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Category: Meetings

Symposium 2025: Registration Closing!

Symposium 2025 is almost here! 

The Organizing Committee is pleased to confirm all speaking slots are filled and the presentations look fabulous. Registration continues until next Thursday. 

Attending Symposium? Artist Ray Troll will be unable to speak at the Symposium Banquet, in-person or virtually, as advertised. In his place, Pat Trask, Museum Curator of Natural History at Courtenay and District Museum and Palaeontology Centre, will share the journey of the baby Elasmosaur from its discovery in the Courtenay area to its home in the museum, and the marvelous things the specimen reveals. 

Unable to attend Symposium? You can still benefit from a beautiful piece of artwork available for pick up at Symposium; a beautiful high-quality colour poster of three heteromorph ammonites from the Nanaimo Group.

Order ahead for pick up at Symposium and avoid shipping charges (get a friend attending Symposium to pick is up for you), or have it delivered right to your home.  When ordering, select “local pickup” to save shipping costs if it’s being picked up at Symposium for you. 

Image courtesy of and copyright of Connie Resch.

See you at the symposium!

A Summer of VicPS

The monthly VicPS meetings are on summer hiatus and the focus is on fieldtrips, public education, and the Symposium.

June 15 – Field Trip, TBD (Lead: Corbin Rolfe)

Join Corbin Rolfe as he leads his first official VicPS fieldtrip!  Please look for an email from Corbin with details of the trip, closer to the date.

June 22 – PUBLIC EDUCATION:  Cowichan Valley Nature Kids (lead:  Jerri Wilkins)

VicPS has been invited back for a second year to provide a ‘fossil field day’ for kids in the Cowichan Valley. Last year our volunteers had a blast introducing kids to the ancient marine life on Mt. Tzouhalem in Duncan. If you like participating in public education, Jerri will reach out closer to the date seeking volunteers. No experience necessary – we all learn by doing!  

July 20 –  Field Trip (lead:  Jerri Wilkins)

We’ll visit one of the most beautiful and productive sites on our annual field trip schedule, and one Jerri looks forward to visiting every year.  It’s a moderate walk and a good site for families, and for swimming (sometimes on purpose). Look for the invite closer to the date.

July 24 – PUBLIC EDUCATION: Island View and You (lead: Carol Barbon)

This is our annual opportunity to join the Capital Regional District and nature-based organizations for a day of public education focused on the past and present animals and ecosystems of Island View Beach (Cowichan Head) on the Saanich Peninsula. Closer to the date Carol will be looking for volunteers to hang out at Island View Beach for the day….tough job! If you attended the May 18th fieldtrip, this is your opportunity to test your memory by sharing knowledge with others.  Jerri know who you are… we will be in touch!

August 10 – Field Trip (lead:  Jerri Wilkins)

This site on the shore is easily accessible, and for those with patience and a good eye, it can reveal well-preserved gastropods and occasionally an ammonite.  Details will be provided in a fieldtrip guide closer to the date.

 August 21 – PUBLIC EDUCATION: Slithery, Slimy & Scaly (lead:  Carol Barbon)

For this event, we join the Capital Regional District and nature-based organizations at Elk/Beaver Lake to talk about all things slithery, slimy and scaly. VicPS brings a new perspective to this annual event, exploring with kids why we don’t see snakes and frogs and lizards in the local fossil record.  Or do we? Volunteer to help Carol, and you’ll learn the answers. She will reach out for volunteers closer to the date.

August 21-24 – BCPA-VIPS Paleontological Symposium 2025

This bi-annual meeting of paleontological researchers is four days of all things paleo as it relates to Vancouver Island and BC.  Presentations on the latest scientific research, scientific posters, workshops and fieldtrips and lots of like-minded professionals and enthusiasts to meet.  Check out the details below, and sign up today:

15th BC Paleontological Symposium 2025 v2 – Vancouver Island Paleontological Society

VicPS monthly meeting, Wednesday May 14, 2025 @ 7:30 pm

Join your VicPS peers online this week for a pictorial tour of recent events, including

  • fossils specimens found during the April 20th field trip to Nanaimo,
  • photos and videos from a scientific field trip in Cobble Hill earlier this month with Dr. Jim Haggart, Geological Survey of Canada, and
  • an update on other ways VicPS members are supporting science and scientists.

Paid members will have recieved the link to attend via email.

Local April 2025 VicPS Events

With no speaker scheduled for the April 9th meeting, our President will report out on recent activities – we did just host a Fossil Fair! – and catch us all up, as well as introduce new members to our Society. 

The meeting link will be sent via separate email to paid members. 

We are in the final stages of determining which workshop will take place on April 12th, and details of the April 20th fieldtrip will be circulated a week in advance. Look to your email for further details.

Press Release: FOSSIL FAIR 2025

More details on the upcoming Fossil Fair, taking place at Tillicum Mall on the weekend of March 22 – 23. Please help get the word out!


