Day 4 T-Rex Centre, KT Boundary

Day 4 T-Rex Centre, KT Boundary

Today’s experience at the T-Rex discovery centre was an excellent opportunity for me to learn about an educational opportunity that has long been a part of Saskatchewan’s heritage, but about which I had known very little. 

This morning we, the participants in the SMA Geoventure tour, were treated to a tour of the T-Rex centre in Eastend Saskatchewan and had an opportunity to meet Scotty the Tyrannosaurus Rex (if you go be sure to ask how Scotty got her name!).  This was an excellent experience, and I believe would be valuable for a teacher and students learning about paleontology, geology, or Saskatchewan history (remember that there were billions of years of history before people showed up!).

The tour we went on focussed on three main areas.  First there was the general overview of the centre and its exhibits. The guides were very knowledgeable and provided an excellent overview of the prehistoric plants and animals that once inhabited Saskatchewan.  It was important to be reminded that the prairie geography we are so familiar with is not always the way it was.  Saskatchewan has been home to an interesting variety of flora and fauna over the last several hundred million years, and has drastically changed (several times) when studied on the geological time scale.    

The second experience at the T-Rex centre was a hands-on activity where we got to search for micro-fossils.  This was a fun experience and our group alternated between co-operation and competition to find interesting fossils.  As teachers we like hands-on experiences as much as students do, therefore an opportunity to get digging through the rocks and sand was welcome.  Fortunately we were only looking for microfossils so we got to do our studying inside at a table rather than outside in the heat, but still it was fun to be able to contribute, even if only for a few minutes, to the archeology work that goes on at the centre.

Finally our tour group had an opportunity to tour the lab where the fossils are being recovered and analyzed.  Tim Tokaryk, the curator of paleontology, was an excellent and informative host and guide.  The vertebrate paleontology at the centre has been his project for many years, and the dedication he shows to his work is evident.  He was very knowledgeable about the artifacts he has been working to uncover and study, and welcoming and personable when presenting them.  From Dinosaur teeth to dinosaur dung there is so much to see that if you have an opportunity to take a tour of the lab with him, it should not be missed.

The T-Rex Centre is operated by the Royal Saskatchewan Museum (the organization responsible for preserving Saskatchewan’s fossil heritage).  Currently entry is free, although the centre does welcome donations (and requests a $2 donation per student for school groups).  This centre would be an excellent place to visit for a high school science class and courses like Science 10, Environmental Science 20, and Earth Science 30 may particularly benefit.  Like most attractions in Saskatchewan, distance may prove to be a handicap to some.  Fortunately the centre does have paleontology kits that they are willing to send out to schools.  So, if a field trip is beyond your budget or beyond a reasonable distance, you should contact the centre for more information.

Although I have spoken at length about the T-Rex Centre, there were two other experiences today that were both of note.  The first was an opportunity to try Geocaching.  For those of you who, like me until today, don’t know much about what it is, Geocaching is using what you know about global positioning and maps to find hidden caches of “treasure”.  Geocaches have been hidden all over the world, and it is a fun way to explore and learn.  If you have an opportunity I strongly encourage you to find a geocache, write in the log, explore the artefacts within, and leave your own treasure for the next person to find.

Our final experience today was an opportunity to find the K-T boundary.  The K-T boundary is a layer of Iridium left behind by a meteor strike millions of years ago.  It is an important dividing line for geologists as no dinosaur fossils have been found above this line (although as we found out at the T-Rex discovery centre this is probably not the whole story behind the extinction of the dinosaurs).  Nevertheless it is a fascinating and visible reminder of Earth’s geological past.  The place where we went to look for the line was where the road cut was made in the Frenchman valley, but because this was a world-wide event it can be found anywhere where conditions are right.  It is thin, so it is not easy to find, but it is worth the experience when you do.

All together this has been a great day learning about the long prehistoric history of Saskatchewan.

Michael

P.S. by Scott Mitchell

Today was a great day on the Geoventure.  As a grade 4 teacher we talk about soil and erosion and I think the paleontologist activity that Michael referred to would be great for my students to see just what is contained in soil and the organic make up of it. 

Another very cool thing that we did today was we checked out the KT boundary(also which Micheal previously alluded to.  I took a sample of rock from this area and I cannot wait to talk to my students about what Saskatchewan was like before it was mostly flat boring farmland and about all of the very cool and exciting things that existed millions of years ago.  Amazing day I would recommend the Scotty T-Rex centre to anyone, science lover or not. Also her name is Scotty which is my name so how amazing is that?

P.P.S. By Sara Campbell

Today, like all of the other fantastic days we’ve had on this GeoVenture, was full of both useful and interesting information that I am excited to bring back to my grade 4 students. In grade 4 one of the science focuses is on rocks and minerals. After exploring the sand for fossils, and searching for the K2 boundary I have a new appreciation for what is under my feet, and my goal is to open my students’ eyes to the fascinating history of the rocks that they interact with at home, on the playground, while hiking, etc... 

