All that Glitters Isn't Gold - A Mineral ID Workshop

Note: Workshop is for an Adult Audience. This workshop is for participants ages 18+.

All that Glitters Isn't Gold - A Mineral ID Workshop 
Sunday, October 27, 2024, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm 

How are terrestrial minerals created within the Earth? How – and why – do they exhibit different traits? Designed for those with limited knowledge of meteorites and meteorite identification, this hands-on geology workshop invites participants to dig deep into the science of minerals, the different types of terrestrial minerals, why they’re different, and their impact on the future of science & technology. What makes a “critical mineral” critical? Find out and learn more about the role they play in developing sustainable technologies. 

The program includes in-classroom instruction with touchable samples, a guided exploration of the mineralogy galleries including the forthcoming critical minerals display, and hands-on introduction to mineral classification leveraging ROM’s collections and equipment. Learn more about the use of rock and mineral samples and ID tools, such as magnets and hand lenses, to enhance overall identification skills and understanding of these samples. 

NOTE: Participants are NOT permitted to bring personal specimens to the workshop.

This workshop is designed for audiences with limited knowledge of meteorites and meteorite identification.

Instructor: Katherine Dunnell

Katherine Dunnell is a Collection Technician in the Department of Natural History at the Museum with a focus on gems and jewellery. She is a frequent speaker at ROM events and to external groups with an interest in mineralogy. Gems and jewellery are her focus and passion. Katherine's original passion was medicine, but after a year of university spent touching ‘slimy’ things, she decided inorganic sciences were much more appealing. Geology really appealed to her because it is the most tactile of all the sciences, so she switched to an undergraduate program in physical geography.

In between academic years, she spent two summers with the Ontario Geological Survey (OGS), working in northern Ontario as a junior mapper. From her experiences in the ‘bush’, Katherine gained a better appreciation for the beauty of the unspoiled north, the ability to cook a roast over an open fire, and a huge distain for black flies. She also worked two summers at the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, dredging up mud and sediment samples from Lake Erie and collecting zebra mussels to analyze in the accredited lab. Her studies there focused around where the heavy metals were concentrated within the sediments, and whether they were bioavailable.

Katherine's appreciation for museums was instilled during her childhood, with frequent visits to ROM and the McLaughlin Planetarium, as well as the Detroit Institute of Art. She joined ROM in 1997 and, since then, has participated in the development of several exhibitions, including: Pompeii: In the Shadow of the Volcano (2015); The Nature of Diamonds (2008); and The Black Star Sapphire of Queensland (2007), and a member of the gallery development team for ROM’s Teck Suite of Galleries: Earth’s Treasures.

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