The VicPS AGM will be held at the start of our monthly meeting on March 18, to be followed by a speaker. Look to your email for further information regarding the speaker.
Perry Poon of the Vancouver Palaeontological Society has asked that consideration be given for presenting the Rene Savenye Award at the July 10-13, 2020, 13th BC Paleontological Symposium at UBC in Vancouver.
Here are the guidelines, approved by the Board in 2003, outlining the purpose, criteria and process for the Award. To nominate a person for the award, follow the procedure on the guidelines and send the nomination to Graham Beard no later than March 31, 2020. This will allow the committee time to review the nominations and, if appropriate, select an award winner. If an award winner is chosen, the award (usually a big secret) will be announced at the symposium.
Graham Beard of the Vancouver Island Paleontological Museum Society (VIPMS) serves as Chair of the award committee. Graham will establish who is on the award committee. In the past, the award committee has included some previous award winners, and Jim Haggart has been involved as an advisor due to his past involvement in the award. The people on the award committee should be perceived as neutral and not as advocates for a particular nominee.
There have been only five previous winners of the Savenye Award – see the BCPA website for details.
VicPS memberships expired at the end of December, 2019. New and renewal 2020 membership fees (Regular-Family $30) can be brought to the general meeting or mailed to Scott MacPhail at 1504 Shorncliffe Road, Victoria, BC, V8P 2T4.
Please see our membership page for more options.
BC Palaeontological Alliance newsletter editor Tammy Pigeon tells us we may receive the BCPA newsletter by email in future, but not as hardcopy. You may submit articles for the newsletter directly to Tammy by email. Tammy has been sent the VicPS membership info as at the end of 2019. Please view the graphic below for publishing dates and lead times.
The Vancouver Island Palaeontological Society are holding the VIPS and North Island College thin section workshop on Saturday, January 11th. This link gives you an idea of the process and tools involved.
Randal Mindell, research scientist and paleo-botanist will lead the thin section workshop. Lucas Evans, the NIC lab technician, will provide the facilities and be our host. The NIC lab will accommodate up to 15 people, so prior registration is advised.
The workshop will start at 10:00 am and go until 3:30 pm with a lunch break. Bring your best fossil wood specimen.
Here is the day’s schedule:
- Randal will do a Power Point presentation covering the general procedure of the thin section process.
- You will use the specimen of fossil wood you brought and cut it with the rock saw to create the clean surface for the thin section.
- Once the fossil is cut and the new surface exposed, Randal will assist in the preparation and the grinding or polishing process.
- Preparation of the thin section with the acetate peel will be completed and ready for viewing under the microscope.
- Viewing of the actual fossil wood cells of the should be amazing.
- Determining the genus of the fossil wood by review and comparison to the record may be possible.
- Where: – North Island College- 2300 Ryan Road Courtenay, Raven building, near the front entrance, upstairs in the NIC Lab .
- When: – 10:00-3:30? Saturday January 11th, 2020 ( Bring a lunch or go to the NIC cafeteria)
- Workshop Cost: – $20 (all materials supplied)
- Contact Betty Franklin for registration using cheque or e-transfer at beetlejean@gmail.com
Jerri Wilkins will lead a field trip along some backwoods logging roads, so more driving than collecting anticipated. Clothing appropriate to backwoods is a must, as is food and water. This is a return to the site visited Oct. 20. Look to your email for a Vicps communication that specifies the targeted area.
Meet at Helmcken Park and Ride at 9am. Detailed directions and maps to be shared at that time.
Please confirm in advance if you plan to join the field trip. Message Jerri Wilkins via the VicPS Facebook page or via email at jlwilkins2@hotmail.com.
The meeting will be in Room A125, Cornett Building, UVic at 7:30 pm.
Dr. Victoria Arbour, Curator of Paleontology, RBCM will speak on: “The Iron Lizard: A New Dinosaur from British Columbia”.
You can whet your appetite for the topic with this Black Press article, then bring your questions to the meeting and presentation.
VicPS is confirmed for meetings Oct. 23 and Nov. 20 in Cornett Building, Room A125. NOT our previous room, A120. Meetings start at 7:30 pm. Expect to receive an agenda for the Oct. 23 meeting this weekend.
Here is a list of species donated to the RBCM, collected during an earlier field trip.
A field trip has been planned for Sunday, October 20th. VicPS members should watch their email for details.
Meet at the Helmcken Road Park and Ride at 9 am. Detailed directions and maps to be shared at that time.
Please confirm in advance if you plan to join the field trip. Message Jerri Wilkins via the VicPS Facebook page or via email at jlwilkins2@hotmail.com.