Fossils and Reid 2015 - Passport in Time

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South Dakota - Nebraska NF
Closed!  Mosasaurs, Plesiosaurs, and...Reid...Oh My!

SD-4255
July 13-18, 2015 (including weekends)

Must commit to entire session

Join us for another fossil-hunting project on the Nebraska National Forest! This time, be transported back in time some 75 million years to the bottom of the Interior Seaway of the Late Cretaceous of what is now South Dakota! Preserved in these ancient sea beds are fossils of fish that were 17 feet long; swimming reptiles such as Mosasaurs and Plesiosaurs; large sea turtles, sharks, stingrays, and toothed birds; and even an occasional Pterosaur that fell to its doom while flying over this vast, interior sea! No matter your paleontological interest, there is bound to be something here that will catch your eye and captivate your mind!

During this PIT project volunteers and FS staff will be helping South Dakota School of Mines and Technology graduate student extraordinaire, Reid Cummins, who is in need of assistance with collection of data and specimens for his Master's Thesis. Participants will be doing surface survey and limited excavation to recover fossils while Reid oversees the project. We will also map, photograph, and document our finds using fancy - and sometimes not-so-fancy - field equipment; all training and tools required will be provided to participants. Reid's thesis will include the data from our project as well as those from previous projects at Wallace Ranch.

Volunteers will be working in a very warm and open environment, so plan on hot days with high winds, and we will definitely get dirty, but we always have a good time - we hope to see you there!

Number of openings: 15

Special skills: Volunteers must be physically capable of bending, sitting, standing, and/or kneeling for long periods each day, and in a variety of weather conditions (mostly hot!); previous excavation, pedestrian survey, fossil identification, mapping, photography, and/or other paleontological field experience helpful, but not required

Minimum age: 12 years old, under 18 with a responsible adult

Facilities: We will be camping in a very remote area near the site; tent and RV camping at no charge; water (for showers only), chemical toilets, hot water showers, solar and gas generators for power to charge phones, cameras, and other equipment, and base camp/kitchen tent provided by FS; no hook-ups; Edgemont has a motel and some other, limited services and amenities; volunteers responsible for own lodging/personal camping equipment, food, drinking water (plan on drinking at least one gallon per day!), and transportation to designated meeting area (if opting to stay in Edgemont)

Nearest town: Edgemont, 25 miles; Crawford, NE 30 miles

Applications due: June 8, 2015

 
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