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VicPS meeting: Tuesday, May 19, 2026

The VicPS May monthly meeting will be held on the evening of Tuesday, May 19. Our Zoom meetings are open to the public; please share this info and link with your friends:

Speaker:  Edward Davies, Branta Biostratigraphy Ltd.

Photo Credit:  Ed Davies with old bison bones found at the excavation site for a new Nigel House near Saanich Municipal Hall, November 2022. Photo by ADRIAN LAM /TIMES COLONIST.

Topic: Fossil Assessments and Recoveries During 15 Years of Consulting on Major BC Development Projects

Time: May 19, 2026, 07:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Zoom Meeting Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81587554448?pwd=X25mPhaumv163NT1nstmyOV6xGwr0S.1

Meeting ID: 815 8755 4448 Passcode: 325872

Since 2009, Branta Biostratigraphy has been engaged in the paleontological assessments of numerous industrial development projects across British Columbia, including electrical dam and transmission lines, pipelines, aggregate, gold and copper mines and urban development.

Through it all, numerous fossil sites have been discovered and investigated, and where appropriate, an extraordinary number of fossils have been recovered.  All of these have been documented and located as precisely as possible and subsequently deposited at the RBCM.

One of the most interesting aspects of this is the diversity of forms encountered over a broad range of ages and terrains. From Ordovician to Triassic, Jurassic through the Cretaceous, Eocene, Pleistocene and Holocene. Marine invertebrate faunas including giant clams, large and small ammonites of all life stages, trace fossils, insects often displayed in beautiful fossil-scapes.  Also, vertebrates including whole fish skeletons, dinosaur traces, marine reptile bones, bird bones, mammal bones including muskrat, mammoth, deer, bison, elk, and ground sloth.  

Exquisite plant fossils were especially prominent in new Eocene and Pleistocene deposits, with a variety of leaves, flowers and seeds, opalized tree trunks and in situ stumps sometimes thought of as our “glass forests’.  The variety and beauty of fossils to be found in BC seems to have only scratched the surface.

We look forward to Edward’s at this meeting.

May 2026 Activities

May is planned to be quite busy for VicPS activities. Please update your calendar for the events that fit your schedule and interests, or add the vicpalaeo@gmail.com calendar to yours from here.

Please note the change in date of our monthly meeting moved to Tuesday, May 19 from May 13 to accommodate our speaker.

Also note that BC Wildfire Service is predicting a dry and active season, which may impact access to some of our sites.  At the time of this post, there are already (thankfully under control) wildfires near Bowser and Ladysmith. We will monitor conditions as event dates approach.

May 3

On a fieldtrip to Cowichan Head (Island View Beach), we examined what the winter managed to wash from the cliffs. Fieldtrip leader was Jerri Wilkins. 

Dashwood Drift underlying the Capilano sediments.

Sunday, May 17

Off to the Sooke area to take advantage of a negative tide. 7:30 AM start. Fieldtrip leader, John Kitson.

Tuesday, May 19

Monthly meeting, where we welcome our host, Edward Davies, Branta Biostratigraphy Ltd., to share the types of materials emerging through fossil recovery in various regionals of BC. 7:30 PM start.

Sunday, May 31

Fieldtrip up island to a site that is accessible via logging roads and fire gates, so there is always a chance of interruption from this year’s early fire season. If all goes well, it’s a 9 AM start. Fieldtrip leader, John Kitson.

Notable Fossil Find

Congratulations to John Kitson for the ammonoid found at the Nanaimo motocross site during the April 12 fieldtrip.  It may be a juvenile Eutrephoceras, which are uncommon anywhere in the Nanaimo Group. The well-preserved specimen is currently with Dr. Jim Haggart, Geological Survey of Canada, for examination.

We look forward to seeing you in May.

VicPS field trip: Sunday, May 3, 2026

The first field trip of May will be this coming weekend. Details have been emailed to paid members.  

Please note:  For those coming from Sooke or from Up Island, meet at the Helmcken Park & Ride at 9:30AM if you want to carpool. Otherwise, meet at the park’s parking lot near our target locaton at 10:30AM, under the picnic shelter near the washrooms.

RSVP required. Please RSVP by email to vicpalaeo@gmail.com, indicating where you will rendezvous with the group. Waivers will be signed prior to embarking to comply with insurance requirements.

Please use the new-to-us email of vicpaleosociety@gmail.com for any other correspondence going forward. This new email is better aligned with our new society name.

NOTE:  If you accept a carpooling ride with another member, please contribute your share to the cost of gas with the driver.

