GMS Field Trip

GMS Field Trip
Eocene Fossils in Georgia
Saturday, March 8, 2014

Thanks to Jay Batcha from the Mid-Georgia Gem and Mineral Society, the March field trip was a big success! Jay arranged a joint trip for the Mid-GA club and GMS. The weather was a little tricky. It rained on and off for a few days before the trip. We had been warned if there was much rain before the trip it would be cancelled, but fortunately the conditions in the quarry were safe and we were allowed in.

After a meeting to go over safety instructions, safety requirements, and to sign release forms, we were on our way to collect! The road into the quarry was pretty muddy and only 4-wheel/all-wheel drive vehicles could navigate through the muck so we consolidated into those vehicles. Once we reached the collecting area there were only a few soupy spots, but because of the rain, recently exposed material was nice and clean.

There were so many sand dollars it was a matter of choosing the specimen you wanted to take home. Most were bottoms up, though well-detailed, so the prized specimens were the face up pieces. Other shell fossils like scallops and turitellas were abundant as well. Everyone found plenty of goodies to take home.

Martha Brown found the best specimen of the day. It appears to be some sort of echinoid, possibly a sea biscuit. Even the quarry manager had never seen one of those before. Bonney Weathers found bits of a crab including the claws. Plus, the sand there is fantastic. It is loaded with micro-fossils and lots of bryozoan bits. We even got some samples of Fuller’s Earth. It was a beautiful day and a wonderful trip, so everyone went home happy!

Lori Carter, on behalf of
Charles Carter, GMS Field Trip Chair
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