Earth Science Club of Northern Illinois - ESCONI

Reminder: ESCONI October Paleontology Study Group Meeting October 19th, 2019 - Waves, Winds, and Tides: Fossil Collecting on the West Dorset Coast of Southern England @LymeRegisMuseum @MaryAnningRocks

Waves, Winds, and Tides: Fossil Collecting on the West Dorset Coast of Southern England.

Presentation by: Andrew Young, with Marie Angkuw, Jann Bergsten, Rhonda Gates, and Deborah Lovely.

For the last several years, a group of ESCONI members have traveled to England in winter to collect fossils on its famous Jurassic Coast. Contrary to the time of year when vacationers typically hit the beaches looking for calm water and sunny skies, these enthusiasts plan their adventures precisely when the weather promises to be most violent and the tides most dramatic. It is when the fragile cliffs along the shoreline are fast-eroding from surf action that the incredible geologic history of the place is in best view.

Low tide on Charmouth Beach with Golden Cap in the distance, the highest point on the southern coast of Great Britain.

Twice now, our intrepid explorers have delivered ESCONI club presentations on Lyme Regis and its surroundings. They have covered the town’s fascinating and centuries-old religious, economic, and industrial history, the accomplishments of its most famous citizen – paleontologist Mary Anning – as well as their own experiences combing the beaches for fossil treasures. Their excitement for these trips is truly contagious.

Newly found pyritized Echioceras sp. ammonite on Charmouth Beach.

This past February, I was invited to join the expedition and it proved to be even more remarkable than any photo can capture. Though familiar beaches and fossil shops were revisited, this trip expanded to new locations and introductions with locals whose addiction and knowledge about collecting in the area were most helpful to us. It was really an evolution of discovery: new techniques of searching, new species found, and new relationships with similarly passionate people, all of which build on previous visits.

Rhonda Gates, Jann Bergsten, and Marie Angkuw at Seatown Beach.

On Saturday, October 19^th, at the ESCONI Paleo Group Meeting, I will lead a slide show presentation about this recent collecting adventure. Marie Angkuw, Jann Bergsten, Rhonda Gates, and Deborah Lovely will be present to contribute their stories and perspectives as we discuss what we’ve learned about collecting at the edge of an ocean, what we found, and the richness of the landscape overall. We’ll also bring our specimens for show-and-tell. Please join us for an exciting evening of further exploring the Jurassic Coast of southern England.

- Andrew Young

A large, water-worn ammonite in matrix at Monmouth Beach, Lyme Regis.

ESCONI Events October 2019

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

Fri, Oct 11th	ESCONI Junior Meeting, 7:00 PM College of Dupage - Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038A (Map) - Topic: "Fossils"
Fri, Oct 11th	ESCONI General Meeting, 8:00 PM College of Dupage - Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038A (Map) - Topic: "Local Vertebrate Microfossil and Brachiopod Records of the Late Devonian Mass Extinction" by Dr. James E. "Jed" Day, Professor of Geology at Illinois State University
Sat, Oct 12th	ESCONI Field Trip, Rockford Area Gravel Pit, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM - Details here
Sat, Oct 19th	ESCONI Paleontology Study Group Meeting -Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map) - Topic: "Waves, Winds, and Tides: Fossil Collecting on the West Dorset Coast of Southern England" by ESCONI Member Andrew Young - Details here
Fri, Oct 25th	ESCONI Field Trip, St. Paul Quarry in St. Paul, IN, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM - Details here
Sat, Oct 26th	ESCONI Field Trip, Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum at Benedictine University, 10:00 AM - Details here

ESCONI October Paleontology Study Group Meeting October 19th, 2019 - Waves, Winds, and Tides: Fossil Collecting on the West Dorset Coast of Southern England @LymeRegisMuseum @MaryAnningRocks

Waves, Winds, and Tides: Fossil Collecting on the West Dorset Coast of Southern England.

Presentation by: Andrew Young, with Marie Angkuw, Jann Bergsten, Rhonda Gates, and Deborah Lovely.

For the last several years, a group of ESCONI members have traveled to England in winter to collect fossils on its famous Jurassic Coast. Contrary to the time of year when vacationers typically hit the beaches looking for calm water and sunny skies, these enthusiasts plan their adventures precisely when the weather promises to be most violent and the tides most dramatic. It is when the fragile cliffs along the shoreline are fast-eroding from surf action that the incredible geologic history of the place is in best view.

Low tide on Charmouth Beach with Golden Cap in the distance, the highest point on the southern coast of Great Britain.

Twice now, our intrepid explorers have delivered ESCONI club presentations on Lyme Regis and its surroundings. They have covered the town’s fascinating and centuries-old religious, economic, and industrial history, the accomplishments of its most famous citizen – paleontologist Mary Anning – as well as their own experiences combing the beaches for fossil treasures. Their excitement for these trips is truly contagious.

