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Author: Tom

VicPS Meeting Feb 20

The weather has improved, so we’ll meet Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019. 

Our speaker will be Dr. Joel Gibson, Curator of Entomology, Royal B Museum and the topic:  

Back to the Beach – Anthropocene Insects on the Shores of British Columbia British Columbia has over 25,000 km of coastline from Vancouver Island to Haida Gwaii. This is more than the United Kingdom or India. The coastline includes thousands of islands, rocky shores, sandy beaches, coastal dunes, and tide pools. While BC’s coastline has always been a part of the culture of the people in this region, its unique biodiversity is only starting to be fully documented. Many of you probably know that “Anthropocene” is a proposed geological epoch name and hasn’t yet been approved by the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) nor the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS).  The Anthropocene Working Group of the ICS has recommended the name, but we will have to wait and see what happens.

See you at 7:30 pm in the Cornett Building, Room A120, UVic.

23rd Fossil Fair, March 23-24

Key things to know about the 23rd Fossil Fair:

  • takes place March 23-24, 2019
  • at the Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary, 3873 Swan Lake Road, Victoria
  • from 10 am to 3 pm each day
  • admission by donation.

For all you school age palaeontologists out there, the Fossil Fair will occur during your Spring Break.

VicPS Meeting Jan 16

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.

November 25th 2018 field trip

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.

VicPS meeting Nov 21, 2018 7:30 pm

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.

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.