DILLON, Mont. - Where most people just see a rock, Rob Thomas sees a window to the distant past.

Every rock, Thomas says, has a story to tell about the Earth's history, and it's often a fascinating tale of how the planet has changed over millions of years. The 45-year-old geology professor at the University of Montana-Western, describes breaking a rock to "free" a fossil of a trilobite, an extinct arthropod.

"It's a rush," he said. "You are the first person to see this thing in 500 million years and I find that extremely liberating as a human being."

And sharing that with people has been a passion of Thomas' for years. His ability to bring complex geology to students and everyday people recently earned him the Geological Society of America's Distinguished Service Award. The accolade is the first from the organization received by a Montana educator.

For Thomas, it's simply getting recognized to do something he loves. His passion for geology and teaching others started young.

On summer family trips to the national parks, the California native was impressed by the rangers who helped teach people about wildlife, geology and other elements of the natural world.

"I always wanted to be the park ranger giving the campfire talks - that was my inspiration," Thomas said. "I wanted that life outdoors, educating people about the outdoors."

He did what it took to get there, earning a doctorate from the University of Washington.

Today, Thomas gets his students out of the classroom every week, taking them to Yellowstone National Park and other places around southwest Montana. He says it's the only way to teach Earth science.

But Thomas is more than just a solid scientist when it comes to geology. He has the ability to explain hard science in everyday language, said Mary Koerner, a UM-Western senior in biology and earth science.

And Thomas was incredibly helpful in her job search, pointing her toward companies that like to hire UM-Western geology grads.

"He's very down to earth … very approachable for students," she said. "He'll sit and talk to you."

Thomas loves to share his knowledge with people. He's working with fellow UM-Western geology professor Sheila Roberts on a book about geology for novices. And he takes professionals and laypeople alike on "GeoVentures," trips focusing on the geology of an area.

During his education, Thomas said, a great role model was Don Winston, a professor at the University of Montana. The "strapping, big Norwegian" sold his personal llama to pay Thomas to help graduate students throughout the summer.

Thomas said although geologists are hard-core scientists, they're also people who know how to enjoy life and that was another factor that drew him to the profession.

"Geologists are fun," he said. "They like to sit around the campfire, drink beer and talk until the sun comes up."