California State Dinosaur Subject of January 21st Program Meeting; 7:00 p.m.

Meet ‘Auggie’ aka Augustynolophus Morrisi

This duck-billed hadrosaur lived around areas of California some 66 million years ago in the Cretaceous period. Karol McQueary will be the speaker at our meeting to tell us the funny
story of how we got a California State Dinosaur. Karol McQueary is a retired teacher, principal, volunteer dinosaur bone preparator, and past president of the Southern California Paleontological Society. Although she has collected minerals for most of her life, her interest in fossils began when she retired from the Los Angeles Unified School District. She joined a fossil club and started volunteering at the Natural History Museum in their
Dino Lab, as well as in their Dino Hall. Karol still loves teaching, though, and looks for opportunities to share her love of science whenever she can. When the opportunity came up to help California get its own state dinosaur, Karol enlisted the aid of the kids in the Paleo Society as well as the students at her former school. Their efforts on behalf of our new state dinosaur, Augustynolophus morrisi, are the topic of her talk.

Additionally there will be a five minute talk about Common Sense Safety Around Lapidary Equipment and During Fieldtrips, provided by PLS member Sue Pang. At her job, she is a trained volunteer, Safety representative and will share some of her knowledge with us.

This program meeting takes place on Tuesday, January 21 at 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of The Santa Anita Church, 226 W. Colorado Blvd., Arcadia, CA 91007. 

Come join us! Admission is free; open to the public. Enjoy refreshments while checking out the display table; bring a rock specimen you’d like identified. See you there!

August 15 Program Meeting, 7:00 pm

Our Tuesday, August 15 program meeting will include a presentation by several junior members who were participants (and winners) in award competitions related to our rockhounding and lapidary hobbies. (We love how our young members inspire other kids to follow suit.)

This program meeting will also include a slide presentation related to our upcoming annual gem and mineral show, presented by PLS member Marcia Goetz.

Doors open at 6:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall at the Santa Anita Church located at 226 West Colorado Boulevard in Arcadia, CA 91007. Program starts at 7:00 pm. Free; open to the public. Enjoy refreshments while checking out the display table; bring a rock specimen you’d like identified. Come join us and see what we’re all about!

PLS Explores “The Inner Beauty of Caves” by Mary Pat Weber

Program Meeting, Tuesday, February 15, 2022; 7:00 pm via Zoom.

Photo courtesy of Mary Pat Weber

A cave is more than just a hole in the ground.  These spectacular creations are natural laboratories for preserving fossils, recording past climate, and providing habitats for unique and rare animals.  Due to their global importance physically, culturally, and ecologically, 2021 was designated the International Year of Caves and Karst. As a geologist, Mary Pat finds caves fascinating and takes every opportunity to tour them.  Join us Tuesday night to explore this intriguing subterranean world that includes some of the major show caves of the Western U.S. You can leave your high boots and flashlights at home – this meeting’s virtual!

Meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. If you’d like to join us, write marcia.pls.emails [at] gmail [dot] com to request a Zoom link.

UPDATED INFO: Stoddard Wells Rockhound Tailgate Show and Field Trip for Tri-Color Marble

9:00 AM, Saturday, September 25, 2021

On Saturday, September 25, 2021 , we’ll be headed to Stoddard Wells, CA, near Apple Valley. This outdoor rock show, which runs Sept. 24-26, is sponsored by the Victor Valley Gem and Mineral Club. It’s the 45th Annual Stoddard Wells Rockhound Tailgate. Hours: 9 AM  – 5 PM daily.

Free event, everyone is welcome! FREE Vendor Spaces, dry camping, restrooms available. First come, first served. All donations welcomed. Handcrafted jewelry, cabs, slabs, rough, and more. Breakfast and lunch available. NO saving spaces or competing with VVGMS’s fundraising activities – i.e. food, drinks, grab bags, spin the wheel or auctions. Rain or Shine!! For the show itself, it’s especially important to follow “Tailgate” signs to the show site, as the meetup location for the fieldtrip is 1/2 mile away.

Saturday field trip 9:30 – 11:30 AM is slated to target tri-color marble. Meet at Tailgate location per map and instructions below at 8:45 am. 4WD is required.
Must RSVP to field trip leader, Rex, at rexch8@yahoo.com with the subject line “Tailgate field trip.”

Tri-Color Marble photos above courtesy of PLS member Rex N.

Directions:

From I—15 Northbound towards Barstow:
Hwy 15 North THRU Victorville! EXIT at 2nd Stoddard Wells Rd at BELL Mtn. (EXIT # 157). Turn Left/East at Ramp STOP sign. STAY on Stoddard Wells Road 4 mi. until next STOP sign at Dale Evans Pkwy. Observe “Tailgate” signs high on NW corner power pole. Check Odometer here! Continue Straight on Stoddard Wells Rd. 7 miles to “Tailgate”.  Road becomes a graded dirt road about 4/10 mi. from the Dale Evans Pkwy intersection. Proceed East/NE past “Grange” fork to “Tailgate” site. Cars & RVs can make it w/ease & care; go slow and watch out for potholes. Please look for “Tailgate” signs along route. Need clarification? Visit https://vvgmc.org/tailgate.html

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Pasadena,+CA+91101/VVGMC+Tailgate,+Apple+Valley,+CA+92307/@34.3692906,-117.7497546,86720m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x80c2c368f3ae0b77:0x12747768f808aadb!2m2!1d-118.1386005!2d34.1427587!1m5!1m1!1s0x80c483099e171ffd:0x8f0470b903f30488!2m2!1d-117.1100043!2d34.6704078!3e0