What and where was Glacial Lake Hitchcock? What evidence is left in our region’s valleys, rocks, soil and waterways? On April 3rd, Rices Mills Community Center brings filmmaker Greg Stott to Thetford to show his new documentary about the effects of the last ice age in the Connecticut River Valley. Greg is a middle school science teacher who made the film after winning a Christa McCauliffe Sabbatical supported by the NH Charitable Foundation in 2023.

Stott, a teacher, artist and filmmaker, has been teaching science at high school and intermediate levels since 1997. His sabbatical work was aimed at helping students notice and better understand the geology of the environment around them. In a 2023 interview for the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation he explained, “What I want people to realize is that no matter where you are, there is something interesting that kids can look at, there is some interesting earth science everywhere.” For example, he noted that his classroom, “Where I’m sitting right now, was under water.”

 This leads to some interesting research opportunities such as Dartmouth professor Meredith Kelly's students who have studied core samples from Smith Pond in Enfield, shown in the film. If cores are obtained that go all the way back to glaciation, then a timeline may be known for when the glacier retreated, and which species repopulated the land after retreat. Geology doesn’t just look back into history. Knowledge about past conditions in our landscape can help us understand current conditions and anticipate what may be ahead as our climate changes.

 After the viewing of this short documentary, there will be time for questions.  Potluck snacks are welcome.  The event is free and open to the public.