April 7, 2026 – Stone Ridge, NY – SUNY Ulster invites the community to explore the ancient story beneath their feet at the John Burroughs Natural Science Lecture: “Look Underfoot – An Introduction to the Geology of Ulster County,” presented by Steven Schimmrich. It will take place on Thursday, April 16, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. in BUR-120, the Captain Jack Rose Memorial Lecture Hall on the Stone Ridge Campus. The event is free and open to the public.
Inspired by the words of famed naturalist John Burroughs— “Look underfoot…”—this engaging lecture will reveal the remarkable geological history of Ulster County, a story that spans more than a billion years.
Attendees will learn how the region was once shaped by towering Himalayan-scale mountains, chains of erupting volcanic islands, shallow subtropical seas, and vast glacial ice sheets. The presentation will also highlight how geology has influenced human history in the region, including industries such as bluestone quarrying, natural cement production, and brick-making—key drivers of past economic development in Ulster County.
Professor Schimmrich has taught geology and Earth sciences at SUNY Ulster for more than 25 years. He is the author of Geology of the Hudson Valley: A Billion Years of History (2020) and is widely recognized for his research on the region’s geology and its connection to historical development.
For more information, please email schimmrichs@sunyulster.edu.
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