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Category: Meetings

VanPS meeting Dec 13: World Tour of “Dinosaur, The Greatest Show Unearthed”

The next VanPS meeting is on Wednesday, December 13 at 6:30 pm at the Burnaby Public Library at Metrotown.

Perry Poon will present, “The Dinosaur World Tour.  The Greatest Show Unearthed” (1993 and 1995).

The Dinosaur World Tour began in Edmonton, Alberta, and the exhibit was titled, “The Greatest Show Unearthed”.

Dinosaur, Greatest Show on Earth

The exhibits were the scientific results from excavations by a group of Canadian and Chinese paleontologists from the Canadian Museum of Nature (Ottawa, Ontario), Institute of Vertebrate and Paleoanthropology (Beijing, China), and the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology (Drumheller, Alberta) working in the field in the Gobi Desert, Northern China; Canadian Arctic, Baffin Island; and Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta.

The key researchers were Dr. Dale Russell (Curator of Fossil Vertebrates at the Canadian Museum of Nature), Professor Dong Zhiming (Institute of Vertebrate and Paleoanthropology), Professor Zhao Xijin, and Dr. Philip Currie (Head of Dinosaur Research, Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleaontology).

This presentation shows some of the dinosaurs and discoveries from China, Alberta, and the High Arctic that were seen in the exhibit in Edmonton, Alberta (1993) and Vancouver (1995).

This presentation will be a physical meeting and a Zoom meeting. Zoom participation details will be forwarded to paid VicPS members before the meeting as soon as they become available.

Alberta Palaeontology Meeting speaker: Dr. Hallie Street will present “More than Monsters: Mesozoic marine reptiles”

BCPA member organizations’ members – including VicPS – have been invited to the Alberta Palaeontology meeting on Friday, November 17, 2023 at 7:30 pm MST (6:30 pm Pacific Standard Time) to hear Dr. Hallie Street present “More than Monsters: Mesozoic marine reptiles”.

Subject abstract and Zoom meeting details have been sent to all VicPS members. Please contact vicpalaeo@gmail.com in case you’ve lost that email or are about to join our ranks.

image courtesy linkedin

 

VicPS November Meeting: Tuesday, Nov 14th, 7:30 pm

The November VicPS meeting will be in person and virtual; Zoom participation details have been sent to VicPS members in an email.

For those joining in person, the meeting is:

The Community Room entrance is in the Uptown Shopping Centre parking garage (easy access) on Level 1 (Green).  If you’ve ever parked under WalMart and taken the escalator up, the room is to your right at the top of the escalator. If you’re facing the Walmart entrance (about to enter the store), turn left, and at the top of the escalator, turn left. The room is directly ahead.

VicPS president Jerri Wilkins writes: The meeting topic “will be a pictorial walk through of the RBCM’s current exhibits (Sue the T. Rex and Dinos of BC).  Both exhibits sparked a lot of questions for me about what we find (and don’t find) here on the island.  I’m very curious to hear what you see, as we do a virtual walk-though.”

“We will also have A SHOW AND TELL of specimens from the recent field trip to Boomerang Lake. Thank you, Andrew Fidell, for an enjoyable experience, and the bonus side-trip to Qualicum Beach to take in a public presentation on cephalopods by Graham Beard! That bit of serendipity was absolutely fabulous! I was too engaged to take many photos, but I will talk about it!”

“As usual, anyone in the BCPA family is welcome to join our meeting.”

BCPA family members not in VicPS: send an email to request the Zoom details.

Fall 2023: Recent and Upcoming Activities

Paid VicPS members wll have received an email with the following information, and more detal about upcoming planned field trips.

Sept 10th Fieldtrip, Cowichan Head, Saanich

We had beautiful weather this past weekend putting our eyes to work for the RBCM to supplement the Cowichan Head Pleistocene collection with some new material that has eroded from the bluffs over the past season (see photos on the VicPS Facebook page). Dr. Richard Hebda gave us an overview (and for some, a refresher) of the relative ages of each strata, and where the marine became deltaic, etc. up through time. He pointed out the various ‘zones’ along the beach where macrofossils, plant material and marine fossils are likely to be collected, and reminded us that, in the macrofossil zone, look for bright white (bone) and black (tooth material). We did not find more fish (like the beautiful specimen posted to Nanaimo Group Fossils Facebook page last month, and in short order delivered to the RBCM), but we did find what Dr. Hebda identified as fish coprolite. Derek left with a heavier pack containing a handful of plant specimens, a feeding trace and a few tiny bone bits, and we all took away a wealth of information about the history of the bluffs and what current interpretations reveal about environmental change here on the Peninsula over that past 100,000+ years.  A big shout out to newest member, Logan, for scoring the BEST find of the day…a small piece of wood perfect for carbon-dating.  Logan, we’ll make sure you hear what the research on your discovery reveals!

October 15th Fieldtrip

This is the date for our next planned field trip. Details to follow once confirmed. Also, look for an announcement on a joint field trip of VicPS and VIPS to make up for one that was cancelled last year.

September 20th Meeting IN PERSON!

We begin our fall meetings with an IN-PERSON MEET & GREET and SHOW & TELL! We have not had a show and tell since COVID began in 2020, so please bring AS MUCH MATERIAL AS YOU CAN and let’s see what we can identify. Details of time and place to follow. Finding a room we can afford has been a challenge and your Council are checking out a few.  If anyone is aware of a room big enough for 15-20, Internet enabled, please advise.

We will also hold a VicPS Director’s meeting on September 20th, after which we will hold a Symposium wrap-up meeting (date pending) and report out on the Symposium outcomes, including financials.

