Over summer break, I went on a trip to the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology to learn more about the geological area of the Black Hills and mines throughout the region. I was in a group with ten other students, and a geology professor accompanied us. We camped out in the Black Hills in order to travel to all the different geological time periods that were part of these spectacular mountains. This area was full of history found in rocks that date back to the Precambrian Era. We traveled to many different location sand examined the rocks from each level of elevation, and each time, we found different types of stones such as limestone, shale,granite, chalk, gypsum, and more; each of these rocks represents a different time period.

We also visited an interesting area called the Badlands. There, we were able to explore and rock climb on dangerous slopes. Lastly, we visited many dinosaur museums with real fossils and replicas. This experience helped me see a bigger picture of nature and geology.

Currently, archeologists are on a search for new fossils and are finding it very difficult to get a hold of one. However, one of the very important locations for fossil sites is the BlackHills, and even today, there are multitudes of them. When I visited the Badlands, I was able to encounter a sea tortoise from thousands of years ago. Not only that, the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology has a facility for the purpose of uncovering obscure fossil information. Another major factor is oil. As we all know, oil prices have skyrocketed, so people are looking for oil in local regions, such as South and North Dakota. North Dakota is currently ranked second in oil production int he U.S. after Texas.

Throughout this trip, I took note of the gorgeous natural environment surrounding South Dakota. However, all over the world,similar areas are being destroyed and used for buildings and factories. It would be great if we could preserve the natural habitats in South Dakota. Overall, this trip has helped me open up my eyes and see the world around me in a different light. This trip has been a wonderful,life-changing experience.