• Experience geology in the field

• Visit iconic geologic localities on the Maine coast

• Gain insight into geologic processes

• Ponder geologic history

• Have discussions with active researchers

• Meet people from other New England schools

• Be outdoors

• Rediscover your passion for geology

October update.  Registration is now closed for this year’s conference. Thank you for the enthusiastic response. Unfortunately, because most trips reached or exceeded realistic capacity limits, not everyone could attend the trips they wanted this year. Please look for next year's conference at the permanent NEIGC website https://neigc.info/ and consider leading a trip to expand our capacity! If you registered, an email has been sent to the email address submitted by you or your group leader on the registration form.  IF YOU REGISTERED AND DID NOT RECEIVE AN EMAIL, please contact Christian.H.Halsted@maine.gov.  Thank you for making NEIGC 2024 successful.  We'll see you in the field!

 

September update.  Registration for students and professionals of the New England Intercollegiate Geologic community will be open from Tuesday, September 3 through September 30 (opening date changed from an earlier post). The link to the NEIGC 2024 Registration Form will be available at the bottom of this webpage.  Note that some trips have limited capacity. Registration numbers will be continually updated on the Registration Summary at the bottom of this page. The conference registration fee is $15 for geology professionals and $5 for geology students.

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Special Events.  In addition to three days of field trips, participants are invited to gather Friday at the Camden Snow Bowl, 20 Barnestown Road, Camden, Maine for a welcoming reception from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. before finding dinner on your own or with friends. The traditional Saturday evening banquet will be held at Young's Lobster Pound, 2 Fairview St., Belfast, Maine, beginning at 5:30 p.m. and continuing as participants arrive from the various field trips. Order from the regular menu as you arrive and pay as you go. Brief remarks and announcements, if any, will be at 7ish. Registration is not required and there is no registration fee for either event. Friday’s opening party will offer a cash bar.  Young’s Lobster Pound does not sell alcohol, but will allow people of legal age to bring their own alcoholic beverages and drink responsibly.

 

August update.  We are excited to announce that we now have 15 field trips confirmed over the three-day conference from October 11 to 13.  The Organizing Committee is grateful to the many field trip leaders who have stepped forward to make a significant commitment for the benefit of the geologic community in New England.  Without the time, effort, and expertise of the trip leaders there would not be a conference.  Penobscot Bay is a wonderful setting for geologic study.  We are especially honored to be revisiting Penobscot Bay on the golden anniversary of the 1974 NEIGC.  We hope you can join us in October!

Today is a key milestone on the road to welcoming you to Maine on October 11.  We are now posting the list of field trips with their descriptions and logistical details so that participants can prepare for the next milestone which will be registration, beginning September 3.

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INFORMATION AVAILABLE NOW

The list of field trips and leaders.  For each trip you will find a general description of the purpose and scope of the trip to help you choose which trips to register for, as well as logistical information to help you prepare for the trips when the weekend arrives.  The leaders have designated a starting time and location for each trip.  Out of respect for the leaders and the rest of the group, it will be important to be ready to begin the trip at the designated time.  So make your travel and lodging plans accordingly.

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WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

The NEIGC model, which has been successful for over 100 years, relies on participants to make their own arrangements for transportation, lodging, and food, and to be prepared for an outdoor experience with appropriate consideration of comfort and safety.

Lodging.  There are several private campgrounds and a State Park campground in the field trip area, as well as a range of accommodations from national hotel chains to cabins, Air B&B, Vrbo, and yurts.  By looking at the field trip locations you can make your own decisions about what style, location, and price range is appropriate for you or your group.  This region is a popular destination for visitors, so the selection may be better if you act sooner.

Weather.  Several leaders have made specific comments about the weather.  October on the Maine coast can be unpredictable and changeable.  The trips cannot be rescheduled.  Be prepared for whatever comes.  Some of the finest weather and best views are on clear, crisp fall days.  But a cold rain on the coast can make for a long day if you are not prepared.

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INFORMATION ON THE WAY

Registration will open on September 3 and will remain open until September 30.  It is particularly important to notice that the four island trips have capacity limits due to transportation constraints.  For these trips, registration will be first come, first served.  The trips will be closed when the limit is reached.  If you are interested in one of these trips it will be to your advantage to watch for the September 3 opening date.

The Organizing Committee is still working on final details for the Friday welcoming reception and Saturday banquet in the Camden-Belfast area.  Registration fees have not yet been set.  They will be posted on this website when available.  Our intention is to follow the NEIGC custom of offering students a lower registration fee than professionals.

All registrants will receive a digital copy of the field trip guide before the conference.

 

July update.  Plans are well underway for an array of geologic field trips in the Penobscot Bay area in October.  Many volunteers have come forward to offer exciting, interesting, and timely excursions to see a wide variety of features.  There will be visits to classic localities, some of which were described over a hundred years ago, as well as places where active research is making new discoveries.  The trips will encompass the full range of geologic time, from billion-year-old rocks that may be the oldest in Maine, to dramatic shoreline changes affected by last winter's damaging storms as sea level continues to set modern records.  While there will be a few trips east of Penobscot Bay, it looks like most of the trips will be on the west side of Penobscot Bay.

We are especially pleased at the creative range of offerings that is emerging.  There will be several trips oriented specifically toward undergraduate students, in addition to the more rigorous professional-level trips designed to present new research results.  This supports one of our goals to make NEIGC a unique event where students can learn geology through a shared field experience with professionals.

The field trip leaders are at work planning the many details involved, such as timing their routes, planning for parking, talking to landowners, and writing field guides.  In early August we will post a list of the trips on this website with further details as they come in.  We will have further information for participants at that time about registration, the Friday evening welcoming reception, and the Saturday night banquet.  We anticipate that some of the trips to islands will have limited capacity, so it will be important to watch for the registration announcement.

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The NEIGC 2024 Organizing Committee

• Henry Berry, Maine Geological Survey

• Marty Yates, University of Maine

• Lindsay Theis, Maine Geological Survey

• Mark Van Baalen, Harvard University

• Alice Doughty, University of Maine

• Doug Reusch, University of Maine at Farmington

• Christian Halsted, Maine Geological Survey