I thought it would be fun to so something new, so I organized a trip to Penn Dixie Fossil Park & Nature Preserve for their annual Dig With The Experts event on the second weekend of June, 2024.
www.penndixie.org
The Penn Dixie Fossil Park and Nature Preserve is a 54-acre park located in Hamburg, New York, about 10 miles south of Buffalo. It is considered a global geological treasure and has been ranked as the #1 fossil park in the United States. In 2018, Penn Dixie Fossil Park claimed the Guinness World Records™ title for the World's Largest Fossil Dig.
The park was once a shale quarry, and the shale that is exposed there is full of fossils from the Devonian Period, which was 380 million years ago. Visitors to the park can dig for and collect these fossils, which include trilobites, brachiopods, crinoids, and more. The park also offers educational programs about the Devonian Period and the fossils that can be found there.
The park is open daily from June 12th to September 4th, and weekends only until October 22nd. The park opens each day at 9 am and closes at 4:30 pm. Visitors are encouraged to come early in the day, as the park can get crowded, especially on weekends.
Here are some of the things you can do at Penn Dixie Fossil Park and Nature Preserve:
Dig for fossils: The park is famous for its fossils, and visitors can dig for and collect their own. The park provides some tools for digging (while supplies last,) and staff is on hand to help visitors identify their finds.
You can find Corals, Brachiopods, Crinoids, Bivalves, Bryozoa, Cephalopods, of course Trilobites, and much much more!
Learn about the Devonian Period: The park offers educational programs about the Devonian Period, which was a time when much of what is now North America was covered by a shallow sea. Visitors can learn about the plants and animals that lived during this time, as well as the geological processes that formed the fossils that can be found at the park.
Hike the trails: The park has a number of trails that wind through the woods and shale outcrops. The trails are a great way to see the park and get some exercise.
Have a picnic: The park has a number of picnic tables, so visitors can bring their own lunch or snacks. There is often a food truck available, too.
Thank you to the staff, volunteers, and scientists that make this event possible every year, and for the park allowing me to fly my drone during the event!
Contact Them Here:
Phone: 716-627-4560
/ @penndixie
/ penndixie
Mail:
Hamburg Natural History Society, Inc.
3556 Lakeshore Road
Suite 230
Blasdell, NY 14219
Office:
Gateway Executive Building
3556 Lakeshore Road
Second Floor, Lakeside
Blasdell, NY 14219
Penn Dixie (No mail):
4050 North Street
Blasdell, NY 14219
#PennDixie #fossil #fossils
Thanks for watching the video Penn Dixie Fossil Park & Nature Preserve - Aerial Tour of Dig With The Experts June 9th, 2024