The T-Rex Discovery Center provided great visuals and photo ops for me to take back to my classroom, and in the Gift Shop, I purchased a couple of gemstone sets to add to my science resources. At the K2 boundary I collected some samples from the ground, and cannot wait to tell my students that they are looking at residue from what could quite possibly be a major factor in the dinosaur extinction AND that those samples probably contain matter from outer space. WHOA!  

Day 5 Coal

Day 5 Coal 

The SMA mining tour has been an incredible adventure and learning experience.

We learned about coal mining in Saskatchewan; specifically the technique of strip mining. We were fortunate to learn this by going to Westmoreland’s Poplar River coal mining operation near the communities of Willow Bunch and Coronach in southern Saskatchewan near the border between Canada and the USA.

We began this section of our tour by going to Willow Bunch where we had a Non-Employee Safety Orientation. This was led by a team of 7 young mining professionals. The Poplar River operation is owned and operated by Westmoreland Coal Company which has its headquarters in Denver, Colorado, USA. 

The company’s team was incredibly knowledgeable and led us through: Health and Safety, Westmoreland Coal Operations, Environmental Impact Assessment, Environmental Commitments, Environment Monitoring, Lignite Coal, and Careers in coal mining. This was very informative.

The second part of the coal mining tour took us through Coronach and to the Poplar River mining operations site. Here we were led by a team of young energetic staff members. We were taken through the shop where there were huge machines, namely a scraper and hauler which were being maintained. Other machinery was there as well including a spare generator (also extremely large with multiple pieces), cable for the drag-line, tools, parts, and a wash bay. We had hands on opportunities while in the shop to climb onto and go into a hauler.

On route to the coal pits, we stopped to see a massive electric shovel that had just been moved recently 5 km from the pits by 2 haulers pulling it. It is being decommissioned and or sold. Also we stopped to see a massive drag-line bucket that was on the roadside, ready to haul to the shop for maintenance. 

We visited 2 coal mining sites. The first site we visited #6 pit had a dragline machine that wasn’t operational at the time; loaders and haulers were busy there moving the coal. It was a very impressive scene. The loaders were mixing coal from piles near us that were a lower grade coal; loose with fine particles with those from piles a few hundred metres away that were denser and chunkier. The haulers left the site to take to the railway site for deposition and delivery.

The scale of the operations was incredible. We stood between 2 high cliffs; one refilled with coversoil getting ready to be reclaimed and another ready for extraction. Between the piles of coal dust flew swirling because of the lower quality lignite. 

The second site we visited, #8 pit, was in full operation when we arrived. The massive dragline Great Gus towered above the pit moving coversoil in quick scoops, while the loaders and haulers came and went with the coal. This site had a much higher quality of lignite coal and was in bigger chunks and blocks. Along the face of the pit the layers were clearly distinguishable. While on site, we all were able to fill our plastic bags with coal samples. We were standing on an area recently cleared of coal and near piles of the product. The clay layer under us contained pyrite housed in clay pellets, which we happily collected. There was plenty of time to look at the seam at the coal wall and we saw fossil evidence, and in one particular coal piece we saw evidence of a tree with the rings that were still visible.

The third leg of our coal mining tour in Poplar River took us to an area that houses the final stage to operations at Poplar River mining site. It includes: a hopper, storage, reserve area, conveyer system, silo and railway. Here the haulers bring in their loads and dump the coal into hoppers that crush the coal and drop it into a storage tank. There is a huge pile of coal reserves adjacent to this hopper. Attached to the hopper is a conveyer system that will bring the contents of the storage tank up a track, through a silo to a waiting rail car. The silo has an office on the second level that has a high tech computer system to monitor the deposits in the hopper, as well as the other mining areas at the site.  When the underground storage unit is full, the train makes its way from the power plant (20 km’s away) and fills the cars in approximately 25 minutes and takes the coal directly to the power plant. The power plant is specifically designed to burn this type of lignite coal.

Reclamation of the land after the coal has been extracted is a very important step in the operation of a coal mine. As the coal is scraped out of the strip, the dragline will fill the empty seam with coversoil from the adjacent strip.  These strips are approximately 55m wide,  20-52m deep and run for about 4 km’s. The coal seam under the coversoil is about 4m thick. The dragline works continuously filling the strips. There is no waste product or tailings in coal mining. The land is put back to a productive state within a few years of extraction.

In closing, the coal mining tour was a great learning experience. Learning about coal and mining are integral parts to Science and Social Studies Saskatchewan curriculums K-12. It is valuable to have knowledge of the process of coal extraction as well as its use in producing over 50% of our baseload electricity in Saskatchewan. Coal is important to our economy in Saskatchewan and throughout Canada and the world.