Rogers TV coverage of Fossil Fair 2026

You may enjoy this video produced by John MacKenzie of Rogers TV, Victoria. The energy and enthusiasm that Jerri conveys while describing the event and all that the members of VicPS bring to Fossil Fair for the public’s pleasure is wonderful to see and hear. Kudos to all you volunteers!

VicPS field trip: Sunday, April 19, 2026

Our second fieldtrip in April will be this coming Sunday, April 19th to North West Bay just south of Parksville. An email has been sent to all paid members with details of the site that are relevant to fossil hunting.

Victoria members: meet at the Helmcken Park & Ride on the Island Highway at 8:00 AM.

Up Island members: we will rendezvous with you at the Petro Canada located at the corner of North West Bay Rd and the Island Highway by 10:00 AM for a potential beverage and bio break. We will stop in Duncan only if a carpooling meetup is requested there.

For those of you inspired to join us because of this year’s Fossil Fair: if you’ve never been out fossil hunting, please wear clothing and foot wear suitable for a day outdoors, such as if you were hiking. A rock hammer or mason’s hammer, a cold chisel/concrete chisel, leather gloves (not gardening gloves) and safety glasses will be required if you are going to remove fossils from sandstone or shale. Newspaper, masking tape and a marking pen or pencil are handy to wrap up and tag fossils that come apart as you extract them. When you RSVP, if you don’t already have the field trip email, please request the writeup on the site details.

We do have extra hammers and chisels. Annual membership dues are not required on your very first field trip with us.

The beach is suitable for children and those able to walk several kilometers on relatively flat surfaces.

Please RSVP by email to vicpalaeo@gmail.com, indicating where you will rendezvous with the group. Waivers will be signed prior to embarking to comply with insurance requirements.

NOTE:  If you accept a carpooling ride with another member, please contribute your share to the cost of gas with the driver.

VicPS field trip: Sunday, April 12, 2026

Our first fieldtrip in April will be this coming Sunday, April 12th.  An email has been sent to all paid members.

Victoria members: meet at the Helmcken Park & Ride on the Island Highway at 8:00 AM.

Up Island members: we will rendezvous with you at the Northfield Road Tim Hortons by 10 AM for a potential beverage and bio break. We will stop in Duncan only if a carpooling meetup is requested there.

The site we’ll be visiting is suitable for children and those able to walk several kilometers on relatively flat surfaces. 

NOTE:  If you accept a carpooling ride with another member, please contribute your share to the cost of gas with the driver.

Please RSVP by email to vicpalaeo@gmail.com, indicating where you will rendezvous with the group. 

What’s in a Name?

VicPS has officially changed its name from the Victoria Palaeontology Society to the Victoria Peleontological Society. Two things were accomplished with this change: the “dipthong” was removed, and the use of “paleontological” has our name conform to the word usage in the names of our associated regional societies.

Apart from the name change, our mission remains the same:

  • promote an interest in paleontology
  • contribute to education and scientific knowledge in paleontology and other earth sciences
  • collect, preserve, study, and catalogue fossils
  • hold lectures, seminars, and exhibits of fossils

There will be more wording and contact email id changes occuring over time as a result of this change. Meanwhile, the old website URL and contact email ids will continue to work.

28th Annual Fossil Fair 2026

Fossil Fair is the Victoria Palaeontology Society’s annual public education display and fundraiser (free, donations optional). This year, it will take place on the weekend of March 21 to 22 from 10 am to 3 pm at the Tillicum Shopping Centre.

Fossil Fair encourages public awareness of ancient life on Vancouver Island and pride in BC’s fossil heritage. At Fossil Fair, VicPS members share our specimens; demonstrate how to be citizen scientists (find, record, preserve, study fossils); highlight discoveries and research contributions by citizen scientists; and help the public to identify BC fossils they bring in.

Poster 2026 FINALDownload

The base display consists of over 15 cases of fossils from various geological ages on Vancouver Island, hands-on fossil displays and descriptive posters, plus interactive activities. This year’s activities include a scavenger hunt, fossil sand box, micro-fossil display, hands-on fossil display, an origami station, craft table and fossil ID station.

We also welcome participation by like-minded associates. This year the BC Fossil Management Office, the Royal BC Museum, and Passport to Science will join us, bringing their expertise and
activities. Welcome!

VicPS AGM: Wednesday, Feb. 4 @ 7 pm PST

Membership in the Victoria Palaeontology Society secures your vote at the Annual General Meeting next Wednesday, Feb. 4, at 7 pm PST. As of today, we have 37 members, four of whom are new.