October 21st, BCPA AGM

The BCPA will hold its AGM in October. We will share the insights we get into what’s happening across BC with you after the meeting.

Welcome back from summer, and please watch for further emails with details on the planned activities above.

VicPS presents Wednesday, April 12th 7:30pm: “Exploring Paleontology: From Finding a Dinosaur to Seeing it on Display”

VicPS members will have received an email that invites them to join our monthly online presentation, compliments of the UVic Speaker’s Bureau. On Wednesday, April 12th at 7:30pm, please welcome:

Ms. Emily Cross, Graduate Student, School of Earth & Ocean Sciences, as she presents

Exploring Paleontology:
From Finding a Dinosaur to Seeing it on Display

This presentation covers the steps from finding a fossil to seeing it on display. It delves into what kinds of tools paleontologists use and examples of interesting research. It also examines what museum collections are like and the work needed to get exhibits ready for display. The presentation also covers different fossilization environments and different types of fossil preservation.

VicPS members should reference the aforementioned email for instructions and links to join this April 12th Zoom presentation.

Symposium workshop: “Sutures, Septas and Siphuncles:  Identifying Ammonites with Ease”

As the 14th BC Paleontological Symposium approaches, our planned activities are being better defined, as this workshop on identifying ammonites in BC shows:

If you want to know your Bostrychoceras from your Glyptoxoceras, this workshop’s for you! Ammonites are the most abundant fossil cephalopods on the planet. With over 1,500 recorded genera and 10,000 species, identification can be daunting. In this 2-hour, hand-on workshop, BCPA Chair Dan Bowen will share tips and tricks for ammonite identification including basic terminology, morphology and key diagnostic characteristics as they relate to the most common ammonites found in BC. Test your new-found skills on workshop specimens, or bring your own specimens for practice.

VicPS Monthly Meeting: March 8, 7:30 pm

Please join us March 8, 7:30PM at our regularly scheduled monthly meeting for an update on the following:

FOSSIL FAIR – TENTATIVELY Sat., March 25, 2023

Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary recently confirmed they do want to partner with us on the Fossil Fair this year on Saturday, March 25th.  That’s only a few weeks away!  Our ability to respond depends upon our volunteer capacity.  If you’re available that weekend, please consider volunteering.  VicPS President Jerri Wilkins will briefly review what’s involved so that VicPS as a group can decide if we have the capacity to proceed.

MARCH FIELD TRIP

Usually there is no March field trip due to efforts focused on the annual Fossil Fair.  If the Fossil Fair doesn’t go forward, we’ll plan a field trip. 

SYMPOSIUM 2023 UPDATE

Registrations and Abstracts are coming in and the Symposium is on track to be a fulsome four-day event. VicPS President Jerri Wilkins will present a behind-the-scenes peek into how the event is shaping up and will play out. This is primarily for members who are not involved in planning, to see what the planning team’s been up to, and where your talents will be needed as we get closer to June.

All paid VicPS members will have received details as to how to connect to and participate in this virtual meeting. Please contact Jerri Wilkins at our vicpalaeo gmail address for these same details, if needed.

Alberta Palaeontological Society talk February 17: Palaeocene Mammals and their Fossil Sites in the Calgary Area

VicPS paid members have been advised by email regarding the upcoming talk being presented to the Alberta Palaeontological Society (APS) by Lisa Bohach Ph.D., P.Geol., with Stantec Consulting, and Dr. Craig Scott of the Tyrrell Museum.

Lisa will be talking about fossils from the Calgary area (fluvial, Paleocene strata), and Craig will provide a more general discussion of early mammals.

The talk takes place at 7:30 MST on February 17, so 6:30 pm PST for a BC audience. Thanks to Lisa and the APS for the invitation to attend and learn! VicPS members, check your email for the Zoom link to attend.

VanPS presentation: “Fossil hunting at Penn Dixie Fossil and Nature Park , New York”

The Vancouver Paleontological Society (VanPS) meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 7 pm, PST will be live streamed on Zoom, and paid members of VicPS are invited to attend.

Topic: Fossil hunting at Penn Dixie Fossil and Nature Park , New York

In the summer of 2022, John Fam (Vice chair of the Vancouver Paleontological Society) and his family visited the Penn Dixie Fossil & Nature Park in upstate New York. This park is managed by the Hamburg Natural History Society and encourages the public to learn about paleontology through collecting of fossils. Here anyone can find and keep a variety of fossils such as trilobites, brachiopods, corals, crinoids, bryozoans, bivalves and gastropods. The fossils are all from the Devonian period approximately 380 million years ago. Please attend this free talk to hear more about John’s wonderful experience at Penn Dixie.

VicPS members may attend the presentation by Zoom. Zoom meeting details have been emailed to all paid members of VicPS.

VicPS presentation Feb. 8th, 7:30pm – Geology and Tectonics of Western Canada

Please join the Victoria Palaeontology Society on Wednesday evening February 8th, at 7:30pm for the following virtual presentation: 

Geology and Tectonics of Western Canada

presented by Mr. Theron Finley, Graduate Student School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, studying active crustal faults in western Canada using remote sensing, seismology, geodesy, and field investigations.

The mountainous regions of western Canada have a fascinating geological history that spans over a billion years. This talk will be a whirlwind tour through space and time, covering some of the most interesting aspects of the geology that underlies BC and adjoining provinces. We will discuss the ancient environments that the rocks provide a record of, and how plate tectonics gave rise to the mountains we see today. We will also touch on our present day interactions with our local geology, both in terms of natural hazards (earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, etc.) and natural resources (mineral and energy resources).

Ms. Finley joins us complements of the University of Victoria Speakers Bureau.

VicPS members will have received an email with instructions and links to join this February 8th Zoom presentation.