The forests of West Michigan are shaped and supported by the soil that lies beneath our feet. Join Rod Denning, our District Forester and host, for this exploration of the origins and ongoing earth surface processes that form the soils of Oceana County and provide the basis for the forest communities we love to explore. Rod will be hosting guest speaker Pat Colgan, who will present work on geology and forest soils, and provide a forest health update. Lynda Herremans, CTAP Technician, will introduce participants to the Forest, Wetlands and Habitat System Verification offered to landowners through the MAEAP Program.

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Guest Speaker Pat Colgan

Professor of Geology at Grand Valley State University

Title: Ice, Water, and Wind: Geologic History of Lakeshore Counties in West Michigan

Description: Pat will outline what we know about the geological history of our lakeshore counties. Most of the sediments and landforms were formed by ice, water, and wind. This landscape has formed over the last ~20,000 years, and continues to be shaped by both natural and human-driven processes today. Older more mysterious buried landscapes lie below this younger landscape. Currently, Pat is working with the Michigan Geological Survey (MGS) to complete geological and resource maps for the area, and understand the sediment overlying bedrock in the lakeshore counties. In the last five years, the MGS has drilled dozens of exploratory wells in order to understand the geology, groundwater resources, and aggregate potential of West Michigan.

Lynda Herremans- CTAP Technician

Lynda will provide information about the MAEAP Forest, Wetlands and Habitat System Verification for landowners and the event will qualify as a MAEAP Phase 1 training event.