Newly found pyritized Echioceras sp. ammonite on Charmouth Beach.

This past February, I was invited to join the expedition and it proved to be even more remarkable than any photo can capture. Though familiar beaches and fossil shops were revisited, this trip expanded to new locations and introductions with locals whose addiction and knowledge about collecting in the area were most helpful to us. It was really an evolution of discovery: new techniques of searching, new species found, and new relationships with similarly passionate people, all of which build on previous visits.

Rhonda Gates, Jann Bergsten, and Marie Angkuw at Seatown Beach.

On Saturday, October 19^th, at the ESCONI Paleo Group Meeting, I will lead a slide show presentation about this recent collecting adventure. Marie Angkuw, Jann Bergsten, Rhonda Gates, and Deborah Lovely will be present to contribute their stories and perspectives as we discuss what we’ve learned about collecting at the edge of an ocean, what we found, and the richness of the landscape overall. We’ll also bring our specimens for show-and-tell. Please join us for an exciting evening of further exploring the Jurassic Coast of southern England.

- Andrew Young

A large, water-worn ammonite in matrix at Monmouth Beach, Lyme Regis.

ESCONI Field Trip to Rockford-Area Gravel Pit - Oct 12th, 2019

There will be a field trip to a gravel pit in the Rockford area on Oct 12th, 2019. This is the same location that has been visited before. Because this is a shared trip with the Rockford club (RRVGMS) there is space for 20 ESCONI members. The trip will be from 9 AM to 12 noon.   

1. You and everyone in your group must be a member of ESCONI by Oct 10th.  Have your membership status resolved by then.
2. The minimum age to attend this trip is 18 years old.
3. Hard hats are required! 
4. You will be required to sign a waiver from the quarry.
5. Please review the Code of Ethics and Conduct on the ESCONI website. You will be expected to sign-in at the quarry. By signing you agree to follow the Code of Ethics and the conditions on the ESCONI Liability and Waiver form (sent by email to those that sign up). You do not need to print out the waiver form, just know what you’re agreeing to.
6. ESCONI members can sign up by sending me (Dave) an email with the number of members attending and their names. My email is fossil54@att.net   No phone calls please. Do not call the quarry.
7. I will acknowledge by return email. If you don't get a reply in 24 hours, send it again!
8. The address is 6230 Beltline Rd. Rockford, IL 61109

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!

Reminder: ESCONI September Junior Meeting on September 13th, 2019 at 7:00 PM

The topic of September's junior meeting will be show and tell. The juniors are welcome to bring in their rock, mineral, fossil, or stone point collections. Each junior will have a turn at presenting their collection at the junior meeting. We will bring ESCONI's own junior's collection and other material, which of course will have good stories to go with it. If we still have time left in the meeting we will make cast fossils of sea shells. The juniors who are members, and present their collections, will get one check on both of the achievements badges including; Collecting, and Communication.

 

ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show March 21st and 22nd 2020 - Save the Date!

Make sure you save time to attend the 2020 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show on March 21st and 22nd 2020.  We'll have the usual mix of great vendors, Live Auction, Silent Auction, Junior Booth, Books, and much, much, more!  Don't miss it!

 

Reminder: ESCONI September General Meeting on September 13th, 2019 at 8:00 PM

The speaker at our September 13, 2019 meeting will be Dr. Ashley Klymiuk, Collections Manager, Paleobotany, at the Field Museum. The topic of her talk will be "Fossils from the Fifth Kingdom: from moulds to mycorrhizae".  Come on out... it should be very interesting!  Here is a link to a ScienceDaily article about some of her recent research.

Dr. Az Klymiuk is a Métis Canadian botanist, mycologist, and paleontologist.  Her research comprises comparative plant anatomy of gymnosperms and morphological systematics of fossilized microfungi.  In the course of her doctoral work at the University of Kansas, she became interested in plant-microbe interactions in dynamic redox systems that characterize wetland soils, and has worked to understand how the ecology of living root-associated fungi is impacted by these harsh biogeochemical conditions.  At the Field Museum, she is the collections manager for Paleobotany.

ESCONI Events September 2019

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

Fri, Sep 13th	ESCONI Junior Meeting, 7:00 PM College of Dupage - Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map) - Topic: "Maps"
Fri, Sep 13th	ESCONI General Meeting, 8:00 PM College of Dupage - Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map) - Topic: "Fossils from the Fifth Kingdom: from Moulds to Mycorrhizae" by Dr. Az Klymiuk, Collections Manager, Paleobotany the Field Museum
Sat, Sep 14th	ESCONI Field Trip, Mazon Creek Spoil Pile in Braceville, IL, 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM - Details here
Sun, Sep 15th	ESCONI Field Trip, Mazon Creek Spoil Pile in Braceville, IL, 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM - Details here
Sat, Sep 21th	ESCONI Field Trip, Ordovician Hard-rock Quarry near Belvidere, IL, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM - Details here
Sat, Sep 21th	ESCONI Paleontology Study Group Meeting -Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map) - Topic: "Show and Tell" Bring in your summer treasures!

