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Author: Tom

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.

Marji Johns at Victoria Natural History Society – Jan 9

VicPS member Marji Johns, Paleontology Collections Manager and Researcher at the RBCM, is presenting Jan 9 to the Victoria Natural History Society at 7:30 pm, Room 159,  Fraser Building, University of Victoria.

From the VNHS calendar:

Natural History Night: From Cliff to Cabinet

January 9, 2018 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Fraser Building, University of Victoria

From Cliff to Cabinet:Securing 18,000—52 Million Year Old Fossil Matrices for Research, Exhibition,and Learning

 The McAbee Fossil Beds Heritage Site near Cache Creek, B.C. contains exceptional fossilsvital for scientific research, education and viewing. The significance of thesite was initially recognized by researchers, and later, Dave Langevin and JohnLeahy managed the site under mineral tenure, making important fossilcollections before its Heritage Site designation in July 2012. This fall(2017), the Leahy family donated the fossils collected by John to the RoyalB.C. Museum. Today, Marji Johns introduces you to the fossil site, some of the fossils and theirsignificance, and initial plans for this new collection at the Museum. Marjireceived her M.Sc. from the University of Victoria and has worked for 39 yearsin paleontology and geoscience. She is currently Paleontology CollectionsManager and Researcher at the Royal BC Museum. Kjerstin Mackie, TextileConservator, Royal BC Museum, and Elisabeth Deom, Senior Stewardship Officer,Heritage Branch, B.C. Ministry of Forests, Lands & Natural ResourceOperations contributed to this presentation. We meet at 7:30 in Room 159,Fraser Building, University of Victoria. Everyone is welcome. Note: UVic parking is $3.

Nat Geo Live – Nizar Ibrahim: Spinosaurus, Lost Giant of the Cretaceous

Not a VicPS event, but this may be of interest to anyone keen on palaeontology.

At the Royal Theatre, May 2, 2018, 7 pm, with tickets starting at $42.50. Ticket sales started on September 11. From the event page here:

Nizar Ibrahim, Paleontologist

Spinosaurus: Lost Giant of the Cretaceous

Meet Spinosaurus, the largest predatory dinosaur yet discovered—larger than T.rex—and hear the incredible story of how this prehistoric giant was almost lost to science, before being brought back to light with the help of a remarkable young paleontologist.

Discovered more than half a century ago in Morocco by the great German paleontologist Ernst Stromer, Spinosaurus’ fossil remains were lost in the Allied bombing of Germany during World War II. With the help of recent fossil discoveries in the desert, and Stromer’s own data and drawings, contemporary scientists including German/Moroccan paleontologist and National Geographic Emerging Explorer Nizar Ibrahim have reconstructed a full skeletal model of Spinosaurus, which has been featured on the National Geographic Channel and presented in the National Geographic Museum.

With amazing video recreating the lost world of the Cretaceous-era Sahara, Ibrahim will tell the story of Spinosaurus’ discovery, loss, and rediscovery, and explain what—other than its size—makes this ancient monster unique.

October 22 2017 field trip

Date:  Sunday, October 22nd, 2017

Meeting Location and Time:  Helmcken Road Park and Ride; 09:00 AM.

Safety and Equipment: This is the site of a former excavation, so you should expect to be walking on rocks and boulders that can be slippery and treacherous.

Equipment: Fossils are found in the rock and concretions, so a good hammer or sledge, chisel, 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.