Earth Science Club of Northern Illinois - ESCONI

ESCONI Events January 2019

Field trips require membership, but visitors are welcome at all meetings!

Fri, Jan 11th	ESCONI Junior Meeting, 7:00 PM College of Dupage - Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map) - Topic: Dinosaurs
Fri, Jan 11th	ESCONI General Meeting, 8:00 PM College of Dupage - Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map) - Topic: "Northern Illinois Earthquakes, and the recent induced seismicity in Oklahoma and Kansas" by Dr. Philip Carpenter from NIU
Sat, Jan 19th	ESCONI Paleontology Study Group Meeting, 7:30 PM College of Dupage - Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map) - Topic: "Sue, Version 2.0" by ESCONI Member Rich Holm

ESCONI General Meeting on January 11th, 2019

The speaker at our January ESCONI general meeting will be Dr. Philip Carpenter from NIU. The topic of his talk is Northern Illinois earthquakes, and the recent induced seismicity in Oklahoma and Kansas.

 

ESCONI Events December 2018

Field trips require membership, but visitors are welcome at all meetings!

Fri, Dec 7th	ESCONI Holiday Party - Details are here.  Get your RSVP in today!
Fri, Dec 7th	ESCONI General Meeting, 8:00 PM College of Dupage - Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map) - Topic: "Antarctic Dinosaurs" by Dr. Peter Makovicky of the Field Museum

Reminder: ESCONI Holiday Party will be held on December 7th, 2018 5:30 to 7:30 PM

The 2018 ESCONI Holiday Dinner will be held at Cozymel’s, 311 East Loop Rd, Wheaton on Friday December 7, 2018 from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. We will be ordering off the menu and everyone is responsible for their own bill. There will be a drawing for door prizes. The general meeting starts at 8 PM in TEC 1038B. Our speaker is Dr. Peter Makovicky of the Field Museum.  His talk is titled "Antarctic Dinosaurs".

If you plan to attend the dinner, please RSVP to Dave at fossil54@att.net

 

ESCONI Events November 2018

Field trips require membership, but visitors are welcome at all meetings!

Fri, Nov 9th	ESCONI Junior Meeting, 7:00 PM College of Dupage - Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map) - Topic: Crystals
Fri, Nov 9th	ESCONI General Meeting, 8:00 PM College of Dupage - Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map) - Topic: "Cretaceous Reef Paleoecology of Central Texas" by Dr. Rex Hanger of the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater
Sat, Nov 10th	ESCONI Field Trip - Behind the Scenes at the Burpee Museum, 11:00 AM - Burpee Museum in Rockford, IL.  Details are here.
Sat, Nov 17th	ESCONI Warehouse Work Day, 9:00 AM - 2:00ish PM - Details are in this post.
Sat, Nov 17th	ESCONI Paleontology Study Group Meeting, 7:30 PM College of Dupage - Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map) - Topic: "Mosasaurs: Kings of the Late Cretaceous Seas" by ESCONI Member Tom Williams

Reminder: ESCONI General Meeting on October 12th, 2018

The October General Meeting will be held on October 12th, 2018 at the College of Dupage, Room 1038B TEC in the Tech Ed building.  The topic is "The Mazon Creek Cnidarian Essexella: The World Turned Upside Down" by Dr. Roy Plotnick from the University of Illinois – Chicago.  See you all there!

 

Save the Date: ESCONI Holiday Party will be held on December 7th, 2018 5:30 to 7:30 PM

The ESCONI Holiday Dinner has been scheduled at Cozymel's in Wheaton for December 7, 2018 from 5:30 to 7:30 PM.  The speaker for the meeting after dinner in Peter Makovicky of the Field Museum.

 

ESCONI Events October 2018

Field trips require membership, but visitors are welcome at all meetings!

