MCALLEN – The McAllen urban sanctuary usually sets up events throughout the year to educate the community about nature. They recently held a special summer event for families to learn about geology.

The Quinta Mazatlan set up tables with rocks for visitors to draw on and take home.  

“We actually have programming all year. This program you see today is all summer long, every Thursday. But we do try to engage families throughout the whole year,” Quinta Mazatlan Event Coordinator Nora Leos said.

It is an opportunity for visitors to learn about rocks and why they are not ‘just something’ on the ground.

“(The rocks are) part of us, as well as the Earth. Everything is the same, except for the one component of rocks and soil, which somehow managed to create who we are. And that’s a pretty cool thing. They’re all different and we are all different,” Quinta Mazatlan educator Carole Goolsby said.

Isela Hernandez, a parent and visitor of the birding center, said she’s been attending the Quinta Mazatlan for quite some time. “It’s been a great part of summer activities,” she said.

“Because kids these days don’t like to go outside. They like to watch TV,” young visitor Alexander mentioned.

There is a special section on the Valley’s sand and soil. People can look at each one under a microscope.

“Why is dirt so fascinating? It’s because it makes so much of our lives so meaningful. We’re from the Earth, we’ll return to the Earth. And the more we study it, the more we appreciate how something so little can be so significant,” Jorge Trujillo, one of the center’s educators, explained.

Leos said the event serves as a time for families to come out and have fun.

“It’s something we’re kind of losing a little bit with technology. So we bring them outside, outdoors and we connect with families and they love that,” she said.

It’s geology at its finest, from the centuries old animal poop that is now stone to rocks that glow in the dark.

There is face painting for attendees and music for everyone to enjoy. It’s a family night that rocks at the Quinta Mazatlan.