Ice Age Hike -- January 10, 2011

Nearly 20,000 years ago, the landscape of Central Illinois was under sheets of ice. Large lakes were being formed where moraines dammed the water from melting glaciers, and storms were depositing thick layers of dust over the area.

During a two-hour private hike at Forest Park Nature Center with Ed Stermer, geology expert and earth science instructor at Illinois Central College, OLLI members learned how Central Illinois was sculpted by these Ice Age glaciers. Stermer, who has led two previous OLLI geology hikes in the warmer months, guided our group through the geologic evidence of the glaciers (including changes in rocks and fauna), explained how plate tectonics and changes in the earth’s orbit affected the glaciations of the Peoria area, and discussed the reasons for past and possible future ice ages.

OLLI thanks Ed for providing yet another fascinating adventure for our group.

For more information about Forest Park Nature Center, please visit www.peoriaparks.com