously through a report detailing club-hosted field trips that took place just before the formation of restrictions in response to COVID-19, and news of field trip planning underway.
First up is the North Mississippi Gem & Mineral Society’s (NMGMS) report of its spring break trip to the Park Hills area of southeastern Missouri. Joining the NMGMS were members of the Ozark Earth Science Club, to form a group of about 20 rockhounds. The two-day field trip included visits to multiple locations to satisfy a rockhounds’ desire to dig and to learn.
Providing an insightful recap of this dig, which appeared in the NMGMS’ newsletter, The Nugget, is Sophie Gunther, president of the Rockheads group, the junior program of the NMGMS.
Sophie had this to say about the experience of rockhounding in an area of industrial property, known for its barite, “I liked that it had a little creek so we could wash the rocks and that they had dug up fresh piles of dirt to look through. There were nice specimens of barite mixed with druzy.”
After a full day of digging, the club members enjoyed a dinner break, and as Sophie explained, “After dinner, I relaxed in the swimming pool for a while.” Then the group members made their way to the Missouri Mines Lead Museum for an evening tour, which was enjoyed by all. The final day of the field trip began with the group revisiting the property they spent most of Saturday. “I spent most of this day helping collect druzy for the club’s grab bags,” Sophie reported.
The final stop was Elephant Rock State Park, where the rocks “were humongous like elephants,” Sophie said. Also, according to Sophie’s report, the park features a trail leading to the top of the rock formation, on which miners of generations past carved their names and dates.
The NMGMS (nmgms.org) is affiliated with the Southeast Federation of Mineralogical Societies (www.amfed.org/sfms), while the Ozark Earth Science Club (ozark-earthscienceclub.org) is associated with the Midwest Federation of Mineralogical & Geological Societies (www.amfed.org/mwf). Both federations are part of the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies (www.amfed.org).
In addition to revisiting reports of field trips of the past, taking steps to research opportunities and establishing new processes for planning field trips can also be envigorating.
In the course of reading newsletters recently issued by rock and mineral clubs, we were inspired by the Main Mineralogical & Geological Society’s “Rockin’ Around” newsletter information about future field trip planning. The society is affiliated with the Eastern Federation of Mineralogical Societies (efmls.org), which is part of the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies. With that being the case, we thought we’d share a few of the planning practices various field trip coordinators are using.
that oversee lands and operations associated with digging (Department of Economic and Community Development, Bureau of Land Management, and perhaps the local health department).
to speak with claim or land owners, or fee dig sites before scheduling a club field trip to make sure you understand their requirements and can convey them to field trip participants.
is up-to-date, and if you don’t have a form in place, spend time creating one. Check the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies website for the Code of Ethics, an essential element of any field trip release form. Also, visit the sites of other clubs with active field trip programs to view their forms.
to active club members, to help adhere to social distancing guidelines.
of your field trips with us, at for inclusion in future Club Corner columns.
Be safe, be smart, be respectful, and enjoy your future rockhounding adventures.