ESCONI Field Trip to an Ordovician, Hard-rock Quarry Near Belvidere, Illinois on Saturday, Sept 21, 2019

There will be a field trip to an Ordovician, hard-rock quarry near Belvidere, Illinois on Saturday, Sept 21, 2019, from 9AM to 12 noon. We visited this quarry in April.

If you like Hormotoma or Receptaculites, this is the place for you! The quarry has been active so there is new rock exposed.

Rules

1. Everyone in your group MUST be an ESCONI member as of Sept 18, 2019.
2. Everyone in your group MUST be at least 18 years of age.
3. Everyone MUST have and wear a hard hat, safety vest, and sturdy boots while in the quarry. No sandals, tennis shoes, and the like. No claw hammers or roofing hammers - use only rock hammers. If you plan on hammering then bring eye protection and wear it.
4. Sign up by sending me (Dave) an email with the number of members attending and their names. My email is fossil54@att.net   No phone calls please. Do not call the quarry.
5. I will acknowledge by return email. If you don't get a reply in 24 hours, send it again!
6. Maximum attendance by ESCONI members is 20. This is a combined trip with the Rockford club. I will keep a “Waiting List” if more spots open up.
7. Please review the Code of Ethics and Conduct on the ESCONI website. You will be expected to sign-in at the quarry. By signing you agree to follow the Code of Ethics and the conditions on the ESCONI Liability and Waiver form (sent by email to those that sign up). You do not need to print out the waiver form, just know what you’re agreeing to.

The address of the quarry is 4525 Irene Road, Belvidere, Illinois. I will distribute the waiver forms by email to those signed up just before the trip.

Questions? Send me an email...

ESCONI Field Trip To Braceville, IL for Mazon Creek Concretions - September 14th and 15th, 2019 #MazonCreek, fossils

Braceville Field Trip Rules

September 2019

The ESCONI field trips to Braceville for Mazon Creek fossils are set for Sept 14 and 15, 2019 from 8 AM to 2 PM. You can attend either or both days. There is an attendance limit of 50 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 Sept 11^th.
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 Sept 11th. 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(s) 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
7. If the trip is full I will keep a waiting list in case there are cancellations. If you are signed up and can’t make it, please let me know.

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, IL. I can send a small map to anyone that needs it.

 

Rock River Valley - Rock, Mineral, Fossil, and Jewelry Swap Meet - Saturday, September 14th, 2019, #rocks, #minerals, #fossils

The Rock River Valley Gem and Mineral Society will be having a Swap Meet on September 14th, 2019 from, 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM.

$25 space donation for 10 ft by 10 ft

Location
Odd Fellows Hall
6219 Forest Hills Rd.
Rockford, IL 61114

Rain or Shine.  Free Admission.

Contact
Duane at rrvgms@gmail.com
(815)218-5011

Facebook - Rock River Valley Gem and Mineral Society, Group

 

ESCONI Earth Science Event Calendar, #earthsciencerocks

In the past, people have requested a calendar of Earth Science Events.  This calendar is an attempt provide a solution to that request.  It is very much a work in progress that will improve as time passes.  Please send information of events to esconi.info@gmail.com.  Any and all help is greatly appreciated!   Below you will find the Google Calendar Link.

Google Calendar Link

Information on how to add the calendar to yours, can be found here.

 

ESCONI Field Trip to Starved Rock Clay Pit, Saturday August 17th, 2019

There will be a field trip to the Starved Rock Clay Pit on Saturday, August 17, 2019. This a combined trip with the Lincoln Orbit Earth Science Society (LOESS) of Springfield. There is room for 20 ESCONI members. The clay pit is located just south of Starved Rock State Park. I know the date conflicts with the Canal Corridor trip - sorry.

Other than the glacial overburden, everything at the clay pit is Pennsylvanian. From top down the layers are:

Mecca Quarry Shale - Black shale, hard.

Francis Creek Shale -  Mudstone from deltaic deposits.

Colchester No. 2 coal

Underclay - paleosol where the plants that made up the coal were rooted.

This location produces pyrite balls, pyritized wood, occasional vertebrate and invertebrate fossils in the black shake, and Mazon-like concretions. From my experience, the concretions do not split like typical Mazon concretions, but tend to degrade to flakes when subjected to freezing/thawing. The entry road is made with rock from the nearby Lone Star quarry (LaSalle Limestone and gray shale).