Sun, Oct 7th	ESCONI Field Trip, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM Airport Quarry in Rockford, IL - See details here
Fri, Oct 12th	ESCONI Junior Meeting, 7:00 PM College of Dupage - Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map) - Topic: TBA
Fri, Oct 12th	ESCONI General Meeting, 8:00 PM College of Dupage - Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map) - Topic: "The Mazon Creek Cnidarian Essexella: The World Turned Upside Down" by Dr. Roy Plotnick from the University of Illinois – Chicago
Wed, Oct 17th	National Fossil Day - Details here
Sat, Oct 20th	ESCONI Paleontology Study Group Meeting, 7:30 PM College of Dupage - Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map) - Topic: "Show and Tell"

 

ESCONI Paleontology Meeting: Saturday, October 20th, 2018 - Show and Tell

The October Paleontology Meeting will be "Show and Tell".  Reminder: Wednesday, October 17th is National Fossil Day, so bring in some specimens and tell us some stories!

 

ESCONI Field Trip: Sunday, October 7th, 2018 to the Airport Quarry in Rockford, IL 10 AM to 1 PM

There will be a joint field trip with the Rock River Valley Gem & Mineral Society RRVGMS on October 7th, 2018. There is room 15 ESCONI members.  The trip will be from 10 AM to 1 PM.  There is no age limit.  You will need to be a member of ESCONI or RRVGMS.  Hard hats are required!  You will need to complete an ESCONI field trip form which will be provided on site.

 

Note: this is a sand and gravel quarry, not the usual hard rock quarry in Rockford.  There are fossils, but they come from the glacial till.  So, if you are in the mood for a general rock collecting trip, this is for you!

 

Please email Duane and Therese Cushing at tcdc78@comcast.net to reserve a spot.  Happy rock hounding!

 

 

ESCONI Events September 2018

Field trips require membership, but visitors are welcome at all meetings!

see details in this post

Sat, Sep 8th	ESCONI Field Trip, 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM Braceville Spoil Pile - See details here
Sun, Sep 9th	ESCONI Field Trip, 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM Braceville Spoil Pile - See details here
Fri, Sep 14th	ESCONI General Meeting, 8:00 PM College of Dupage - Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map) - Topic: "The Origin of Crinoids" by Dr. Tom Guensburg Research Associate at the Field Museum
Sat, Sep 15th	ESCONI Paleontology Study Group Meeting, 7:30 PM College of Dupage - Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map) - Topic: "Show and Tell"
Sun, Sep 30th	ESCONI Field Trip, Irene Quarry in Belvedere, IL. - See details here

 

ESCONI Field Trip: Saturday, September 8th and Sunday, September 9th, 2018 to Braceville for Mazon Creek Fossils

The ESCONI field trips to Braceville for Mazon Creek fossils are set for September 8 and 9, 2018 from 8 AM to 2 PM. You can attend either or both days. There is an attendance limit of 40 people each day.

1. Families are welcome, but the minimum age is 5 years old. Children must be supervised at all times by their parent or guardian. Registration ends at midnight September 5th.
2. You and everyone in your party must be members of ESCONI. No membership dues will be accepted at the field trip site. Have your membership status resolved before the trip, no later than September 5th. You can pay dues by mailing a check, or with a credit card using the PayPal link on the ESCONI website.
3. You will be required to sign-in at the collecting site. By signing, you agree to follow the ESCONI Code of Ethics and Conduct (available on the ESCONI website) and agree to the conditions set forth in the ESCONI Accident Waiver and Release of Liability Form (sent by email to those that sign up). You don’t need to print it out, just know what you’re agreeing to.
4. You’re going to be digging in dirt and mud – dress accordingly! You may want to bring a shovel, pickaxe, trowel, or hammer. Use only a rock hammer, not a claw hammer or roofing hammer. If you decide to hammer on something, use eye protection. There may also be insects and poison ivy. Hard hats are not required. Bring a bucket to carry your fossils in. Gloves are strongly recommended. The collecting site is an old spoil pile on private property. There may be old rusty tools or other iron pieces embedded in the pile. Sliding down the hill could be very painful.
5. The top of the pile is unstable and not safe to stand on. Do not go above the flags/caution tape markers. Anyone found above the markers will be asked to leave and may not be allowed to sign up for future field trips.
6. Sign up for the trip by sending me (Dave) an email with your name, the number of members attending and the day you are attending. I will acknowledge by return email within 24 hours. If you don’t hear from me in that time, send it again! My email is fossil54@att.net

