Happy National Fossil Day!

October 13, 2010 has been designed as the very first National Fossil Day in the United States.

"National Fossil Day is a celebration organized by the National Park Service to promote public awareness and stewardship of fossils, as well as to foster a greater appreciation of their scientific and educational values." - National Park Service website

So, what is a fossil? "Fossils are the remains or traces of organisms that were once alive," as per the National Fossil Day FAQs page. A fossil could have occurred when a seashell left an impression in ancient mud, or you might find a fossil bone from a prehistoric animal. Fossils can be large or small. More than 230 National Park Service locations work on the preservation of fossils.

I like to collect fossils. I have some fossilized seashells that I found in California and Utah. Some are impressions, or trace fossils, and some are the actual shells, or body fossils. It's always fun to look at the rocks and imagine what prehistoric life must have been like. Remember that some locations - like national parks - prohibit the collection of fossils and other natural resources.

The NPS has a Junior Paleontologist Program for kids ages 5-12. Check out these educational opportunities. You can make your own fossils! National Fossil Day even has its own song. And if that's not enough fossil goodness, visit this list of additional resources about fossils and paleontology compiled by the NPS.

Enjoy!


Photo credit: Kevin Walsh, via flickr // CC BY 2.0

Bringing the seashore home

Photo credit: Brian Lopez, BurningWell.org
Are you headed to the seashore this summer? Be sure to take some of your beach-combing treasures home for later.* Driftwood makes for an interesting table topper. Seashells, pebbles, and beach glass make good starting materials for creating a mosaic. You can also glue a few of these items to a picture frame or a wreath base to make a sea-themed wall hanging. String some seashells with holes into a necklace. Put some sand in a jar and layer some seashells and driftwood on top to create a miniature shoreline. Or create your own 3-D field guide by labeling the your items and mounting the pieces for display.

Your finished craft project can be a visual reminder of the time that you and your family spent encountering wildlife on a shoreline nature hike. It's a nice way to re-visit the seashore and invite a little of that coastal ecosystem into your home.


* Always check to make sure that your seashells don't have someone living inside them! As a child, I accidentally took home a hermit crab and, unfortunately, he died due to my ignorance about care. Also, some beaches and natural areas have restrictions on how many and which items can be taken from the beach. Be sure to check the rules before you collect!

Website of the Week: The Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum

If you are planning a trip to southwest Florida, be sure to stop by The Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum. They have a lovely and extensive online photographic selection of Southwest Florida Shells. Or, if you'd rather print your own poster of 65 species of Southwest Florida shells, check out this pdf file of Seashells of Sanibel and Captiva Islands. You can also print a dot-to-dot coloring page and a word search from their page of Kids' Stuff or purchase a School Shell Collection Kit. And if you are going to be in the Lee County, Florida area, be sure to print out a FREE Child Admission Coupon for kids ages 10 and under.

(My thanks to Mom for sharing her find with us! Love you, Mom.)