Some of the rocks that Marcy brings to his talks include Civil War-era bullets made from a lead mine in Southampton and fluorescent minerals that glow in darkness. His talk will be on Aug. 21 at 11 a.m.
CHICOPEE - On Aug. 21 at 11 a.m., children at the Chicopee Public Library will have a chance to see what makes up the Earth with a rock and mineral talk by Granby resident and longtime rock collector Jack Marcy.
Marcy is a member of the Connecticut Valley Mineral Club, which meets on the first Wednesday of every month from September to June at the Springfield Museums.
Marcy first got into rocks and minerals because of his son, he says.
"When my son was 11, he wanted to collect rocks," Marcy explained. "Eventually we made jewelry with the minerals we collected. After a while, the bug bit me."
Marcy, 77, says his talks usually involve having his minerals on a display table and passing them around the room. This will be his first talk in a library setting, he said.
"I was doing a presentation at Dino-Fest in my hometown of Granby when one of the people from the Chicopee library approached me. They wanted to know if I did talks for groups," he explained.
Some of the rocks that Marcy brings to his talks include Civil War-era bullets made from a lead mine in Southampton and fluorescent minerals that glow in darkness.
"For the finale of my talks, I show people fluorescent minerals and make the room dark," Marcy explained.
Marcy, who doesn't get paid for his talks, said the most rewarding part is the feedback he receives from young people.
"After my talks, I ask the children to write me a letter about what they liked about my talk," he explained. "Some of the letters I receive impress me with what they learned."
Marcy said he likes to educate children on minerals with his talks. "Each child at my talk receives a bag with four specimens that are also labeled," he explained. "In order for children to learn about the minerals, it helps that they know what it is and where it came from."
Marcy said he doesn't have any rare minerals in his collection, such as gold or silver. "I bring common minerals that any child can find," he said.
Marcy has traveled all across the country to other rock shows as well, and even collects when he is in Tucson, Ariz., for the winter.
Registration is required for the talk. Call the library's children's room to sign up, (413) 594-1800, ext. 120.