Several years ago, when planning began for the Geosciences department’s new home, we wanted to create an outdoor teaching and gathering space. Now that the Wachenheim Science Center is complete, and the landscaping is rapidly progressing, we are looking forward spending time in the new Bud Wobus Rock Garden. The garden is, of course, named in honor of Prof. Bud Wobus, on the occasion of retirement this year after fifty-five years of service to the college. The full citation is shown on the architects rendering of the garden below. Many thanks to outgoing department Chair Mea Cook for shepherding the dedication through the administrative process.
The rock garden includes a total of eleven large boulders and specimens gathered from across the country: as far away as Washington state and as close as our neighboring town of Adams. Highlights of the garden include a 6-foot long petrified wood bench from Arizona and a cut-and-polished block of banded iron formation from Minnesota. At the time of this writing, the rock garden is not yet open to the public, so please be patient if you’re on campus.