Earth Week Field Trip
Staten Island Serpentinite
Sunday, May 3, 2026
9:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Join Professors Shruti Philips and Jasmine Bayron for a field trip to view Staten Island Serpentinite. The spectacular exposures of Serpentinites will give us a rare glimpse into a chemically complex ancient subduction zone. These rocks were part of the ancient Iapetus oceanic crust that was thrust up during the Taconic Orogeny when the supercontinent Pangea began to form 450 million years ago. We will be able to collect rock specimens containing a variety of minerals such as Serpentine, Chrysotile, Magnetite, Montmorillonite, Pyrite and Talc.

This trip is free and open to undergraduate Hunter College Geography and Environmental Studies majors and students enrolled in departmental courses (i.e., GEOG, GEOL, GTECH, PGEOG), and students submit a complete Student Waiver Form.

What to bring: packed lunch, water, hat and walking shoes

Meeting location: Bus pick up and drop off at 68th Street and Lexington Ave

Secure your spot on the bus by acquiring and returning a filled-out Student Waiver Form, accessible from the main office of the Department of Geography and Environmental Science (Room 1006 Hunter North). The form must be submitted by April 29th.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Profesor Shruti Philips at shruti.philips@hunter.cuny.edu.