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Geology Walking Tours

Ever wonder what all those people are doing walking around Turners Falls looking at rocks? Turners Falls has some of the most interesting geology of the Pioneer Valley-most of it is visible from sidewalks, footpaths, and bike paths. And unless you stop to look, and maybe talk about what you see, you'll never notice the wonder beneath our feet.

The 18-page booklet "A Geologic Walking Tour of Turners Falls" provides short but complete descriptions of ten geologic stops in the village, including the "River Rock Overlook" at the fish ladder, the glacially polished sandstones at Our Lady of Czestochowa church on K Street, and the world famous mudballs at Unity Park. What better way to learn about the fascinating geologic history of our village, town, and valley than walking the sidewalks and bike paths of Turners Falls. Get your free copy and, come spring, make the tour. Booklets are available at the Great Falls Discovery Center, Montauge Town Hall, Carnegie Library and other downtown locations. The booklet can also be viewed online here.

Historic Walking Tours

This self-guided walking tour will give you a brief overview of the geology, Native American and industrial history of Turners Falls, and then guide you on an easily walked loop that covers 20 downtown historical landmarks including the mill buildings along the canal, distinctive nineteenth century brick architecture of the 1890s made with brick from local brickyards, as well as info on the razed Grand Trunk Hotel. Booklets are available at the Great Falls Discovery Center, Montauge Town Hall, Carnegie Library and other downtown locations.

 

Reducing Our Environmental Footprint

Reuse, Reduce Recycle: Tuesday, July 13th, 10am at the Carnegie Library. Amy Donovan of the Franklin County Solid Waste District will demonstrate reusing, reducing and recycling for children of all ages and their families.

Composting with Worms- Wednesday, July 14th 10:30 a.m. at the Carnegie Library. Designed for children and their families with Amy Donovan of the Franklin County Solid Waste District. (Again, reducing our environmental footprints)

Lerner and Loewe's Brigadoon

Presented by the Country Players July 9-18 at the Shea Theater (lots of dancing and foot-tapping) Let your footsteps lead you to the Shea Theater for a taste of musical fantasy in the Scottish Highlands. Friday and Saturday nights at 8:00 pm and Sunday, July 18th at 2 pm. Call the Shea Box Office to reserve tickets at 863-2281 ext. 1; general admission $12, students or seniors $10. Group rates available. For more information go to Country Players website here.

Story Hour on Dinosaurs and their Tracks

July 28th 10:15 a.m. at the Carnegie Library- Young children and their families are invited to come learn about the dinosaurs, and will be able to touch a real Turners Falls dinosaur footprint.

Millers Falls Library Club- On Tuesday, July 27th, at 3:30 p.m. The theme will be Dinosaurs and Their Tracks. For children of all ages.

Footprints of Our Ancestors

The Carnegie Library's Genealogy Gathering will have a booth at the Peskeomskut Park Festival on July 10th to share research into family history. Talk to some experienced researchers about how to find those elusive ancestors. A scanner will be available to help you preserve old documents or photographs on the spot. Get started in your research, or commiserate over your "brick walls" and you just might find a cousin.

Next general meeting is Wednesday, July 7 at 6 pm at the Carnegie Library's upstairs meeting room. Upcoming meetings, events and useful links are posted here.

- Archivist Jean Nudd will be in town to speak about resources of the National Archives on Monday, August 2 at 6 pm at the Carnegie Library. No charge for this presentation, sponsored by the library. Jean has a crew of volunteers at the Pittsfield facility who are eager to help navigate the records there.

And on Monday, September 20 the group will tour the holdings of the UMass Dubois Library, guided by reference librarian Melinda McIntosh. Meet at the UMass library lower level at 6:30. See the extensive local history collection, and explore the microfilm archives. Many historic books that are in special collections in local libraries are available to check out and peruse at leisure from UMass.

Geologist Richard Little on the Quinnetukut II Riverboat

Sat., Aug. 7; 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

For ages 10 and older. Fee: $12 adults, $11 seniors, $6 children
Geology comes alive through the clear and often humorous stories of Richard Little. This relaxing cruise on the Connecticut River will be filled with tales of drifting continents, earthquakes, dinosaurs, glaciers and Lake Hitchcock, that are part of the creation of our idyllic Valley. Professor Emeritus of Greenfield Community College, Little has published three editions of Dinosaurs, Dunes, and Drifting Continents: The Geology of the Connecticut Valley and created videos about the rise and fall of glacial Lake Hitchcock and the 500 million year history of the Connecticut Valley. Professor Little continues his passion for educating about geology through field trips to internationally significant geologic areas like the Canadian Rockies and Iceland. Don't miss this overview of the great geology of our region by one of our greatest geology educators. Pre-register by calling 800-859-2960

...At the Turners Falls Block Party! August 14

Fabrication Fashion Show!

