2008 Summer Paleontology Field Expeditions
2008 Summer Field Expeditions
Make this a summer to remember!
Join our Corps of Discovery!
May 12 to 23 Join the Museum staff to collect Late Pleistocene (Ice Age) fossil vertebrates, at Fossil Lake, Oregon, one of the most prolific fossil sites in North America. Coordinated by and with permission of Dr. James Martin. June 16 to 27: Miocene Mammals of the Fort Randall Formation - Join us at the classic and scenic fossil locality of Bijou Hill. Here you will have the opportunity to help reconstruct a fascinating, fifteen million year old fossil fauna from central South Dakota. Cast of characters includes catfish, snakes, horses, rhinos, primitive pronghorn antelope, "horned gophers", and a diverse array of rodents and insectivores. Coordinated by Dr. Darrin Pagnac.
July 21 to August 1 Join an expedition to excavate Dinosaurs of the Judith River Formation - This expedition takes you back in time to discover the small and large beasts that roamed the area during the Late Cretaceous. Join Late Cretaceous fossil experts, Mr. David Parris and Mr. Randy Moses, in investigating the dinosaurs and other fossils from north central Wyoming. Coordinated by and with permission of Mr. Parris.
August 4 to 15 Giant Fossil Sea Reptiles from the Late Cretaceous Western Interior Sea - Join this expedition in the beautiful southern Black Hills of South Dakota, to search for and help collect Cretaceous marine reptiles, particularly mosasuars and plesiosaurs. Coordinated by and with permission of Dr. James Martin and Mr. David Parris.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
MUSEUM OF GEOLOGY
SOUTH DAKOTA SCHOOL OF MINES AND TECHNOLOGY
501 E. Saint Joseph Street
Rapid City, SD 57701
(605) 394-2487
(800) 544-8162 ext. 2467
museum@sdsmt.edu
Field Paleontology is a two-week experience that is designed to introduce students and interested persons to the procedures of preserving and documenting fossil discoveries. You may participate for two weeks as a college course for 2 semester credits or just for the educational experience with no college credit. We emphasize the fact that fossils are information so the geologic context of fossils as well as the distribution of fossils at a given site are meticulously recorded. Although the program is based in Rapid City, South Dakota, with the Museum of Geology, each session is taught in the field in places that are of current interest to research undertaking at the Museum of Geology. Rapid City is accessible by commercial airlines, buses, and the Interstate system.
The field sessions are taught at various times of the summer months of June, July, and August. Our climate is continental in character which means that it can be quite hot (>40 Celsius) and sometimes bone-chilling cool. Rain is possible but seldom interferes with the work for very long. The best advice on clothing is to have layers of clothing so that you can be comfortable from 5 to 40 degree C. A hat to keep sun off, sunglasses, and sunscreen are helpful. Other materials necessary include glasses that protect your eyes while chipping rocks, a rock hammer, a 2-inch wide natural bristle paintbrush, gloves, a small chisel, and a sharp awl. Canteen for water on hot days, a camera to record your experience, a notebook and pen to record observations, and a sense of humor make this a very rewarding experience.
Hotel accommodations can be obtained for many of the sessions or camping is another alternative. Camping is usually done at commercial campgrounds and food is purchased nearby. A small tent that is capable of withstanding strong wind and a sleeping bag with a mat to soften the ground are advisable. Cooking arrangements vary with group leader so you will know more when you choose a specific course.
Sessions are two weeks long and begin with meeting in Rapid City unless other arrangements are made. Your instructor will designate the time and place to meet. The Museum provides transportation to the research area and base camp. The first day will be spent with an orientation session for participants. Thereafter, the group will assemble each morning at a specified time (different group leaders operate on different schedules) with all materials necessary to get them through the day, water, lunches, tools, and notebooks. After a brief review of the goals for that day, the participants will then drive to the site or area that is being investigated. During the day, breaks may be taken as a group. Lunch is at mid-day, and we usually wind up at about 4:30 - 5:00 pm before the drive back to camp or hotel. The exact nature of the day may vary if the goal for the day is to search out new sites or to spend the day in a quarry working on a specimen.
NO PETS are allowed to accompany the participants, and due to insurance reasons, all persons under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult who must also be a participant.
The Museum accepts payment for the experience by VISA or MasterCard, money order, cashier's check, or personal check. Payment must be made in full two weeks before the session starts. Cost is $450.00 for each two-week session unless taken for college credit. If elected for undergraduate credit, the course will cost $550. If elected for graduate credit, the course will cost $650. There is a possibility of modest application fees being accessed by the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology for those opting to take the course for credit. Field Paleontology is a 2-credit course. Please note you may sign up for more than one session. If you have further questions please write us at the Museum of Geology, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD 57701, or call 1-800-544-8162 extension 2467.
NOTICE: Because of the hazardous nature of fieldwork, each student must be covered by medical insurance. Each student will accept the responsibility for his/her own deportment and for the deportment of the group. Neither contraband substances nor firearms will be tolerated. Any use of alcohol must conform to the laws of the State of South Dakota and the rules of SDSMT. Any potential student with known or suspected health problems, which might adversely affect her/his ability to perform under field conditions, must make arrangements to mitigate such problems before enrolling. Students may be removed from the program with concurrence of course faculty if a student proves to be a problem to this program. Only students registered in the course will be accepted at the site. It is the student's responsibility to accomplish registration.
Contact: South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
This page has been visited 2,944 times since 04/04/2007
| http://sdmines.sdsmt.edu/museum/expeditions/2008 |
Last Modified: 01/25/2008 |
