Fee Free Weekend at Florissant Fossil Beds
Posted By The Friends of the Florissant Fossil Beds, Inc. on January 8, 2012
The National Park Service has announced a Fee Free Weekend January 14-16, 2012. Click for Details
GeoCorps America Program
Posted By The Friends of the Florissant Fossil Beds, Inc. on October 5, 2011
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument has hosted nearly 30 paleontology interns since 1997. The Geological Society of America’s GeoCorps America Program usually recruits applicants for summer paleontology positions in addition to providing logistical support. The Friends of the Florissant Fossil Beds generously sponsor one GeoCorps intern at Florissant on an annual basis. More
New Visitor Center
Posted By The Friends of the Florissant Fossil Beds, Inc. on August 28, 2011
After four decades, Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument Will built It’s first Permanent Vistor Center.
Energizer Volunteer Day at the Park
Posted By The Friends of the Florissant Fossil Beds, Inc. on July 3, 2011
On Friday, June 24, 2011, 90 plus volunteers along with the Monument staff and members of the Friends group worked together to provide 200 hours of volunteer work on the trails at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. The Florissant Fossil Beds won a $5000.00 grant along with the holding of the event awarded by the Energizer Company based in St. Louis. In a program called Vote for Your Favorite Park, sponsored by Energizer, the Fossil Beds won over 4 other Park Service Areas. The $5000.00 will be used to bring military families up to the mountains for a weekend of fun and good times outdoors. It was a very exciting event that was kicked off by the inflation of the Energizer balloon in Colorado Springs on Thursday morning. All volunteers were given t-shirts, bandannas and pink bunny ears to wear while they were working. A good time was had by all!!!!
Click here for photos of the event
Friends announce partnership with Peruvian conservation group
Posted By The Friends of the Florissant Fossil Beds, Inc. on November 25, 2007
At the 20th Anniversary Celebration in August, the Friends announced a new partnership with the Asociación de la Preservación y Defensa de los Restos Paleontológicos del Distrito de Sexi (Association for Preservation and Defense of the Paleontological Remains of the District of Sexi; SEXI). SEXI is a grassroots organization devoted to protecting and developing for tourism and research the petrified forest of Piedra Chamana, located near the village of Sexi, Peru.
Piedra Chamana preserves a diverse assemblage of 39-million-year-old woods and leaves from the middle Eocene, and has important implications for understanding the paleoclimate and history of low-latitude tropical forests. The fossil forest is also important as a scientific and educational resource for the people of the region.
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument paleontologist Dr. Herb Meyer and colleagues, including Dr. Deborah Woodcock of Clark University, have been providing assistance to the village of Sexi in setting up a program to monitor the fossil forest. Through a National Science Foundation grant, they were able to help arrange construction of a museum, and the National Park Service is currently assisting in exhibit design and brochure production.
The Friends hope to raise funds for SEXI that will be used for interpretive exhibits and posters, construction of a fence around the perimeter of Piedra Chamana to protect it from cattle and human impact, construction of a trail to the site. In addition, the Friends can offer information and guidance to SEXI on operating a park Friends group.
The Memorandum of Understanding will take effect upon the signature of the presidents of both organizations. It is currently being reviewed in Lima. The Friends hope this partnership will help enhance scientific knowledge, education, and conservation of this important fossil resource.
Friends President Steve Veatch presented further information about this partnership at the Geological Society of America Annual Meeting in October. To learn more about this partnership, you can contact him at sveatch@fossilbeds.org.
-Melissa Barton
Photo Credits: Dr. Herb Meyer
Learn more about Sexi and Piedra Chamana at Bienvenidos a Sexi (Spanish).
About
The Friends of the Florissant Fossil Beds, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) Friends of the Park group supporting Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument in its mission to protect and interpret the park's resources for future generations.Be Our Fan on Facebook
