Aug. 2, 2012
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The public is invited to bring fossils for an expert geologist to identify during the second biannual “Fossil ID Day” from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 12, 2012, at the Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex in Moundsville.
Geologist Mitch Blake, who manages coal programs at the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey (WVGES) in Morgantown, will answer questions from the public. The West Virginia Fossil Club, based in Clarksburg, will display fossils collected by its members, books, and a “What is a Fossil?” poster exhibit. Additional activities will include making fossil imprints in clay and searching for small fossils in sand that visitors can take home. Visitors also can receive a coloring page featuring West Virginia’s official state fossil, the giant ground sloth known scientifically as Megalonyx jeffersonii.
The event is free and open to the public.
“Our first Fossil ID Day earlier this year was a huge success and we plan on continuing this program twice a year,” said David Rotenizer, site manager at Grave Creek Mound.
For more information about Fossil ID Day or other programs at Grave Creek Mound, contact Andrea Keller, cultural program coordinator, at (304) 843-4128 or email her at Andrea.K.Keller@wv.gov. Indicate in the message if you are interested in receiving information about upcoming events at the mound.
For more information about the West Virginia Fossil Club visit www.WestVirginiaFossilClub.com.
Operated by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex features one of the largest conical earthen mortuary mounds anywhere in the world. The Delf Norona Museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. It is closed on Mondays. Outdoor access closes at 4:30 p.m. and may close due to inclement weather.
The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is an agency within the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts with Kay Goodwin, Cabinet Secretary. The Division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the Division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
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