GMS Junior Section Field Trip November 2025

GMS Junior Section Field Trip
Quartz Crystals in Georgia
Sunday, November 2, 2025

Juniors and parents look forward to this trip every year. How often do you get to dig in Georgia clay for beautiful quartz crystals, watch a pendant being handmade for you from a crystal you just pulled out of the ground, have a picnic lunch, and play with barn cats?

Before the group arrived, Jason Leatherwood was digging large holes and moving dirt around with his tractor. His prep work makes finding crystals exponentially easier for all of us. It is mesmerizing to watch him operate the backhoe like it is an extension of his body.

After the group arrived and barely held still long enough for a group photo, the juniors jumped into the dirt and immediately start finding quartz. Part of the fun is the digging, followed by washing blobs of clay-covered quartz to see what the dirt was hiding.

Each junior picked one of their best crystals to show to Diana Poppelreuter. Diana would examine it from different directions and ask the junior which way they liked it. Then, she wire-wrapped it into a pendant for them. They watched as their crystal went from naturally beautiful to exceptionally beautiful!

Everyone took a break from their hard work to enjoy a picnic lunch of grilled hotdogs, fresh fruit, chips, and other snacks. We stood around the fire roasting marshmallows, sometimes turning them into s’mores, sometimes into carbon. Bellies full and sweet tooths satisfied, it was time to jump back into the dirt for round two of the quartz crystal adventure.

Before we called it a day, juniors got to see and hold a baby DeKay’s brownsnake. Jason refilled the holes and smoothed over the spots with the loader side of his tractor. A few more cuddles with a friendly old barn cat named Custard, and it was time to go home, wash up, and have sweet dreams about digging crystals.

Because of the generosity of friends who own this fantastic property, juniors have a great place to dig, play, and learn. They are always so kind and welcoming. They set up tables and chairs for the picnic, lit the grill, transported water for washing crystals, then shared their day, beautiful property, and crystals with us. They even joined us in the dirt! Many, many thanks to the whole family.

There are many GMS members who made this day special too. Thank you to Jason for providing hotdogs and buns as well as hauling his tractor there and digging the area for us. Thank you to Aaron for answering everyone’s questions about quartz and geology; Nedra and Madison for helping at the dig site; and Nathan for being the grill master and helping with the picnic. Thank you to Diana, who not only wire-wrapped pendants for everyone, but also brought toothbrushes, water, cleaning containers, newspaper for wrapping delicate specimens, and egg cartons for small crystals. Thanks to the juniors who attended this trip too. They dug hard, they worked hard, and they were rewarded with some awesome goodies! Of course, we must also thank Charles for putting the trip together!

Lori Carter on behalf of Charles Carter
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