Geology-related hobbies such as fossil, mineral, and rock collecting, lapidary, and spelunking are very popular in Ohio. The following list was compiled from the 2003 list of the Midwest Federation of Mineralogical and Geological Societies Web site: http://www.amfed.org/mwf/. Some additional clubs for which the Ohio Division of Geological Survey has information are included. Most clubs sponsor collecting field trips, guest lectures, and newsletters. Membership in most of these clubs is open to anyone, regardless of experience level, who has an interest in geology or nature in general.
The number beside each entry corresponds to locations on the accompanying map.
1. Akron Mineral Society
Meetings: 6:30 p.m., 2nd Saturday except July and August at Summit Lapidary Club, 244 Chestnut Blvd., Cuyahoga Falls. For more information contact: Akron Mineral Society, c/o Dave MacSeoinin, 244 Chestnut Blvd., Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221, e-mail: Dave MacSeoinin, c/o .
2. Brukner Gem & Mineral Club
Meetings: 7:00 p.m., 1st Thursday except July and August at Brukner Nature Center, Troy. For more information contact: Brukner Gem and Mineral Club, c/o Brukner Nature Center, 5995 Horseshoe Bend Rd., Troy, OH 45373, Web site:
http://home.att.net/~jkleber/brukner/.
3. Brunswick High School Geology Society
Meetings: 2:20 p.m., Tuesday during school year. For more information contact: Geology Society, Brunswick High School, 3582 Center Rd., Brunswick, OH 44212, 330-273-0257, Web site:
http://www.bcsoh.org/highschool/sci/geology.
4. The Cincinnati Mineral Society
Meetings: 8:00 p.m., 2nd Friday except July, December, and August at Sharon Woods Visitor Center, Sharonville, OH. For more information contact: Jim Budnik, 2948 Rontina Dr., Goshen, OH 45122, Web site:
http://www.mineralsociety.org.
5. Columbus Rock & Mineral Society
Meetings: 7:30 p.m., 4th Friday except July and August, November and December meetings variable, at Chemical Abstracts, 2540 Olentangy River Rd., Bldg. A, Columbus. For more information contact: Mary Linder, 1310 W. First Ave., Columbus, OH 43212, e-mail: , or Dale Gnidovec at .
6. Dayton Gem & Mineral Society
Meetings: 7:30 p.m., 2nd Tuesday except July (picnic) and December (party) at Cultural Arts Complex, Riverbend Art Center, Dayton. For more information contact: Dayton Gem & Mineral Society, c/o the Cultural Arts Complex, 1301 E. Siebenthaler Ave., Dayton, OH 43414, 937-2780655, e-mail: , Web site:
http://homepages.udayton.edu/~koziol/dgms/dgmsmain.html.
7. East Ohio Lapidary Club
Meetings: 8:00 p.m., 2nd and 4th Monday except August and December at St. Cyril & Methodius School, 185 Laird Ave. NE, Warren, 330-393-9766. For more information contact: East Ohio Lapidary Club, c/o Donald Bircher, P.O. Box 82, Kinsman, OH 44428.
8. Firelands Geological Club
Meetings: 8:00 p.m., 1st Monday except July and August at St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church, 243 Benedict Ave., Norwalk, 419-668-2856. For more information contact: Firelands Geological Club, 1509 Walnut Rd., North Fairfield, OH 44855.
9. Ft. Hamilton Gem & Mineral Society
Meetings: 7:30 p.m., 1st Tuesday except September and December at Lindenwold Methodist Church, 3501 Pleasant Ave., Hamilton. For more information contact: Ft. Hamilton Gem & Mineral Society, c/o Bill Adams, 684 Glenway Dr., Hamilton, OH 45013.
10. Gemological Society
Meetings: 7:30 p.m., 1st Thursday in rare-books room of Cleveland Museum of Natural History. For more information contact: Gemological Society, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, 1 Wade Oval Dr., University Circle, Cleveland, OH 44106-1767, 216-231-4600 ext. 429, e-mail: .
11. Greater Cincinnati Lapidary & Faceting Society
Meetings: 7:00 p.m., 2nd Monday at members homes. For more information contact: Greater Cincinnati Lapidary & Faceting Society, c/o Jim Budnik, 2948 Rontina Dr., Goshen, OH 45122, e-mail: .
12. Lakeshore Mineral & Lapidary Society
Meetings: 8:00 p.m., 4th Thursday at Mentor Christian Church, 8751 Mentor Ave., Mentor. For more information contact: Lakeshore Mineral & Lapidary Society, 6351 Ramblewood Dr., Mentor, OH 44060-2234.
