The Friends of the Florissant Fossil Beds http://www.fossilbeds.org A nonprofit Friends of the Park group supporting Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:04:43 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Fee Free Weekend at Florissant Fossil Beds http://www.fossilbeds.org/2012/01/08/fee-free-weekend-at-florissant-fossil-beds/ http://www.fossilbeds.org/2012/01/08/fee-free-weekend-at-florissant-fossil-beds/#comments Sun, 08 Jan 2012 23:23:55 +0000 The Friends of the Florissant Fossil Beds, Inc. http://www.fossilbeds.org/?p=641 The National Park Service has announced a Fee Free Weekend January 14-16, 2012.       Click for Details

]]> http://www.fossilbeds.org/2012/01/08/fee-free-weekend-at-florissant-fossil-beds/feed/ 0 GeoCorps America Program http://www.fossilbeds.org/2011/10/05/geocorps-america-program/ http://www.fossilbeds.org/2011/10/05/geocorps-america-program/#comments Wed, 05 Oct 2011 21:17:48 +0000 The Friends of the Florissant Fossil Beds, Inc. http://www.fossilbeds.org/?p=571 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

]]> http://www.fossilbeds.org/2011/10/05/geocorps-america-program/feed/ 1 New Visitor Center http://www.fossilbeds.org/2011/08/28/new-visitor-center/ http://www.fossilbeds.org/2011/08/28/new-visitor-center/#comments Sun, 28 Aug 2011 23:21:55 +0000 The Friends of the Florissant Fossil Beds, Inc. http://www.fossilbeds.org/?p=559 After four decades, Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument Will built It’s first Permanent Vistor Center.

(Click Here for Details)

]]> http://www.fossilbeds.org/2011/08/28/new-visitor-center/feed/ 0 Energizer Volunteer Day at the Park http://www.fossilbeds.org/2011/07/03/energizer-volunteer-day-at-the-park/ http://www.fossilbeds.org/2011/07/03/energizer-volunteer-day-at-the-park/#comments Mon, 04 Jul 2011 00:41:48 +0000 The Friends of the Florissant Fossil Beds, Inc. http://www.fossilbeds.org/?p=542 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

 

]]> http://www.fossilbeds.org/2011/07/03/energizer-volunteer-day-at-the-park/feed/ 0 Friends announce partnership with Peruvian conservation group http://www.fossilbeds.org/2007/11/25/friends-announce-partnership-with-peruvian-conservation-group/ http://www.fossilbeds.org/2007/11/25/friends-announce-partnership-with-peruvian-conservation-group/#comments Sun, 25 Nov 2007 18:00:15 +0000 The Friends of the Florissant Fossil Beds, Inc. http://www.fossilbeds.org/2007/11/25/friends-announce-partnership-with-peruvian-conservation-group/ Photo of fossil logs at Piedra Chamana

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.

Photo of fossil log at Piedra ChamanaFlorissant 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).

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