October 28 2018 field trip

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.

July 29 2018 field trip

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.

June 24 field trip debrief: Chemainus River

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:

  1. it is likely that you will have to wade and get wet,
  2. rocks can be slippery and treacherous, and
  3. you should never wander off alone. Cliffs at this site are high and dangerous. There are past reports of fossil collectors experiencing injuries and near-injuries resulting from falling rocks.

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.

VicPS meeting May 16: How the world became Modern – Holartic intercontinental dispersal in the Eocene

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.

May 6 Field Trip report: Muir Creek

VicPS member Jerri Wilkins led the field to Muir Creek on May 6, and reports on the event:

Breaking rock at Muir Creek.

The VicPS took its first field trip of the season to Muir Creek, a 25 MYA late Oligocene site of the Sooke Formation, Carmanah Group. Under the gaze of two curious seagulls and overseen by a lone sea lion rock-basking at the tide line, six VicPS members and two guests tackled the beach-strewn soft sandstones in search of strand-line fauna. A handful of fresh sandstone blocks had fallen near the cliffs and dozens of chunks were scattered across the low tide zone, providing ample opportunity to find the usual abundance of Bruclarkia, Mytilus and clams of various sizes. An impressive horizon of gastropods on the underside of a large slab enticed two members to race against the tide to carefully split off part of the slab as a take away.

Several large tree trunks with patches of coalified wood remain deeply imbedded in the beach, and as per usual, no signs of crustaceans among the proliferation of shells, to Roy’s chagrin. Newest member Carol was amazed at the profusion of fossils and the father and son guests listened intently to instructions and meticulously freed a cockle. The search focused from where the cliffs begin on the Muir Creek end of the beach to the point just shy of Kirby Creek. Bright sun and warm temperatures made for a beautiful day for the first field trip of the season. Looking forward to a REDACTED trip in June, providing REDACTED.

To find out where we’re headed in June, become a member of VicPS!

 

VicPS meeting and AGM Mar 21 7:30 pm

The March meeting will occur this Wednesday, the 21st at 7:30 pm at UVic in the Cornett Building, Room A120.

The society’s Annual General Meeting will beheld at this time, to elect officers and directors for the coming year.  It is believed that the existing board of directors is standing for re-election.

Held over from last month’s snowed out meeting, our speaker is Alex Lausanne, M.Sc. Student, (Geoarchaeology), Coastal Erosion and Dune Dynamics (CEDD) Lab, Dept. of Geography, UVic.  Alex will present on the topic of Uncovering Late Pleistocene Shorelines and Geoarchaeological Sites.

The dynamic environmental history experienced on Canada’s Pacific coast during early post-glacial times presents significant challenges for uncovering pre-10 000 year paleo-coastal archaeological sites. The research presented offers an integrated methodological approach in support of locating these sites on Quadra Island, BC. Once located, Late Pleistocene shellfish casts and aquatic microfossils are some of the evidence that aids in interpreting these interesting geoarchaeological sites.

12th BC Paleo Symposium, Aug 17-20, Courtenay, BC

The 12th British Columbia Paleontological Symposium will be held at the Florence Filberg Centre, in Courtenay, BC, on August 18th and 19th , 2018. The British Columbia Paleontological Alliance meets every two years to hold symposia, to bring together many branches of paleontology: vertebrate, invertebrate, paleobotany, micropaleontology, paleoecology and paleoclimatology.

Registration, welcome reception, posters and art show will be held Aug 17th at the Courtenay and District Museum and Paleontological Centre, 207- 4th Street.

Please read the announcement here.

22nd Fossil Fair at Swan Lake Nature House

The Victoria Palaeontology Society will hold its 22nd Fossil Fair on March 24-25, 2018, 10 am to 3 pm in the Nature House at the Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary, 3873 Swan Lake Road in Victoria. Admission is by donation.

PLACE: Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary 3873 Swan Lake Road, Victoria
DATE: Saturday & Sunday, March 24 & 25, 2018
TIME: 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
COST: Admission by Donation
CONTACT: Tom Cockburn (Victoria Palaeontology Society) 250-652- 4267
Renee Cenerini (Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary) 250-479- 0211

The Fossil Fair will display a rich and diverse variety of ancient fossil animals and plants from the Cambrian (550 million years ago) to the end of the last Ice Age (10,000 years ago). Fossils will be displayed from Vancouver Island, other parts of British Columbia and other areas. The fossils include dinosaur bones, ammonites, trilobites, corals, mollusks, insects, giant palm leaves and microscopic fossils.

The display cases and story boards from the VicPS Educational Kit which is used by the society in presentations to school groups, youth camps and other organizations will also be displayed. This will be of interest to school teachers and other educators.

The Fossil Fair is an educational experience for all age groups. The public is invited to bring in fossils for identification. Specific activities for children include a fossil scavenger hunt with prizes, fossil colouring, rubbings stampings, and looking through microscopes.

The Victoria Palaeontology Society cooperates with professional palaeontologists undertaking research on fossils collected by Society members. Information will be provided on some of the scientific contributions made by members, including the discovery and naming of new species. All scientifically important fossils are donated to the Royal British Columbia Museum.