Organized by designer Rachel Teumim, Fabrication is a recycled fashion show featuring works from local designers re-using materials ranging from sweaters re-incarnate to decks of playing cards. Some designers are veterans of Turners Falls' laundromat fashion show, some are working to make their designs their business, while others are just flexing their creative biceps. While items made from re-purposed household items may fall into the less wearable high couture category, others are intended for pedestrian use. Follow the unexpected paths these materials have taken. 

Headliner: Primate Fiasco!

A long time ago, before ipods, there were a group of cave men who, in between mammoth hunts and alien encounters, would play a primitive style of music with their primitive instruments on the street corner as glaciers drove by. Like so many young aspiring musicians of the era, they were frozen solid and locked in ice for an untold amount of time. Due to global warming, they recently found themselves thawed out with a huge sleepy sand in the eye and they all had to pee really really bad. After the shock and amazement of their new surrounding set in, they noticed that their instruments were still relatively in tune. They were taken in by the modern primates, bathed, shaved, and dressed. There was much rejoicing.  

With tuba, banjo, clarinet, trumpet, drums, and vocal harmony, it's the instrumentation of a New Orleans sidewalk band but with modern influences. While the band often plays authentic "Traditional Jazz" the music that comes out of these ancient instruments is often recognized as funk, reggae, bluegrass, hip hop, rock, latin, trance, and the occasion Serbian gypsy jam. But the world has enough labels already. Lets keep The Primate Fiasco under the category of "music". If you want to be specific, "music to have fun to". If you want to invent a genre, "psychedelic dixieland" seems to get the point across.

The band started on city sidewalks and eventually started getting invited into venues and festivals frequented by the Jam Band or Indie scene. At a Primate Fiasco show, you'll see hippies and punks, ravers and jazz enthusiasts, elderly and children, all dancing on the same floor. More here.

 

Stomp!

The Country Players' Erin Richman will lead a workshop in percussion for local youth culminating in a performance at the Block Party August 14. Details are being firmed up. Limited to 20 participants for $20 fee. Contact thecountryplayers@yahoo.com to be put on the mailing list. Partially funded by the Montague Cultural Council. More info at the Country Players.

Jurassic Roadshow!

Saturday, August 28, 11:00-3:00

Produced by Fossil Fuel for the Valley, Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Pioneer Valley Institute, Friends of Great Falls Discovery Center, The Trustees of Reservations, and Ichnology Rocks!

Calling all fossil fanatics, rock hounds, and dinosaur lovers for the all-new Connecticut River Valley Rock & Fossil Roadshow! (And no, it doesn't have to be Jurassic.)

The Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts is a geologist's heaven. Its Mesozoic strata, unusual in New England, hold not only the region's rare dinosaur remains - in the form of fossil footprints - but also fish and plant fossils and such traces fossils as worm burrows, mud cracks, and ripple marks. Whether you have a dinosaur track, a fish fossil, a plant fossil, mysterious marks or just plain weird, interesting, or beautiful rocks, bring them on down to the Great Falls Discovery Center, have them identified by a scientist, and show them to like-minded souls.

Paleontologist Patrick Getty from the University of Connecticut will be on hand to examine fossils and tell you something about their history - how they were made and preserved. Geologist Steve Winters will help you to understand rock specimens you're curious about - what minerals they contain and what geological forces created them. Local collector Ed Gregory will show you special items from his personal collection of dinosaur footprints and other local fossils.

Bring your stories, too! The river and its rocks and fossils are an important part of local history, so come be a part of preserving stories about them at the Mesozoic Time Capsule. Did your grandfather collect them when he was a boy? Did you spend lazy days on the river, examining the strata and finding treasures? Did you suddenly notice dinosaur footprints in the slab by your back door? We would be delighted to take a picture of you with your fossils and record what you have to say about them.
The Rock & Fossil Roadshow will be held on Saturday, August 28, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA. Further information will be posted on the web at www.greatfallsma.org, or call 413-863-9972.

 

More events to be added so check back soon!