Events - Field Trips, Meetings, Shows

** NOTE: Mineral collecting field trips will begin again in the Spring. Click on Previous Events below to browse past field trips, meetings and other events. Come to our monthly meetings which are held every second Thursday each month. Bring your rocks and minerals to have experts identify or exchange for other minerals plus attend fascinating presentations. Presentations are in English but bilingual club members would be happy to translate questions.

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OVMC September 2026 Meeting – Astrophysical Origins of Our Local Minerals

September 10 @ 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Meeting Location: Canadian Museum of Nature in the Theatre downstairs

5:30 PM Mineral Identification and Swap Shop

“Rock Doctor” Clinic: Starts at 5:30, ends at 6:30 PM. Members are free to bring in a reasonable number of samples or specimens to be identified by the expert mineralogists in the club.

“Swap Shop”: Calling all collectors! The OVMC Swap Shop is open for all members (adults and children). Mike and Tara will have several treasures to trade including small crystals, fossils, polished rocks and the occasional plastic dino!  Donations towards the Swap collection is appreciated! Local and international samples accepted. No large samples please.

Join us and win door prizes!

6:30 PM Meeting

Speaker: Dr. Ralph Conti is a retired atomic physicist, PhD University of California – Berkeley.

Topic: Astrological Origins of Our Local Minerals

Dr. Conti was a Research Scientist at the University of Michigan for 23 years in the field of Precision Measurements and Fundamental Constants and then 13 years in industry studying Quantum Cryptography. His first serious introduction to rockhounding was in 1961 at the first coin-operated laundromat in Bancroft (details to follow in the talk).

Ralph will speak on the astrophysical origin of the rare elements that constitute the minerals in eastern Ontario and western Quebec region (part of the geological Grenville province) with focus on the Bancroft area.  He will also explore the geological setting for the minerals he has collected and where those minerals originally came from.

Stardust to Crystal

Details

  • Date: September 10
  • Time:
    5:30 pm - 8:00 pm
  • Event Category:

Venue