GMS Field Trip December 2021

GMS Field Trip
Mississippian Fossils & Geodes in Tennessee
Saturday, December 18, 2021

Rain made us delay this trip for a week, then decided to tag along with us during the rescheduled trip. The day started a bit soggy, but cleared up long enough for everyone to collect a few coral fossils nearby before the caravan headed off. When we arrived at the main collecting site, we could see that crinoid fossils were abundant and easy to find. Within a few minutes of hitting the ground, everyone found several crinoid stems, as well as plates with crinoid stems. Some crinoid stems had a star-shaped pattern in the center, so with a nod to Dr. Seuss, we nicknamed them “star bellied sneetches,” then delighted in the search for our stellar friends. Junior members had great success finding unusual stems, bryozoans, and other curious fossils. A few elusive calyxes went home as prizes too.

After a quick lunch break, we headed off to find geodes. The rain that played with us that morning returned to taunt us that afternoon as we hiked to the geode location, but it tapered off just in time for some geode collecting fun. Everyone found a few geodes before the rain visited again, a little more adamant about chasing us away. And yet, the intrepid group was not going to let a little rain dampen its spirit, so we continued collecting. Alas, it wasn’t long before a brisk breeze swept over us and we realized it was a sign of things to come. We could have stayed a bit longer, but everyone was happy with their geodes, so we packed up our prizes and hiked out. We bid each other adieu and returned home to dream about crinoids and geodes and our magical day of shared adventures.

Lori Carter
On behalf of Charles Carter, Field Trip Chair
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