Spring break is a tradition for students to flee toward balmier, sunnier locales. The Wilkes GeoExplorers Club is no exception in seeking out the comfort of warmer climates. The GeoExplorers is an outdoor club focused on providing students hands-on learning experiences through the exploration of geologically interesting locations, such as community service activities, local state parks, nature preserves and mines.
For these curious students, their spring break trip to four states across the southwestern United States also acted as an opportunity to explore the rich geologic treasures that this region holds. As they traversed from California, to Nevada, to Utah and eventually Arizona, the students immersed themselves in geological history, hiked national and state parks and even collected rock and sediment samples to add to the collections in the geology and environmental science labs.
Beginning in California, the GeoExplorers hiked the dormant cinder cone volcano known as the Amboy Crater, explored the Kelso Sand Dunes and spent time at the Lava Tubes in a volcanic field at Mojave National Park – the last eruption taking place 10,000 years ago. From there, students went to Nevada, where they hiked Valley of Fire State Park and then admired the Hoover Dam. Next up was Utah, where they hiked Zion National Park. Lastly, they traveled to Arizona, where they took in the sights at the Grand Canyon, Sedona and the Phoenix Botanical Gardens.
Junior civil engineering major Hannah Bridgland, originally from Avoca, Pennsylvania, appreciated the insight that Bobak Karimi, associate professor of geology and advisor for GeoExplorers, was able to provide at each stop they made along their way. “There were many instances on the trip where Dr. Karimi was able to point out specific rocks, such as volcanic bombs, that we had learned about in class. It was great to put a real life visual to what we had learned.”
Hiking through Zion National Park resonated the most with several students. Phillipsburg, New Jersey native, and sophomore environmental science major, Abbey Portillo, says, “My favorite part of the trip was hiking to Scouts Lookout just before the infamous Angels Landing Hike. The hike was strenuous but the views were spectacular.”
Senior Geology major, Reagen Weldon Peri, who hails from Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, agrees. “It was a gorgeous place with geology unlike anything I had seen living on the east coast. We did a hike that was very challenging for me, and getting to the top of the mountain we were climbing was very rewarding,” says Weldon Peri. “While doing this, we were able to learn about the geologic history of the area and see sedimentary structures that hinted to the past of the rocks we were climbing.”
Karimi ultimately lets students guide final decisions on where they go for their trips, while encouraging them to break out of their comfort zones. “It is my personal philosophy that if we are going on a trip with the GeoExplorers Club, we need to get people into places they haven’t gone or are unlikely to go to on their own, and provide them with not just geological exploration, but also cultural and community-based exploration.”