Key things to know about the 23rd Fossil Fair:
For all you school age palaeontologists out there, the Fossil Fair will occur during your Spring Break.
Dr. Victoria Arbour, the new Curator of Paleontology at the Royal BC Museum, will be our speaker on “Zuul: An Exceptional Armoured Dinosaur from Montana“.
See you Jan. 16, 2019, 7:30 pm, Room A120, Cornett Building, UVic.
When: Sunday, November 25th, 2018, 9:00 am
Directions: Meet at the Helmcken Road Park and Ride at 9:00 am to arrange carpooling.
This field trip is suitable for collectors of all ages and activity levels. Fossils are found in the rock and concretions at the site, so a good hammer or sledge, chisel, and protective eyewear are required.
Clothing: Footwear should be appropriate for rocky and sometimes muddy conditions. Be aware that this site has undergone significant terraforming, so you should expect to be walking on rocks and boulders that can be slippery and treacherous. Dress in layers to adapt to sun, clouds or wind. Rain gear packed and ready is always smart. As we post this notice, the long range forecast for the site is 20% POP and light winds. Bring water and snacks.
Contact: RSVP Jerri Wilkins via the VicPS Facebook page or via email at jlwilkins2-at-hotmail.com for more specific details about our planned fossil hunting location.
Meeting to be held in Room A120, Cornett Building, UVic.
No formal speaker.
Members are invited to bring in specimens they have collected during field trips this year, including those at the recent symposium. Hopefully, we will be able to help with identifications.
Dr. Joseph Haegert, VicPS member, was presented the Rene Savenye Award for Outstanding Contributions to Paleontology by an Amateur at the 12th BC Paleo Symposium in Courtenay on Aug. 18, 2018. Joe will be at the meeting to receive the Certificates that go with the award. Joe donated his 30,000 specimen collection, mostly Vancouver Island Cretaceous, to the Royal BC Museum. This will be an opportunity to meet one of British Columbia’s most important fossil collectors.
At this meeting, details of the next planned field trip will be announced.
There will be no VicPS meeting in December. Happy Holidays.
When: Sunday, October 28th, 2018, 8:00 am
Directions: Meet at the Helmcken Road Park and Ride at 8:00 am to arrange carpooling.
This field trip is suitable for collectors of all ages and activity levels. Fossils are found in the rock and concretions at the site, so a good hammer or sledge, chisel, and protective eyewear are required.
Clothing: Footwear should be appropriate for rocky and sometimes muddy conditions. Dress in layers to adapt to sun, clouds or wind. Rain gear packed and ready is always smart. As we post this notice, the long range forecast for the site is 90% POP and windy, although the geography should abate some of the winds. Bring water and snacks or a bag lunch.
Contact: RSVP Jerri Wilkins via the VicPS Facebook page or via email at jlwilkins2-at-hotmail.com and for more specific details about our planned fossil hunting location.
The selection of a BC Provincial Fossil is on. See government announcement Designating a BC Provincial Fossil – Aug. 24, 2018.
Voting is via SurveyMonkey here.
Background information can be found on the BCPA website here.
A rare VicPS led summertime field trip has been planned! VicPS members will already have been emailed regarding the target fossil site and the nature of what may be found there. Membership has its privileges!
When: Sunday, July 29 th, 2018, 8:00 am
Directions: Meet at the Helmcken Road Park and Ride at 8:00 am to arrange carpooling.
Clothing: Footwear should be appropriate for slippery streams and sandy shores. Dress in layers as it can get windy. Bring water and snacks or a bag lunch. Recent Vancouver Island weather recommends sun protection as well: a hat, sun screen, and long sleeved but lightweight clothing would not be out of place.
Contact: RSVP Jerri Wilkins via the VicPS Facebook page or via email at jlwilkins2-at-hotmail.com.
The dino museum in Tumbler Ridge, northeast BC, will remain open this summer, while longer term funding is uncertain. If you happen to be traveling in the Peace River area this summer, a
stop in Tumbler Ridge would be worth while.
You can read more details here.
Members who enjoyed the field trip to the Chemainus River report finds of glypoxoceras pieces, tesserolax spine, inoceramus, spenoceramus, scallop shell about thumbnail size with hinge, and bottom third of a leaf.
The next field trip should take place toward the end of July; we’ll post with details when it’s planned.
Date: Sunday, June 24th, 2018
Meeting Location and Time: Helmcken Road Park and Ride at 09:00 AM.
Safety: This is a river site, so you should expect:
Equipment: Fossils are usually found in concretions that fall out of the cliffs, so a good
hammer or sledge and protective eyewear are required.
Please see the email to Society members for a good description of the location and what you may expect to find.
The May 16 meeting will feature speaker Bruce Archibald of Simon Fraser University Dr. Archibald’s topic is, “How the world became Modern – Holartic intercontinental dispersal in the Eocene.” Bruce is a paleo-entomologist and has published a number of papers on Eocene insects, including many from BC. His talk will focus on two of his recent papers (one here, another here) and other work.
See you on Wednesday, 7:30 pm, Room A120, Cornett Building, UVic.