Meet at 8 AM at the entrance to the collecting site on S Berta Road, just east of the intersection with Division St (Braceville IL). A nearby landmark for driving directions is the Braceville Gardner Cemetery, 7295 East Braceville Road, Braceville. I can send a small map to anyone that needs it.

 

Reminder: ESCONI Paleontology Meeting: Saturday, June 16th, 2018 - Jurassic Treasures Revealed

Jurassic Treasures Revealed

Collecting along the Black Ven of Lyme Regis and beneath the cliffs of neighboring Charmouth, England

Enjoy a slide presentation as four ESCONI members share their recent fossil collecting experiences and discoveries along southern England's Jurassic Coast.  If a trip to this part of the world is on your bucket list, learn some tips on what to bring and wear, how to negotiate the Atlantic tides, and getting your treasures home.  Or, if you’re simply curious about this World Heritage Site and its 200-million-year-old Ammonite Pavement, this presentation is sure to please. After the talk, there will be plenty of fascinating specimens to see.

By: Marie Angkuw, Jann Bergsten, Rhonda Gates, and Deborah Lovely.

Collecting along the Charmouth beach at low tide.

 

A pyritized fossil ammonite in the shore gravel at Lyme Regis.

 

Left to right: Jann Bergsten, Connie Wyatt (a Lyme Regis friend and fellow collector), Marie Angkuw, Deborah Lovely, and Rhonda Gates.

ESCONI Paleontology Meeting: Saturday, June 16th, 2018 - Jurassic Treasures Revealed

Jurassic Treasures Revealed

Collecting along the Black Ven of Lyme Regis and beneath the cliffs of neighboring Charmouth, England

Enjoy a slide presentation as four ESCONI members share their recent fossil collecting experiences and discoveries along southern England's Jurassic Coast.  If a trip to this part of the world is on your bucket list, learn some tips on what to bring and wear, how to negotiate the Atlantic tides, and getting your treasures home.  Or, if you’re simply curious about this World Heritage Site and its 200-million-year-old Ammonite Pavement, this presentation is sure to please. After the talk, there will be plenty of fascinating specimens to see.

By: Marie Angkuw, Jann Bergsten, Rhonda Gates, and Deborah Lovely.

Collecting along the Charmouth beach at low tide.

A pyritized fossil ammonite in the shore gravel at Lyme Regis.

Left to right: Jann Bergsten, Connie Wyatt (a Lyme Regis friend and fellow collector), Marie Angkuw, Deborah Lovely, and Rhonda Gates.

ESCONI Events June 2018

Field trips require membership, but visitors are welcome at all meetings!

Fri, June 8th	ESCONI General Meeting, 8:00 PM College of Dupage - Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map) - Topic: "Cretaceous Reef Paleoecology of Central Texas" by Dr. Rex Hanger from the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater
Sat, June 16th	ESCONI Paleontology Study Group Meeting, 7:30 PM College of Dupage - Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map) - Topic: "Jurassic Treasures Revealed: Collecting the Black Ven of Lyme Regis and Beneath the Cliffs of Neighboring Charmouth, England" by Marie Angkuw, Jann Bergsten, Rhonda Gates, and Debora Lovely

Have a Great Summer!

ESCONI Events May 2018

Field trips require membership, but visitors are welcome at all meetings!

