About Us
Our Story
Michigan Rockhounds began as a group with a goal: to engage and educate Michiganders on the geological history of the mitten state.
Our focus is on creating open resources with the philosophy that education should be more readily accessible. And so, with the help of like-minded content creators, geologists, and fellow staff, the community grew into what it is today.
Our Community
Michigan Rockhounds grew from a Facebook group of rockhounding enthusiasts. In one year of its inception, the group grew from 60 members to 60,000, and we’re still growing!
On our Facebook page, our team of admins and moderators stay engaged with members by helping ID their finds, share advice, and answer questions. But best of all — we can geek out about rocks together!
Our Mission
Michigan Rockhounds mission is to engage, educate, and uplift the rockhounding community in Michigan.
We’re fostering an engaging community focused on science education. We believe that all knowledge should be openly shared; there should be no secrets to polishing or collecting locations. We’re here to empower our community to have the best experience collecting beautiful rocks across the Great State of Michigan.
Our Leadership
Cody Wiedenbein is a fine arts and design student in the Midland area, as well as a photography assistant. He is the founder of the Michigan Rockhounds group and serves as an administrator as well as our resident “Slagologist” and expert on Petoskey’s and rock polishing. He enjoys collecting Leland Blues and snorkeling to find the best pieces. He sees his role as facilitating an inclusive community where information is easily accessible.
Craig McClarren is a geologist with experience across North America, Oceania, and Australia, a former university lecturer, a geochemist, and an igneous petrologist with experience in resource exploration. He resides in Michigan and collects from mine dumps, quarries, and exploration pits when time allows. His role in the group is primarily focused on identifying samples and preparing tutorials and educational content.
