We’ve stumbled across a couple of events that look too interesting to pass up, so we’re making plans to attend both and inviting anyone interested to join us.
One is right here in Warren, looking at nearly 200 years of local stone carving. The other takes us to Delaware, Ohio, for a chance to explore a working geological laboratory and one of the state’s major geological collections.
Neither is an event we’re organizing ourselves. We’re just taking advantage of some excellent opportunities and figured other people might want to come along.
October 28: The Language of Stone, Warren
Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at 6 PM
Warren-Trumbull County Public Library
444 Mahoning Avenue NW, Warren, Ohio
Historian and photographer Gavin Esposito will be presenting The Language of Stone: Elijah Sikes, Gravestone Carver of Trumbull County, examining the work of a New England gravestone carver who was active in this area beginning in the late 1820s.
This one caught my attention because it sits at a pretty interesting intersection of geology, craftsmanship, art, and local history.
I’m particularly curious about the stone itself. What materials were these early carvers using? Where did they come from? How did different stones influence the techniques and designs they could produce? And how have those materials held up after nearly two centuries of northeastern Ohio weather?
Gravestones are also a fascinating way to look at the relationship between people and the geology around them. Long before modern monuments and industrial stoneworking became commonplace, the availability and properties of local stone helped determine what could be made and how long it would last.
It’s a little outside our usual mineral collecting territory, but not by much.
The presentation is free and open to the public. We’re planning to attend, and we’d be glad to meet anyone else who shares an interest in the materials, the history, or both.
See the Warren-Trumbull County Public Library event calendar.
November 7: Ohio Geology Discovery Day, Delaware
Saturday, November 7, 2026, from 10 AM to 2 PM
Horace R. Collins Laboratory and Core Repository
Alum Creek State Park, Delaware, Ohio
This one is a little farther from home, but I think it’ll be worth the trip.
The Ohio Geological Survey is opening the H.R. Collins Laboratory and Core Repository for a free afternoon of geological education, demonstrations, tours, and opportunities to talk with people who work with Ohio’s geology professionally.
There will be guided tours every half hour, hands-on activities, geological maps and publications, giveaways, and opportunities to bring your own rocks, minerals, and fossils for identification by state geologists.
Representatives from Ohio State’s School of Earth Sciences, the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, and other educational and environmental organizations are also expected.
And then there’s the repository itself.
The facility houses the Ohio Geological Sample Repository, with geological cores and other material collected through decades of investigation. These collections preserve an enormous amount of information about what’s beneath our feet, including material most of us would never otherwise have an opportunity to examine.
I’m especially looking forward to seeing the repository and learning more about how those collections are maintained and used.
We’re also planning to bring a small selection of interesting Devonian fossils collected around Hubbard in Trumbull County. We’ve been working on understanding that material and its geological context, and this seems like a particularly good opportunity to get some additional perspective.
We also have some excellent accessibility news.
We contacted the Ohio Geological Survey directly to ask about wheelchair access, particularly for the laboratory and repository tours. ODNR geologist and educator Molly Hunt confirmed that the H.R. Collins Laboratory is fully accessible, including its activities and laboratory spaces.
That’s an important consideration for MVGEM, and we’re very glad to have received a direct answer before making the trip.
One practical note: ODNR expects to have only one geologist dedicated specifically to specimen identification, so they recommend bringing a few carefully selected samples rather than an entire collection. They also offer other ways to inquire about specimens outside the event.
Ohio Geological Survey information.
Come along if either sounds interesting
We’re calling both of these informal MVGEM meetups.
There’s no membership requirement, no fee to participate through MVGEM, and nothing you need to register for with us. Just come enjoy the event, learn something interesting, and maybe meet a few other people who share an appreciation for rocks and the things people do with them.
We’re still getting MVGEM established, and part of that process is finding the opportunities, people, collections, and resources that already exist around Ohio.
Sometimes that means organizing our own field trips. Sometimes it means finding something worthwhile that’s already happening and showing up.
If you’re planning to attend either event, let us know. It would be nice to start putting some faces to names.
Mahoning Valley Geology, Earth, and Minerals (MVGEM)
Warren, Ohio
www.mvgem.org
MVGEM330@gmail.com