Stone Art, Highlight of Fossil Hunting Rock and Mineral Club Show | Local News

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TRAVERSE CITY – Michigan is rich in fossils – and northern Michigan beaches and farmers’ fields are prime hunting grounds, says Joseph “PaleoJoe” Kchodl.

The Midland-based fossil expert, dinosaur hunter, educator and artist will be giving two presentations at the Grand Traverse Area Rock and Mineral Club Show September 29-30 at VFW Hall in Traverse City.

The annual event features exhibits and demonstrations and features rocks, minerals, fossils, quality handcrafted jewelry, stone art, and home decor.

“If you’ve never been to a rock and minerals show, this is a great find,” said club member Kevin Gauthier, owner of Korner Gem in Traverse City.

Dressed in Indiana Jones style, “PaleoJoe” will share where and how to find dinosaurs and other fossils in presentations at 1 pm on both days. Kchodl grew up in the middle of the fossil-rich Niagara Escarpment in New York City and has been collecting fossils since he was 10 years old. Now he lectures at universities, schools, rock clubs, and libraries, and leads fossil expeditions to Michigan, Ohio, and New York State in search of over 300 million specimens. years. old.

“It’s about the joy of discovery,” he said. “You never know what you’re going to find. It’s like Christmas every day.”

Kchodl’s successful dinosaur expeditions spanned several states. He discovered the shores of an 11 million year old rhino in 2004 in Nebraska at Ashfall Fossil Beds while digging with famous paleontologist Michael Voorhies. He worked in a team to recover a t-rex dinosaur and discovered the bones of a triceratops in Montana in 2007. He discovered the remains of a 60-foot-long camarasaurus in the deserts of Utah in 2008 and discovered the remains of an apatosaurus the same year. .

But his country of origin offers equally rich hunting grounds.

Kchodl discovered several Devonian fish in 2016 at Alpena, one of his favorite hunting grounds. The finds are now in the collection of the University of Michigan Museum of Paleontology.

And in 2015, a team of UM paleontologists excavated an ancient mammoth in a farmer’s field 10 miles southwest of Ann Arbor, the University of Michigan reported. The bones were estimated to be between 11,700 and 15,000 years old. It is one of 300 behemoths and mammoths discovered in the state, according to the report.

Kchodl said the field of fossil and dinosaur hunting is wide open to amateurs.

“Many paleontologists rely on the public for new discoveries,” he said. “A lot of the time, it’s the amateur who makes rare finds.

Along with some of these rare finds dating back millions of years, visitors to the Rock and Mineral Show will appreciate nature’s work presented in the form of polished and raw rocks, minerals and fossils, club president Pierre LaFoille said. . The free youth rock polishing station is a favorite return show activity, as well as hands-on geocracking experiences.

“I don’t think there is a greater reward than slicing up an old rock and finding Mother Nature’s treasure within,” he said.

The club’s 170 members include amateurs ranging from doctors and business executives to retirees, many of whom specialize in goldsmithing. About twenty members will offer original objects for sale.

“There are some great deals on jewelry that you can’t beat – up to 30 to 40 percent off the web’s prices,” LaFoille said.

He said the visit of “PaleoJoe” was a first in the history of the annual show.

“We are looking to open up our perspectives,” he said.

If you are going to

Grand Traverse Rock & Mineral Club Show

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. September 29, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. September at VFW Hall, 3400 Veterans Dr., Traverse City

Admission: $ 2 adults, free for children 12 and under


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