Athens, Ga. – Naturalists interested in learning to identify rocks in the Georgia Piedmont can attend free learning sessions at Oconee Forest Park beginning in February.
Dan Williams, a forest resources manager with the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, will lead the sessions. He said attendees will get a “naturalist’s perspective” as he takes them through Oconee Forest Park, located off College Station Road next to the intramural fields.
“We will learn to identify each of the major Piedmont rock types, understand where they occur and how they fit into plate tectonics cycles,” said Williams. “We will talk about soil types that come from each major rock type, and how this affects topography and vegetation. Oconee Forest will be our geological laboratory.”
Anyone interested in attending the free sessions should meet at the Oconee Forest Park boardwalk parking lot near the tennis courts at 3 p.m. The sessions will be held every Wednesday through March beginning Feb. 2.