Why Dinosaurs?

A reminder that ‘Why Dinosaurs?’, a 1h 17m documentary with contributions from our very own Marji Johns and Gary Kaiser, is now available worldwide on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfSIU2c9GRU. This is an award-winning, labour-of-love documentary made by a father and son obsessed with dinosaurs, who roam the scientific world simply to satiate their curiosity – which makes it a very engaging show!  Gary and Marji are interviewed near the end. 

February Fieldtrip

A reminder that the first fieldtrip of the year is Sunday, February 8.  As usual, details and logistics will be circulated a week or so in advance and your RSVP will be sought as we arrange carpooling from the Helmcken Park & Ride on the Island Highway in Victoria, or alternative spots for those living north of the Malahat. Watch for the email.

February Meeting

Members will have received an email with materials relevant to the meeting on Wednesday evening, Feb 4, at 7:00pm PST. It will be IN PERSON and VIRTUAL.  Note the early start time of 7:00pm PST.  This is to ensure we have ample time for the presentation and the AGM.  

As usual, the first part of the meeting (7:00-8:00pm) will be a pictorial ‘2025 Year in Review’ covering fieldtrips, discoveries, events and public displays, with time for questions and dialogue. For those of you who attended the September meeting, it will be a bit of a repeat, with info from the final four months of the year added.  For new members, this will provide a very comprehensive overview of who we are and what we do. All BCPA members are welcome to join this part of the meeting.

The second part of the meeting (8:15-9:00pm) will be our official Annual General Meeting.  This is for members only, and BCPA executive members are welcome to observe.  All current board members have indicated their willingness to continue for another year and no new names have been put forward to date. If you’re new to the Society, the AGM will make it clear how your $30 annual dues and vote contribute to the advancement of paleontology in BC.

Meeting Access:

Look to your email for the meeting connection information. See you then!

VicPS Chair’s Message to Start 2026

Happy New Year Everyone!

Welcome to 2026!  Attached is the VicPS schedule of events for 2026.  

FIELDTRIPS:

This year, we’re doubling up on fieldtrips, with twice as many on the roster compared to last year. Thanks to John Kitson for committing to these extra trips.

For those new to VicPS, fieldtrips are on Sundays (less traffic) and the time indicates when we leave/return to the Helmcken Park & Ride on the Island Highway.  For those without vehicles, we arrange carpooling from the park & ride, which is accessible via transit.

Fieldtrip locations are chosen based on tides and river levels, with beach visits generally April thru July and river sites generally June thru Sept. Higher elevation sites are reserved for months when weather and tides are not favourable. We usually take a hiatus from fieldtrips in Dec/Jan. 

Fieldtrip dates, times and locations are subject to change based on weather and times; logistics, along with site details, are confirmed via email in advance of each trip. Fieldtrip invitations & details are sent only to those who have renewed their annual dues by the January 31st deadline (details below).

MONTHLY MEETINGS:

Monthly meetings are generally the second Tuesday of the month, with hiatus in the summer during peak fieldtrip season. Monthly meetings are subject to cancellation if we do not have a speaker or a topic of interest to discuss. 

Last year we had a wonderful run of workshops, thanks to leaders Marji Johns and Thor Henrich, and those continue to be a possibility if other leaders step forward.

PUBLIC DISPLAYS:

The annual Fossil Fair to display our fossil collections for the public will take place at Tillicum Mall for the second year in a row. More details on that leading up to March break, but please consider booking a table and displaying your material to augment the fair, or volunteer to run an activity.  We have microscopes for a cool microfossil display but haven’t been able to do that in a few years, so the more volunteers we have, the more creative things we can do to show the public the cool history below BC!

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP DUES:

It really helps with administration when dues are paid by the JANUARY 31st deadline, as our Society is required to remit a portion of dues to the BC Paleontological Alliance in early February.  I thank you in advance, and note that dues can be paid by e-transfer to victoria.palaeontology.society@gmail.com, or by cheque to: 

Treasurer
Victoria Palaeontology Society
4034 Hessington Place
Victoria, BC, V8N 5C6

On February 15th, names of those who have not renewed membership for 2026 will be removed from the distribution list, and access to the resources in the member’s area of the BCPA website will cease.  A few reminders will be sent throughout the month, for your convenience.

We look forward to what the earth will reveal to us in 2026!

(VicPS Chair) Jerri Wilkins