Steve Gariepy with SIU’s STEM Education Research Center will be the guest speaker at Glaciers End’s Sip and Learn series on Wednesday, Nov. 4. His discussion is focused on the Illinoisan Glacial termination line, starting at 6 p.m. (Photo by Rajvee Subramanian).
October 29, 2026
SIU researcher to speak on Southern Illinois glacial history at free event
CARBONDALE, Ill. — A Southern Illinois University Carbondale researcher will be a guest speaker at a free, public event in Marion.
Steve Gariepy with SIU’s STEM Education Research Center will discuss natural divisions in Southern Illinois, with a focus on the Illinoisan Glacial termination line that runs across the region. The talk is a part of Glaciers End’s Sip and Learn series on Wednesday, Nov. 4. For those 21 and older, the event kicks off with a happy hour from 5 to 6 p.m. followed by Gariepy’s discussion from 6 to 7:30 p.m. which is open to all ages.
For the past 25 years, Gariepy has been an outdoor, experiential, environmental educator in Southern Illinois. He shared a glimpse of what his presentation highlights.
“From the Mississippi to the Wabash rivers, the Illinoisan glacier changed southernmost Illinois forever, and evidence of those effects are scattered across the region,” he said.
Gariepy has explored, educated and served in the Southern Illinois Natural Divisions, their transition zones, and glacial termination areas with thousands of learners, educators and volunteers. A 2026 Illinois Department of Natural Resources Volunteer of the Year and SIU Recreation Department Recreation Service Award winner, he is a Southern Illinoisan with a passion for the landscapes and people of the area.
Glaciers End is a farm-to-shelf agribusiness located at 104 N. Print Ave. in Marion, Illinois, right off Tower Square Plaza. No registration is required for the Sip and Learn event.
In addition to his presentation, Gariepy will lead his "Hike to Glaciers End" at Giant City State Park on Sunday, Nov. 8, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Participants must register to join the hike by contacting the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Jennifer Randolph-Bollinger at jennifer.randolph@illinois.gov or 618-457-4836.