13. Licking County Rock & Mineral Society
Meetings: 7:30 p.m., 4th Wednesday except November (3rd Wednesday) and December (2nd Wednesday) at Dawes Arboretum, 7770 Jacksontown Rd., Newark. For more information contact: Licking County Rock & Mineral Society, Inc., P.O. Box 94, Mount Vernon, OH 43050, e-mail: .
14. Medina County Gem & Mineral Society
Meetings: 7:30 p.m., 1st Friday except July and August at Medina County Public Library Meeting Room, 210 S. Broadway, Medina. For more information contact: Medina County Gem & Mineral Society, 861 Lafayette St., Medina, OH 44256.
15. Miami Valley Mineral & Gem Club
Meetings: 2:00 p.m., 2nd Sunday except June, July, and August at Small Business Development Center, 300 E. Auburn Ave., Fairborn. For more information contact: Miami Valley Mineral & Gem Club, 2792 Greystroke Dr., Xenia, OH 45385, Web site:
http://www.mvmgc.org.
16. Micromineral Society of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Meetings: 1:00 p.m., 4th Saturday (except September) at Cleveland Museum of Natural History. For more information contact: Dr. David Saja, Curator of Minerals, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, 1 Wade Oval Dr., University Circle, Cleveland, OH 44106-1767, 216-231-4600 ext. 429, e-mail: .
17. Mineralogical Society of Cleveland
Meetings: 7:30 p.m., 3rd Monday at members' homes. For more information contact: Mineralogical Society of Cleveland, John Blue, 16155 Shurmer Rd., Strongsville, OH 44136.
18. North Coast Fossil Club
Meetings: 10:00 a.m., 3rd Saturday at Parma-Snow Branch Library, 2121 Snow Rd., Parma. For more information contact: North Coast Fossil Club, 1225 Ledge Rd., Hinkley, OH 44233, e-mail: , Web site:
http://www.ncfclub.org/.
19. Ohio Valley Gem & Mineral Society, Inc.
Meetings: 7:30 p.m., 3rd Thursday at Wesley United Methodist Church, 497 21st St., Vienna, WV. For more information contact: Ohio Valley Gem & Mineral Society, Inc., 753 Arm St., Belpre, OH 45714.
20. Parma Lapidary Club
Meetings: 7:30 p.m., 1st Wednesday, except July, at Parma Lapidary Club, 3488 West 25th St., Cleveland. For more information contact: Parma Lapidary Club, c/o Jan Widiger, 12961 West Linden Lane, Parma, OH 44130, e-mail: , or John Ruppart at .
21. Richland Lithic & Lapidary Society
Meetings: 7:30 p.m., 1st Monday, except on Monday holidays then 2nd Monday, at Kingwood Center Gatehouse, 900 Park Ave. W., Mansfield. For more information contact: Eva Clements, 918 Brookfield Dr., Apt. 2, Mansfield, OH 44907.
22. Stark County Gem & Mineral Club
Meetings: 7:30 p.m., 1st Tuesday except June and July at Canton Garden Center, 1516 Stadium Park Dr. NW, Canton, 330-455-6172. For more information contact: Stark County Gem & Mineral Club, P.O. Box 8261, Canton, OH 44711.
23. Summit Lapidary Club
Meetings: 8:00 p.m., Tuesday at 244 Chestnut Blvd., Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221. For more information contact: 330-929-3798, Web site:
http://www.LapidaryClubofOhio.org.
24. Toledo Gem & Rockhound Club Meetings: 7:00 p.m., 3rd Wednesday at Crosby Conference Center at the Toledo Botanical Gardens , 5403 Elmer Dr., Toledo, 419-5368365. For more information contact: Michael Mayers, 7722 Shadywood Lane, Sylvania, OH 43560.
25. Wayne County Gem & Mineral Club
Meetings: 7:15 p.m., 2nd Tuesday except July, August, and December at Wayne County Library, 304 N. Market St., Wooster. For more information contact: Beverly Imhoff, 87 N. 4th St., Rittman, OH 44270-1333.
26. Dry Dredgers
An association of amateur geologists and fossil collectors. Meetings: 8:00 p.m., 4th Friday September through June, 201 Braunstein Hall, University of Cincinnati. For more information contact: Department of Geology, Attn.: Dry Dredgers, P.O. Box 10013, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, Web site:
http://homepages.uc.edu/~handgl/dredgers.htm.
27. Wittenberg University Speleological Society
Meetings: 7:00 p.m., Wednesday when Wittenberg University classes are in session, Room 230, Science Building (corner of Plum and Edwards; parking available in adjacent lot), Wittenberg University, Springfield. For more information contact: Horton H. Hobbs III, Department of Biology, P.O. Box 720, Wittenberg University, Springfield, OH 45501-0720, e-mail: , Web site: Web site:
http://www4.wittenberg.edu/student_organizations/wuss/.