Coal – Day 5 – Kim Nicholls

As one of the few non-science specialists on this Geoventure tour, I have found it incredibly informative and it has stretched my non-science brain to the limit.  After days of learning about processes that involve some very advanced chemistry and terms like slurry, precipitate and KCl, I was happy to see what believed to be a simple and easy to understand system.  On paper, the Poplar River coal operation is simple:  Remove the cover soil, remove the overburden, dig out the coal and move on.  However, this simplistic schematic does nothing to convey the scale and the complexity of the operation.  To begin with, the scale of the machinery is enormous.  The 120 ton haulers have tires that are nearly 8 feet high.  These haulers also require a ladder to reach the cab.  Great Gus, the dragline, has a bucket capable of moving enough soil to dig a basement in one and a half scoops.  A single link on the chain weighs hundreds of pounds.  The men and women running these machines are skilled operators who make the system work like clockwork.  The really remarkable thing about this mine happens when the coal has been hauled and burned and used.  This is when the reclamation of the land begins.  Within a few years of the finishing of a pit, it becomes impossible to tell where the pit was.  The overburden is replaced.  The cover soil is replaced and the land is contoured to match the surrounding areas.  We saw mule deer and ducks and the land is so natural that it is hard to believe that a mine exists there.  In my mind, this is the true genius of this mine.  I was impressed by the commitment that Westmoreland Coal has to the environment.  They are able to virtually erase their footprint.

I will be teaching Energy and Mines 30 this fall and I will be using everything I learned on this trip in my classroom.  There are many things that I didn’t realize before we left.  One of the most important things is that there a breadth of jobs in the mining industry that I never realized before.  It is not about brute force, but it is a highly skilled field that requires many types of workers.  I have also learned that all the mining companies are deeply committed to the environment and to safety.  These elements are going to form an important part of my course.  I will be encouraging everyone I know to apply for this course.  The resources that the Saskatchewan Mining Association has available to the teachers of this province are unparalleled and have proven to be an invaluable resource for me and for everyone on this trip.

Day 6 Esterhazy Underground Potash

Day 6 Esterhazy Underground Potash

An early 5:30 am  rise at our Esterhazy, Canalta Hotel ensured we would arrive at the mine by 7 am to begin today’s tour.  Upon leaving our hotel, the importance mining to Esterhazy and the surrounding communities became apparent when the large head frames of K3, K1 and K2 emerged out of the morning fog .  The above ground infrastructure of this Mosaic mine is both widespread and impressive and many in our bus commented on the size of the employee parking lot filled with vehicles from numerous surrounding communities.  We would later find out that the K1-K2 mining operation produced 5 million tons of product annually with over 1200 employees (16% women). Today’s tour would be at the  K2 mine. 

The first order of business was to be briefed on safety and to get “geared up”.  Everyone was required to wear coveralls, steel-toed boots with metatarsal protection, hardhats with lamps, safety glasses, hearing protection and gloves.   Also, exposed jewellery was removed. We were also given water for our underground tour.

Our safety orientation included watching a safety video and instruction on the use of the w65 self rescue breathing apparatus in the event our air quality was compromised.

Emergency preparedness at K2 includes having EMT trained personal and MRT personnel on site. Later we also toured an underground  ”refuge” station where employees would gather in the event of an emergency where they would stay until the hazards were  mitigated.  These stations are equipped with water, food and communication to the surface.

Safety is taken very seriously and is an important part of every employees’ day at Mosaic as indicated by  the  mission statement  of “Relentless Pursuit of an Injury Free Workplace” posted on the wall and the “Stop” program cards used to improve the workplace safety environment.
 

After our safety orientation, we made our way to the cage where we were taken 3000 feet underground down the mine shaft.  The ride underground was surprisingly smooth and quick.  Where Mc Arthur uranium mine would be considered cool (10 Celsius) and damp, a potash mine is warm (27 Celsius) and dry.   Once underground we broke into groups and boarded Toyota personnel carriers that took us to an active mining site that was a long ride away from the shaft (this mine is 33.5 x 22.6 km in area) and although we moved along fairly fast, it took over half  an hour to reach our site and everyone thought that if we had to find our way back we would be out of luck as there are over 3000 miles of passageways in the mine!

Our underground tour was very interesting as we toured the assembly areas, shops, many miles of conveyor belt systems, hopers and four rotor miners.  It was impressive to know that from the time the ore is mined to a finished product, it would only take about an hour.

Being underground was an incredible experience for all of us as we considered the  ancient past that formed this vast ore deposit, the engineering marvel of the mine, its area and depth,  and the dedication and professionalism of the Mosaic employees.

Many thanks to Trevor, Jodi, and Paula for leading our underground tours!