some of those kids may be YOUR apprentices in 5-10 years. It's
just that nowadays so few people have a hobby of any kind and kids
all think they're gonna make a living 'with computers'.
I know that this is a little off topic, but I have been wanting to
find some beginner books about rock collecting to explore with my 4
year old son who is extremely fascinated by my gemstones and very
interested in rocks and nature in general. I would love to encourage
this hobby with him but have not been able to find any suitable books
on the subject (I know nothing about rockhounding, but am also very
interested in learning). Since I will be doing this with him, it
doesn’t have to be geared towards children, just beginnners. Can
anyone recommend any books? We are in KY but travel in the
surrounding regions.
Carrie Otterson
carrie - log onto www.lapidaryjournal.com & click onto ‘sites to
see’ & then "Collecting, Field Trips & Public Lands’ - those links
should get you to some place you can check out. also there are books
for collecting in every state, also in lapidary journal - which, by
the way, is the best under $30 a year gift you can give yourself &
your son. good luck -
ive
G’day Carrie Otterson:
..... I have been wanting to find some beginner books about rock
collecting to explore with my 4 year old son who is extremely
fascinated by my gemstones and very interested in rocks and nature
in general.
Before buying anything go to your public library - join at once if
you aren’t already a member, and tell the library staff about your
needs. They are in my experience, only too happy to go out of their
way to help a genuine reader. They may even have a juvenile book on
rocks and geology But try not to bore the young person in a spate of
enthusiasm. If you possibly can, try and take a course at your
nearest evening school, polytechnic or even University. I guarantee 3
things; 1) You will never look at the world through the same eyes
again. 2) you will develop a knowledge base which will always be
useful and interesting. 3) You will still be collecting rocks when
you are 80!! – Cheers now,
John Burgess; @John_Burgess2 of Mapua Nelson NZ
Carrie: In addition to books, consider joining a local Gem and Mineral
Society. Most have monthly field trips to collecting areas and most
of the clubs have a high percentage of retired folks and a low
percentage of children and youth. My experience is that club members
are only too happy to share their knowledge, especially with a young
child. While most of our local meetings are slow in tempo and too
long for a child, the field trips would be an ideal “adventure” in
rockhounding. Some would be more suitable than others, occasionally
clubs go somewhere which involves a hike or a lot of rooting around
before anything is found, but in general a field trip could be a
blast for a kid (some are even in the mud!). The Field Trip
Coordinator could fill you in on the details. I don’t know where you
are in KY, but our club in Knoxville sometimes goes to KY or to
places in TN that are near enough to get to from spots in KY. You
might try searching on SFMS (Southeastern Federation of Mineral
Societies) for a local club near you. Email me if I can be of help &
good luck in introducing your child to this fascinating world.
Roy
Little things can sometimes lead on to big things.
At one stage of my life I spent much time ‘rockhunting’ and as a
result of taking my children on these trips my eldest son is now a
consulting geologist with gold mining companies.
As a further result I spent about 8 years as a manufacturing and
retail jeweller and for many years have been a jade carver.
So, go for it, foster the interest, the benefits may be immeasurable
!
Regards, Keith Torckler, Cornwallis, New Zealand.