Florida (2024)

In just 11 days, a group of 13 students, two instructors, and the field trip leader and organizer, Kacey Lohmann, traveled from Ann Arbor all the way to Key West and back.

Along the way, they explored a series of coral reefs and carbonate deposits along the North American continent ranging in age from the Ordovician, to the Eocene, to the Pleistocene, to modern. Students examined these environments, learned about the evolution of the continental platform over time, collected fossils and rock specimens, observed coastal processes, and swam and snorkeled in the beautiful waters of Southern Florida on both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.

They also learned to camp (including setting up tents in the dark), drive in a caravan, take field notes, and make observations when looking at rocks and outcrops. They also managed to eat more Mexican food than previously imagined, get to the southernmost point in the continental US, have a great time along the way, and learn from Kacey’s extraordinary knowledge of the region.