GMS Field Trip March 2023

GMS Field Trip
Geodes, Suiseki, and Ordovician Marine Fossils in Tennessee
Saturday, March 4, 2023

The first location on this trip had large boulders of limestone chock full of Ordovician marine fossils including brachiopods, gastropods, bryozoans, crinoids, and straight shelled cephalopods. On past trips members have even found trilobites there. I didn’t see any trilobites this time, but I did see many excellent specimens of everything else listed. Members had no trouble finding and extracting specimens, so when lunch time rolled around, they enjoyed a quick bite and we were off to the second location.

The area received a lot of rain in the days and weeks prior to the trip, so the ground was pretty soggy. It felt like walking on a giant dirt sponge. As fun as that was, it also meant we would have to park only on solid ground and there was very little of that available. But, with a bit of carpooling and some carefully choreographed parking directed by Jason Leatherwood with the help of Aaron Leatherwood and Nedra Bonavita, everyone squeezed in. Rain also made the creek a bit higher and swifter than on prior trips, but members were still able to navigate the water and gravel bars and find some spectacular geodes as well as some very nice fossils. I saw a few suiseki too (water worn limestone resembling small landscapes with mountains, valleys, etc. that are collected for their aesthetics.)

Our host helped people haul out their finds by pulling a garden wagon behind a lawn mower. I know that after a full day of collecting, members must have been so relieved that their geodes were able to hitch a ride! Charles and I had a ride in the wagon just for fun too!

We are so fortunate to have property owners who allow us to collect and even invite us to come collect on their properties. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! And thank you to the members who attended this trip and worked with trip leads to make a tight situation run smoothly. Many thanks to Jason, Aaron, and Nedra for helping run this trip and keep everyone safe. And, of course, thank you to Charles Carter for arranging the trip.

Lori Carter
On behalf of Charles Carter, Field Trip Chair
e-mail: