Professional society meetings can range from family reunion type gatherings to Disneyland levels of activity and attendance. The scale of attendance has a set positive and negative attributes. The northeastern GSA (co-convened with the north central GSA) was a wonderful middle ground of new faces and old friends.
 
 
 
 
 
 
As always, I had the pleasure of representing the Critical Zone Observatory National Office as their post-doctoral scientist. It is always fun to introduce the CZO network and answer questions at the CZO booth. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of undergraduates who have heard of the critical zone, especially those who do not study geochemistry. Explaining what the critical zone is has always been quite easy for me as a soil scientist. Since terrestrial life depends on ecosystem (and geosystem) services the critical zone provides, its easy to emphasize its critical nature.
 
 
There was a great array of talks, ranging from mass-wasting of the grand canyon, Mn and Fe in acid mine drainage, weathering of concrete, and historical human impacts on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The undergraduates at this conference did a fantastic job in conducting and presenting their science.
 
 
Although GSA does not have tens of thousands of scientists and dozens of talks specifically on soil biogeochemistry, it had a great family vibe. It was nice to see many scientists I met long ago, such as Joseph Graney from Binghamton University. I also was pleasantly surprised by a sudden visit by Devon Renock from Dartmouth College.
 
 
Like any amusement park its better to enjoy the sights and sounds with friends. And like any party or fun event, its good to put yourself out there and try a session you know nothing about!