Fri, May 11th	ESCONI General Meeting, 8:00 PM College of Dupage - Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map) - Topic: "Mississippi Valley-type Mineralization at the Conco Mine, North Aurora, Illinois" by Jared Freiburg
Sat, May 12th	Field Trip, Braceville for Mazon Creek Fossils, 8:00 - 2:00 PM - see details in this post
Sun, May 13th	Field Trip, Braceville for Mazon Creek Fossils, 8:00 - 2:00 PM - see details in this post
Sat, May 19th	ESCONI Paleontology Study Group Meeting, 7:30 PM College of Dupage - Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map) - Topic: "Pterosaurs" by Rich Holm

 

May General Meeting is on Friday, May 11th, 2018 - Jared Freiburg from ISGS

The speaker at our May 11^th meeting will be Jared Freiburg, a geologist with the Illinois State Geological Survey.

Several years ago he was involved in extracting exceptional calcite crystals, some with inclusions of marcasite or pyrite, from the Conco mine in North Aurora. The title of his program is “Mississippi Valley-type Mineralization at the Conco Mine, North Aurora, Illinois: Implications for Basin-wide Fluid Migration”.

Reminder: The General Meeting for April 20th, 2018 is at 7:30

Note: New time - 7:30 and different bldg and room - HSC, Room 1234

ESCONI General Meeting, 7:30 PM College of Dupage - Health and Science Center (HSC) Building, Room 1234 (Map) - Topic: "Great Steps in the History of Life: The Origin of Limbed Vertebrates" by Dr. Ted Daeschler from the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University in Philadelphia

(this talk is presented in partnership with ESCONI, The Field Museum, Northern Illinois University, the Paleontological Society, UIC, and the College of Dupage)

ESCONI Field Trip: Saturday, May 12th and Sunday, May 13th, 2018 to Braceville for Mazon Creek Fossils

The ESCONI field trips to Braceville for Mazon Creek fossils are set for May 12 and 13, 2018 from 8 AM to 2 PM. You can attend either or both days.

1. There is no age limit – families are welcome! Children must be supervised at all times by their parent or guardian.

2. You and everyone in your party must be members of ESCONI. No membership dues will be accepted at the field trip site. Have your membership status resolved before the trip. You can pay dues by mailing a check, or with a credit card using the PayPal link on the ESCONI website.

3. You will be required to sign-in at the collecting site. By signing, you agree to follow the ESCONI Code of Ethics and Conduct (available on the ESCONI website) and agree to the conditions set forth in the ESCONI Accident Waiver and Release of Liability Form (sent by email to those that sign up).

4. You’re going to be digging in dirt and mud – dress accordingly! There may also be insects and poison ivy. Hard hats are not required. Bring a bucket to carry your fossils in. Gloves are strongly recommended. The collecting site is an old spoil pile on private property. There may be old rusty tools or other iron pieces embedded in the pile. Sliding down the hill could be very painful.

5. The top of the pile is unstable and not safe to stand on. Do not go above the flags/caution tape markers. Anyone found above the markers will be asked to leave and may not be allowed to sign up for future field trips.

6. Sign up for the trip by sending me (Dave) an email with your name, the number of members attending and the dates you are attending. I will acknowledge by return email within 24 hours. If you don’t hear from me in that time, send it again! My email is fossil54@att.net

Meet at 8 AM at the entrance to the collecting site on S Berta Road, just east of the intersection with Division St (Braceville IL). A nearby landmark for driving directions is the Braceville Gardner Cemetery, 7295 East Braceville Road, Braceville. I can send a small map to anyone that needs it.

 

ESCONI Field Trip: Friday, April 27th, 2018 to St. Paul Quarry, St. Paul, IN

There is a field trip to St. Paul Quarry (Silurian; Waldron Shale) on Friday April 27th. Minimum age is 18 years old and the trip is limited to 20 participants. We will meet at the quarry office just south of the town of St. Paul at 8:45 am Eastern Daylight. You must be a member of ESCONI on or before Saturday, April 21st. You need to have sturdy construction or hiking boots--NO canvas/athletic shoes, street shoes, or sandals. You need to have a hard hat and a safety vest would be a good idea.

 

Please email John Catalani at fossilnautiloid@aol.com to sign up for the trip.