Our Rocky Past

Geologist John Hawkins from Auburn University points out the layering of schist at Smith Mountain.

Alabama naturalist students take a history lesson through local geology

I have rocks in my head: quartzite, mica, granite, phyllitic graphite, graphitic schist, garnets, talc, feldspar, hornblende, quartz, gold and more. Since beginning the Alabama Master Naturalist course and helping with the Smith Mountain Park signage project for the Cherokee Ridge Alpine Trail Association (CRATA), I cannot stop thinking about the rocks and minerals that give Alabama its impressive geological diversity and have influenced and shaped its biodiversity.