The Fossil Fair is a hands-on, educational experience for all age groups, organized by recreational collectors (citizen scientists) and professionals. The public is encouraged to bring in fossils found in BC for identification. Specific activities for children include hands-on inspection of fossils, a scavenger hunt with prizes and fossil colouring and rubbings.

NEWS RELEASE – 27th Fossil Fair 2025 FINALDownload

Fossil Fair 2025: It’s a GO!

Good news from our VicPS president:

The event will be March 22 and 23rd, 10 AM to 3 PM at Tillicum Mall. The space is near the entrance to Winners, at the top of the escalators, in a very prominent part of the mall.  We will have the entire space to ourselves, and Tillicum Mall will market the Fossil Fair as part of their Spring Break public education support for local organizations.

email from VicPS president Jerri Wilkins

Stay tuned for more details. For now, set those dates aside for some paleo learning and discovery!

APS talk: Jim Kirkland, Eggs, Nests, and Dinosaur Behavior: Evidence from the Morrison Formation, Colorado Plateau 

The Alberta Palaeontological Society’s February meeting will take place on Friday, February 21, 2025 at 6:30 p.m PST at Mount Royal University, room B108. The meeting will be held in person and online through Zoom. The speaker will be presenting virtually. Abstract and bio below.

Main Talk: Jim Kirkland, Eggs, Nests, and Dinosaur Behavior: Evidence from the Morrison Formation, Colorado Plateau 

Zoom Link:

Topic: APS February Meeting
Time: Feb 21, 2025 07:30 PM Edmonton
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89351905754?pwd=midvXtxp8lLh7aEl4QvLK8ZI3Xc3ZD.1

Meeting ID: 893 5190 5754
Passcode: 814664

One tap mobile
+17193594580,,89351905754#,,,,*814664# US
+19292056099,,89351905754#,,,,*814664# US (New York)

APSFeb21_2025TalkBioDownload
APSFeb21_2025TalkAbstractDownload

Register for 15th BC Paleontological Symposium 2025, August 22 – 25

The 15th British Columbia Paleontological Symposium will be held at the Florence Filberg Centre, August 22nd to 25th, 2025 in Courtenay, BC. The British Columbia Paleontological Alliance meets every two years to hold a symposium. This year the Vancouver Island Paleontological Society will host this symposium. The symposium will be supported by the Courtenay and District Museum. Please mark these dates on your calendar, and register here:

Register at eventbrite for
the
15th BC Paleontological Symposium 2025
Keynote Speaker: Kirk Johnson

EASC Spring Seminar: Dinosaurs of the Sustut Basin and Peace Region in northern British Columbia

For this week’s SFU Department of Earth Sciences EASC Spring Seminar Series, Dr. Victoria Arbour will speak about “Dinosaurs of the Sustut Basin and Peace Region in northern British Columbia”.

Abstract

Dinosaurs of the Sustut Basin and Peace Region of northern BC: British Columbia has a unique dinosaur fossil record that spans much of the Cretaceous Period, a time of major changes in terrestrial vertebrate ecosystems relating to changing sea level, climate, and vegetation patterns. Much of this fossil record is represented by ichnofossils, but new discoveries are increasing the record of dinosaur skeletal material in the province. This presentation will share recent results of Royal BC Museum-led fieldwork to increase our knowledge of the dinosaur fossil record of BC, and the implications of these new fossils to understanding dinosaur evolution in western North America during the Cretaceous.

Meeting itemDetails
TopicDinosaurs of the Sustut Basin and Peace Region of northern BC
WhenThursday, February 6th 2025, 2:30 pm (PST)
How to attendSFU SSB 7172
Zoom link: https://sfu.zoom.us/j/87939154761?pwd=bDMJQZtL31jgjTjMgxANC9q2psWcQN.1

You are invited to attend.

Burgess Shale: Dawn of Animal Life Feb 19th 2025

If you’re planning to hike the Burgess Shale this year, don’t miss this joint VIC/VAN PS presentation.  Hear about the extraordinary life represented in BC’s Burgess Shale from David Moore, a professional geologist, seasoned communicator and Burgess Shale hiking guide. Join David for deep knowledge, breathtaking photos and practical advice for how to prepare for this physically challenging and intellectually inspiring adventure.

The Burgess Shale Foundation is a not-for-profit society with an education mandate similar to our own and it’s exciting to welcome David to present to our BC paleontology societies.

This event is ZOOM only, and open to anyone, so invite your friends. Note the early start (6:00 PM Pacific Time).  A big shout out to David Moore for being generous with his time, John Fam for the great social media exposure for this presentation, and to Dan Bowden for his stellar poster skills! 

Meeting ItemDetails
WhenWednesday, Feb 19th, 2025 06:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Zoom linkhttps://us06web.zoom.us/j/83960218157?pwd=VHLicHFPysGjJg1AaaN2wguf4ij71d.1
Meeting ID839 6021 8157
Passcode765964