Rules:

1. Everyone in your party must be at least 18 years old and an ESCONI member by August 14, 2019.

 

2. Meet at the McDonald's in Oglesby by 8:30 AM. The address is 115 N. Lewis Avenue, Oglesby, IL. It is just east of I-39 on the east side of town. There will be a sign-in sheet there. We will then caravan to the clay pit. End time is a bit flexible - 1 PM at the earliest.

 

3. Bring and wear a hard hat and safety vest. Boots are strongly recommended as this location can be very muddy. If you plan to hammer on rocks then bring and wear eye protection. This is a big place, and a wagon or cart can be helpful.

 

4. This is not a hard-rock quarry, and the walls are not high, but exercise caution near any wall. If it looks unstable, don't go near it. Stay away from any equipment or cables.

 

5. The commercial product here is clay removed from pits in the quarry floor. These pits accumulate water. You must not go in the pits or the water.  The mud in and around the pits can suck you in and not let go!

 

6. If the entry road is in bad shape or there has been recent rain, vehicle access may be limited. We'll find out when we get there.

 

7. Please review the ESCONI Code of Ethics and Conduct on the website. It applies to field trips like this one. Those signed up will receive the ESCONI liability waiver by email before the trip. YOU DO NOT NEED TO PRINT OUT AND SIGN THE WAIVER, just know what you are agreeing to by signing in.

Sign up by sending me (Dave) an email at fossil54@att.net giving the number of ESCONI members attending and their names. I will confirm by return email within 24 hours. If you don't hear from me in that time, send it again!

 

ESCONI Events August 2019

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

Sat, August 17th	ESCONI Field Trip, Starved Rock Clay Pit, 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM - Details here
	ESCONI Junior Meeting - No meeting until September.  Have a great Summer!
	ESCONI General Meeting - No meeting until September.  Have a great Summer!
	ESCONI Paleontology Study Group Meeting - No meeting until September.  Have a great Summer!  Be ready for Show & Tell in September!

ESCONI Events June 2019

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

Sat, June 8rd	ESCONI Field Trip, Rockford Area Gravel Pit in Rockford, IL, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM - Details here
Fri, June 14th	ESCONI Junior Meeting, 7:00 PM College of Dupage - Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map) - Topic: "Maps"
Fri, June 14th	ESCONI General Meeting, 8:00 PM College of Dupage - Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map) - Topic: "Diamond Mine Disaster" by Michele Micetich of the Carbon Hill School Museum in Carbon Hill, IL
	ESCONI Paleontology Study Group Meeting - No meeting in June.  Have a great Summer!  Be ready for Show & Tell in September!

ESCONI Field Trip to Rockford-area Gravel Pit - June 8th, 2019

There will be a field trip to a gravel pit in the Rockford area on June 8th, 2019. This is the same location that has been visited before. Because this is a shared trip with the Rockford club (RRVGMS) there is space for 20 ESCONI members. The trip will be from 9 AM to 12 noon.   

1. You and everyone in your group must be a member of ESCONI by June 5th.  Have your membership status resolved by then.
2. The minimum age to attend this trip is 18 years old.
3. Hard hats are required! 
4. You will be required to sign a waiver from the quarry.
5. Please review the Code of Ethics and Conduct on the ESCONI website. You will be expected to sign-in at the quarry. By signing you agree to follow the Code of Ethics and the conditions on the ESCONI Liability and Waiver form (sent by email to those that sign up). You do not need to print out the waiver form, just know what you’re agreeing to.
6. ESCONI members can sign up by sending me (Dave) an email with the number of members attending and their names. My email is fossil54@att.net   No phone calls please. Do not call the quarry.
7. I will acknowledge by return email. If you don't get a reply in 24 hours, send it again!
8. The address is 6230 Beltline Rd. Rockford, IL 61109

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!

Reminder: ESCONI Paleontology Study Group Meeting on May 18th - "The Bundenbach Fauna"

The May Paleontology Study Group Meeting will feature a presentation on the "The Bundenbach Fauna" by ESCONI member Tom Williams.  There will some interesting fossils to see.  The lower Devonian Lagerstatte of the Hunsruck Slate is known for some amazing specimens.  See you there!

 

ESCONI Paleontology Study Group Meeting on May 18th - "The Bundenbach Fauna"

The May Paleontology Study Group Meeting will feature a presentation on the "The Bundenbach Fauna" by ESCONI member Tom Williams.  There will some interesting fossils to see.  The lower Devonian Lagerstatte of the Hunsruck Slate is known for some amazing specimens.  See you there!

 

Reminder: ESCONI May Junior Meeting - Topic: Stone Age Tools and Art

For May, the topic of the Junior Meeting is "Stone Age Tools and Art".  See you there!

 

ESCONI May Junior Meeting on May 10th, 2019 - Topic: Stone Age Tools and Art

For May, the topic of the Junior Meeting is "Stone Age Tools and Art".  See you there!