Sunday, April 24: mark your field trip calendars! Originally scheduled for November, this fieldtrip was postponed due to the atmospheric river, so let’s hope for better luck this month.
Note the earlier meet-up and departure time of 8 am at the Helmcken Road Park & Ride. The target site is north of The Malahat and we need extra to/from driving time.
Paid members will have received the field trip destination description via email. Any others may plead your case to VicPS President Jerri Wilkins.
As an alternative to our cancelled field trip of Nov 21, VicPS President Jerri Wilkins has had Dino Lab offer to give VicPS members a tour at 4 PM tomorrow, Sunday Nov. 21, for $32 a person. That price is a 20% discount from their standard entrance fee. We can take up to 10 people.
Anyone who wants to go will need to pay their own fee and RSVP Jerri in advance by email.
Dino Lab contact details are:
ph: 778-966-3466
The planned November 21 field trip is cancelled, or possibly postponed to another date. Malahat traffic is presently one-way alternating, 24/7, and is intended for essential travel.
Instead, we are planning a VicPS tour of local fossils, for members only, with details to be announced. Stay safe, and stay tuned!
A field trip is being planned for May 26th. VicPS members should watch their email for details.
Meet at the Helmcken Road Park and Ride at 9 am. Carpool to our destination. Return to Helmcken Road Park and Ride will be mid to late afternoon.
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.
Thanks to Jerri Wilkins for arranging access to this site, which will be new to most members!
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.
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.
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.
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:
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 member Jerri Wilkins led the field to Muir Creek on May 6, and reports on the event:
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!
