Geology and Landscape at the Laurels Preserve

Bring your imagination for a leisurely walk from the parking area along McCorkles Road to the convergence of Buck and Doe Run and back.

Read the clues in the rocks and landscape today to uncover an amazing geologic history – think ancient seashores, faults and earthquakes, and mountains like the Himalayas! Learn more about how rocks, soils, streams, microbes, plants, and people are all connected through the changing landscapes over time. Led by geologists LeeAnn Srogi and Tim Lutz. 

About the Facilitators

Dr. LeeAnn Srogi: 
Dr. Srogi received her B.S. (Yale, 1977) and Ph.D. (U. Penn, 1988) in Geology and taught at West Chester University from 1991-2019. Her research involves igneous and metamorphic rocks of our region; how values and motivations shape student learning; and how volcanoes work. Her current focus is the largest eruption of mafic magma (basalt) on Earth, which happened about 201.5 million years ago right in our own backyard! She loves nature hikes and habitat gardening and is a Force of Nature volunteer with Natural Lands.  

Dr. Tim Lutz:
As an undergraduate at Wesleyan University, he designed and completed a major that combined geology, physics, history, and archaeology.  As a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania he developed interests in broadly applying models and statistics in geoscience. Throughout a 40-year career at UPenn and then West Chester University Tim taught courses and published research on topics that span many areas of geology. Since retiring from teaching in 2021, he continues research on flood risks and climate change, as well as the history of his ancestors in western Berks County, Pennsylvania. Tim enjoys walking local trails to watch birds and butterflies and is a Force of Nature volunteer for Natural Lands.