This is Throwback Thursday #91. In these, we look back into the past at ESCONI specifically and Earth Science in general. If you have any contributions, (science, pictures, stories, etc ...), please sent them to [email protected]. Thanks!
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The snow this week had me looking through the newsletters looking for a winter field trips. Many of us have collected in extreme winter weather conditions. I personally have been out in pretty cold weather, say low 20's in November with thunder snow.
We already posted on a field trip to a Lemont quarry on November 19th, 1950 in Throwback Thursday #41. They look pretty cold in their winter coats for the picture shown below. The temperature might have been in the 30's from this historical link. From the trip report, the weather didn't impact their success as one participant came away with 18 trilobites!
This one was pretty late in the year, but there had to be later ones. In the January 1963 newsletter, there is mention of a trip to collect Mazon Creek ferns on private property on December 9th, 1962. There isn't an announcement of the trip in the December 1962 newsletter. All we have is the report by Olive Knight, who was Co-Editor of the ESCONI newsletter at the time (Her husband Howard Knight was Editor). 17 degrees is cold! Have you been out later in the winter? Was the weather colder? Tell us!
On Sunday, December 9, 1962, in 17 temperature and snow flurries, 8 cars full of members of the Paleontology Group held a field trip to Braidwood for fern fossils. Special permission had been obtained to hunt on private grounds and this could not be passed up!?!? I'll admit. the assistant editor went under strong protest - but a shrimp, a worm and quite a few nice ferns convinced me I'm glad I went! Jim Konecny said Esconi should create a new medal for "explorer type members" who attended this field trip! They must be hardy souls for everyone seemed delighted they had made the effort no one froze (that I know of) and I'll just bet they'd do it again!!!
Olive and Howard Knight were very active in ESCONI for many years.
