Enjoy a half day field trip led by Craig Heindel, a local consulting geologist (and VCS trustee) who has led this type of fieldtrip in the Champlain Valley for the past 30 years, for all ages and students.

Choose from the following recommendations:

1. Glacial deposits and glacial geologic history of the Champlain Valley. Learn  about 1 mile of ice over our heads just 25,000 years ago, the salt-water Champlain Sea covering all of South Burlington (and beyond) just 12,000 years  ago, and the sandy beach that VCS is located on! See close-up examples of till, lake-bottom sediments, kames, and deltas. Involves short scrambles over rugged  terrain. OR . . .

2. Champlain Thrust Fault, at Lone Rock Point : See one of the best examples of thrust faults in North America (photographed by scientists, shown in geology texts form all over the world).  Scramble right up to the fault zone itself. Involves a 1.5-mile roundtrip  walk/hike on dirt roads and trails. OR . . .

3. Bedrock Geology of the Champlain  Valley : See the 4 major rock types in the Champlain Valley (Vermont  side, in the Burlington area), including the "red rocks" (Monkton Quartzite) that many Burlington buildings and the UVM Redstone campus are made of, plus the Hinesburg Thrust Fault. Involves short easy walks, possibly some short scrambles over rugged terrain. OR . . .

4.  Geology of Button Bay -- by  boat :  You supply your canoes, kayaks, or motorboat.  See sedimentary rocks, fossils, igneous intrusions (but probably not any buttons).  If by boat, involves a 3-mile roundtrip journey from a nearby state fishing  access. Can also be done on foot from Button Bay State Park (but  this would not include seeing the really cool fossils on the island in the bay).  OR . . .

5. Geology of Mt. Philo and nearby: Learn the bedrock geology of Mt. Philo as we walk up the road; learn about the geology of the Champlain Valley and Adirondacks as seen from the top. Dig into the blue-clay glacial lake bottom sediments near the foot of Mt. Philo. OR . .  .

6. You choose -- anything else!! The leader will try to answer your geologic questions by concocting a 4-hour fieldtrip!