May your matrix be soft...

Several years ago my friend Dave Lovelace commissioned Russel Hawley (of the Tate Museum in Casper, Wyoming) to draft up their field creed for t-shirts, and the above image was the result. Dave suggested I use the image in my cafepress store, and I thought it was pretty funny so I have added it to several items there.

On a similar note, the Second Annual Fossil Preparation and Collections Symposium will be held this year at the Tate Museum on Friday, June 5th (2009). The first conference, held at Petrified Forest, Arizona in 2008, was a great success! "The symposium is devoted 100% to preparation, field techniques and collections care and management. A great opportunity to learn, teach, and enjoy our profession!" The combination of field trips, workshops and presented papers was a nice format and one familiar to many of us. They are also now looking for presenters, so if you have a neat idea of something preparation or collections related think about sending in an abstract for a talk!

For additional info, contact JP Cavigelli, the Tate Geological Museum, the facebook page for the meeting, or post your questions to the SVP PREPLIST.

Off to PEFO

This week I will be attending the Petrified Forest Fossil Preparation and Collections Symposium. You can see a complete list of the talks and posters that will be presented here. I anticipate a lack of internet, so there will probably be a lack of postings till next week. I'll be sure to take plenty of pictures and report back on the meeting. Have a great week!


NPS photo

Fossil Preparation and Collections Symposium

Next month Petrified Forest will be holding a Prep and Collections Symposium. Not only will it be a good place to learn some new things, it is darn cheap compared to other meetings, at only $65 a person (for all events and a copy of the symposium proceedings)! I am really looking forward to some informative talks and workshops, along with some fun, seeing friends, good food, and sun. Hope to see a few of you there perhaps! ~ ReBecca

A Fossil Preparation and Collections Symposium will be held at Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona from April 10-12, 2008.

The symposium will include both invited and volunteered platform and poster presentations. Fossil preparators and collections professionals will present papers regarding care and preservation of fossil resources, to compliment a day of workshops and field trip through the park and collections facilities. Conference attendees will receive a copy of a proceedings volume, including papers generated by the meeting.


Petrified Forest National Park was established in 1906 to protect petrified wood and other fossils from the Upper Triassic Chinle Formation in northeastern Arizona. These fossils have been researched for over 100 years resulting in the publication of hundreds of papers, forming a cornerstone for Late Triassic paleontological studies in North America.

Registration Fee: $65. Covers all events and includes a copy of proceedings volume.

Registration Form

Symposium Papers and Workshops:

Participants will have a choice of two of the following workshops:

• Introduction to molding and casting of museum objects
• Welding for mounted specimens and armatures
• Roundtable discussion on publication and building the preparation literature
• 3D visualization of collections using laser scanning equipment and software

Click here for a list of talks/posters

Conference Events

April 10	Paleontological Resources field trip
	Evening: Welcome Reception in Holbrook, Arizona
April 11	Preparation and Collections Symposium, Petrified Forest National Park
	Evening: BBQ Social, Petrified Forest National Park
April 12	Choice of Morning and Afternoon Workshops
	Evening: Dinner Reception, Holbrook, Arizona

For more information contact:

Matthew Brown
Fossil Preparator
Phone: 928-524-6228 ext. 281
or
William Parker
Park Paleontologist
Phone: 928-524-6228 ext. 262

Petrified Forest National Park
PO Box 2217
Petrified Forest, AZ 86028

Fax: 928-524-3567