E.S.C.O.N.I.

                        ESCONI  FIELD TRIPS 2006

Saturday April 8, 2006 - 9:00 AM

Field Trip #1 -  Geodes at Jacobs Geodes, Hamilton, Illinois.

Meet at 9:00 am at 823 E. County Rd. 1220 in Hamilton, Illinois at Jacob's Geodes.   $15 for a full 5-gallon pail.  

Hard hats not required.  Boots and safety glasses recommended.  An Eastwing rock hammer is the best tool.  Chisels, pick and pry bar are good also.  Knee pads, backpacks, fanny packs, extra clothes (you will get wet and muddy) are also a plus. 

        Directions: From Western Illinois University
            Odometer Reading (approximate)
            0.0    Turn LEFT (South) onto (N) Ward St. for 0.4 miles
            0.4    Turn RIGHT (West) onto US-136 [W. Jackson St.] for 36.2 miles
            36.6    Turn LEFT (South) onto SR-96 [N. 14th St.] for 1.3 miles
            37.9    Bear RIGHT (West) onto 2nd St. [S. 2nd St.] for 0.1 miles
            38.0    Arrive Jacobs Geodes - 823 E. County Road 1220

Collecting Geodes at Jacob Geodes

Field Trip #2: May 13, 2006 - SciTech Hands On Museum: Dinosaurs From Argentina and Antarctica

Rob Sula will be giving a special tour on May 13 at 1pm. ($11) at the SciTech Hands on Museum, 18 W. Benton St., Aurora, IL, 630-859-3434. Rob will be showing an exhibit of dinosaurs from Argentina and Antarctica that he helped put together. The tour will include over 20 exhibits including seven complete skeletons. The “only U.S. showing” of this exhibit is running form March 26 through September 4. 

Field Trip #3: May 21, 2006 - Braceville, Illinois for Mazon Creek for fossils - Private Property

We will be collecting Mazon Creek concretions from an old spoil pile on private property. Hard hats are not required. Boots are recommended. An Estwing rock hammer is the best tool. A small shovel or pick is helpful. Knee pads, backpacks, fanny packs, extra clothes (you will get wet and muddy) are also a plus. Bring a bucket for the fossils. Also bring insect repellant. 

Field Trip #4: Saturday August 19, 2006 - 7:30 AM - 11:30 am

St. Paul, Indiana:     Fossils - Crinoids, Trilobites  

We have been given another chance at St. Paul, Indiana. A trip is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, August 19th 7:30am until 11:30am (NOTE: Indiana is on Daylight Savings this year so it is 6:30am to 10:30 am Chicago time). They reiterated the age limit: NOBODY under 18 years of age and this is nonnegotiable. They also request that we park away from the road into the quarry so we do not block trucks--I'll be there (hopefully) to direct traffic    John Catalani  Field Trip Assistant-Chair

Limited to 20 people and ages 18 and up.   This is a working quarry so hard hats are required.  Directions will be posted as soon as available. 

Field Trip #5:  Sunday September 10, 2006

Illinois Cement Quarry: Fossils, Sharks Teeth

Sunday 9:00 A.M. Meet at the Quarry. Hard Hats required. Boots recommended. Age Limit is 16 and above. Take Interstate I-80 to Interstate I-39; Take a left and go south to Illinois Route 6. Take a right on IL-6. About 600 ft you will take a right onto Troy Grove. You will take a left onto Oakwood cemetery road. Stop and wait at the gate. Bruce Galloway will have copies of the liability form for each ESCONI member to sign.   Please call John Good at 630-483-2363 for reservations or e-mail at ESCONI-TRIPS@comcast.net.   Please note; parking in the quarry may be limited due to muddy conditions.  In case of rain, the trip will be cancelled. Don't forget boots.

Field Trip #6  September 16,17 2006

Braceville, Illinois   9:00 A.M.  Mazon Creek Fossils - Private Property

We will be collecting Mazon Creek concretions from a old spoil pile.  Hard Hats are not required.  Boots are recommended.  An Estwing rock hammer is the best tool.  A small shovel is helpful.  Knee pads, backpacks, fanny packs, extra clothes (you will get wet and muddy) are also a plus.  Bring a bucket for the fossils

Field Trip #7:  Saturday September 23, 2006

Lone Star quarry. Olgesby, Illinois Fossils Sharks Teeth 

Age limit of 13 and above. Children must be supervised by parent. Hard Hats Required. 

Meet at the Lehigh Park in Olgesby, Illinois at 9:00 A.M.. Take I-80 to Exit 81, South Hy 178. Take South Hy 178 south across the Illinois River. Turn right at Highway 71. Turn left at East 651st Road and take it across the Vermillion River into Walnut Street. At Walnut and East 651st Street is Lehigh park. Total distance from Hanover Park to LeHigh Park is 97 miles. 

We will be collecting fossils from a working quarry. Avoid the walls of the quarry. Shark's teeth have been found here. New areas of black shale have been exposed. Boots are recommended. An Estwing rock hammer is the best tool. Knee pads, backpacks, fanny packs and extra clothes are also a plus. Bring a bucket for the fossils. Bring plenty of water and a lunch.

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