The Rocks Talk: How Geology influenced the Lives of Hopewell and Fort Ancient Cultures

Saturday, September 8
10:30 a.m.-Noon
Presented by: Todd Stephenson

Join us for a classroom introduction to fossils – What are they?  How do they form?  How old are they?  Where can you find them? There will be a brief discussion of geologic time and a description of the warm shallow Ordovician sea that covered this area hundreds of millions years ago.  Instruction will highlight theworld class fossil beds found in the Fort Ancient and greater Cincinnati area, and the program will include opportunities to view, touch and describe the fossils that are typically found in the area utilizing: magnifying glass, hand lens, microscope, posters and reference books. Resource material will be provided to highlight free publicly available collecting sites in southwestern Ohio.  

About the Presenter
A retired petroleum geologist executive who spent 36 years in the oil and gas business with assignments in U.S., Canada, Europe, Africa and South America, Todd was born and raised in Kings Mills, Ohio, and earned a B.S. in Geology from Ohio University and a M.S. Geology from the University of Cincinnati.  A member of the Dry Dredgers, a local fossil collecting club affiliated with UC, as well as a member of the Dayton Society of Natural History, Todd was also a Boy Scout leader for many years and was very involved in STEM educational activities in Texas and Oklahoma. He didn’t realize until college that he lived near some of the best fossil beds, some of the best glacial geology deposits, and some the best archeological sites found anywhere in the world!