Chippewa Nature Center will host the Mid-Michigan Rock Club’s (MMRC) 26th annual Rock Show Sat, Nov 2 and Sun, Nov 3 from 10 am to 5 pm each day at 400 S Badour Rd in Midland. Admission is free. The show will include presentations, educational displays and activities for all ages related to identification and collection of rocks and fossils. There will be $1 kids’ grab bags with items such as agates, fossils and beach rocks. Dealers will have rocks, minerals, fossils, gemstones and jewelry for sale. Door prizes will be awarded each day.

There will be several presentations free and open to the public throughout the two-day show:

Saturday

11 am – Fluorescent Minerals with Jim Geiger – (also Sunday at 11 am) Jim will help you understand what fluorescent minerals are and why they glow in the dark. Jim will also have examples of ultraviolet (UV) lights for finding fluorescence in rocks and minerals.

12 pm – Beach Rocks with Randy Kursinsky – (also Sunday at 12 pm) Randy will present a slide show to help you identify common beach rocks in Michigan, including fossils and manmade materials. It will be oriented toward beginner and intermediate collectors. A large display of these rocks will be included in the presentation.

1 pm – Fossils of the Michigan Basin with Joe (PaleoJoe) Kchodl – PaleoJoe will take you on a comprehensive look deep into the ancient Devonian Sea with an exploration of the richness of life that covered Michigan. During a geological period called the Devonian - over 350 Million years ago, much what is now Michigan was covered by a warm shallow tropical sea. There were numerous coral reefs and beaches. Fossils found here include Corals, brachiopods, crinoids, cephalopods, gastropods, trilobites, clams and placoderm fish.

2 pm – Rock Tumbling 101 with Ron Chmielewski – Ron will cover the basics of rock tumbling, as a gateway to the rock hound hobby. He will cover safety, key points to success, types of tumblers and how they work. He will have many examples of rough and tumbled stones for hands-on review.

3 pm – Agates with Bruce Baker – Bruce will provide information on agates in Michigan

Sunday

11 am – Fluorescent Minerals with Jim Geiger (also Saturday at 11 am)

12 pm – Beach Rocks with Randy Kursinsky (also Saturday at 12 pm)

1 pm – Dinosaur CSI with Joe (PaleoJoe) Kchodl – PaleoJoe takes you on a trip back in time to learn about the victims and perpetrators; the life and death of the prehistoric creatures. Learn the techniques used in the investigation of how these creatures lived and died. See the evidence and discover the stories that are told through Dinosaur CSI.

2 pm – Opals of the World with Ron Chmielewski – Ron will cover “What is an Opal?” – their history, sources, types, value, and care. He will have many rough and polished opals for hands on review. Please bring any opals to share and/or for him to examine with comments as a hobbyist.

3 pm – Copper with Bruce Baker – Bruce will provide information on copper in Michigan.

Visit www.midmichrockclub.com for more details.