CEDAR FALLS - The rockhounds have entered the cathedral. Their cathedral is Latham Hall, home of the University of Northern Iowa earth science department.

And they're hoping Cedar Valley residents will "get religion" about the importance of geology in everyday life and public affairs.

BMC Aggregates, formerly known as Basic Materials Corp., in cooperation with the UNI earth science department, are hosting another Earth Science Week open house 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 30 at Latham Hall, east of Gilchrist Hall on the main UNI campus.

Traditionally, the week has been held outdoors, usually at a BMC quarry site. Organizers thought Latham would be a change of pace. Educational presentations will be held, and two field trips to Messerly Quarry northwest of Cedar Falls will be offered at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., where there will be an opportunity to look at different rocks and collect samples.

"We just saw it as an opportunity to showcase the earth sciences through what we have here at UNI and Latham Hall," earth science department head Jim Walters said. "We have geology, astronomy, meteorology and earth science education, teaching. We really encompass the full range of the earth sciences. We just wanted to have the opportunity to show the public what we're all about"

Bringing the event to UNI, conceived by Walters and BMC geologist Sherman Lundy, is a great idea, BMC Aggregates manager Chris Dinsdale said. "Both Jim and Sherm should be commended on their efforts promoting the earth sciences, and what better way to do that than at the university," he said.

Many of the same exhibitors will be on hand as in past years, as well as displays, exhibits and demonstrations, Walters said. "One thing that we will be able to do here which would have been awkward if not impossible out at the quarry, is we'll have short presentations on a variety of earth science issues, like volcanoes, earthquakes, severe weather tornadoes. And we have a planetarium," with digital capabilities.

A turnout of about 500 to 1,000 visitors are anticipated through the day, Lundy said. "We might get more UNI students, because we're also promoting it on campus," Walters said.

"The earth is an incredibly dynamic planet, and we think more people, the public in general, should be aware of Planet Earth and how it works," Walters said. "One of our talks will probably be on global warming and climate change."

Another reason for having the open house at Latham is "because of the close ties that we have in industry with education," Lundy said. "All our future employees are going to be involved in some kind of educational opportunity, whether working with BMC Aggregates or some of the other of our related companies.

"We also feel that, as Jim pointed out, the study of the earth sciences in an educational setting, from our point of view, is exceedingly important," Lundy said. "Those folks that sit on boards of zoning, that sit on boards of supervisors, the (city) councils, school boards and the rest of the leadership in the community is going to have to have an earth science background in order to make some intelligent decisions about what happens in our community, whether it's the availability of natural resources or it's planning communities."

BMC and UNI have held enough of these types of events over the years that they are seeing young people benefiting from them. Lundy said a Boy Scout he recently was working with on a geology merit badge said his interest in the subject was stimulated by a BMC/UNI field day.

"It makes you feel good," Lundy said. "We've received responses from city council people, from supervisors, from youth, that this is really great."

More information about the event may be obtained by contacting the UNI earth sciences department at (319) 273-2759 or BMC Aggregates at (319) 235-7065, where teachers may acquire Earth Science Week Took Kits and materials from the American Geophysical Institute.

Contact Pat Kinney at (319) 291-1484 or Pat.Kinney@wcfcourier.com