We will not have any chapter meetings until September.
We will have a chapter BBQ sometime in the summer - please check back for information.
UMNH Field Season Plans
Hello Everyone,
I am pleased to announce the UMNH paleontology field plans for 2009
We are planning on our field season this year in Grand Staircase Escalante National monument (GSENM), on the following schedule:
May 13-21 Tyrannosaur dig and Wahweap reconnaissance
May 24-26 Field training (note this is from Sunday to Tuesday this year due to scheduling conflict. We will be in camp until approximately the 28th for those who want to stay longer)
Those people interested in joining us for the field training should also view the information sheet for specific information about the training.
August 1 - September 18th (approximately) Main Field Season - Kaiparowits and Wahweap formations.
During this time we will be conducting both excavation of existing localities, and prospecting for new fossil localities in both the Kaiparowits plateau of GSENM. We plan to begin the season with the preliminary excavation of an associated tyrannosaur discovered this winter in the Wahweap formation. In August, we will be back in our Horse Mountain camp in the Kaiparowits (where we have mostly worked out of for the past two seasons), where we will resume excavations on the large "Horse Mountain Gryposaur" which we began last season. In August through September, we will also be spending considerable time prospecting for new localities in both the Late Cretaceous Wahweap and Kaiparowits formations. We are currently looking for volunteers for the field season and can typically provide transportation to and from the field site for participants who can get themselves to Salt Lake City and are planning to stay for a minimum of two weeks. There is no minimum time limit for people providing their own transportation, but given the distance from Salt Lake City, we recommend people to plan for a minimum of three days. Please keep in mind that working in Grand Staircase can often involve long strenuous hikes over difficult terrain, so you must be over 18 years old and in good physical condition to participate. The only cost to participants is a $20 dollar/day contribution to camp food, which is prepared collectively by staff and volunteers. There are fee waivers available for qualified students and long-term volunteers. If you are interested in joining us, please let me know the dates you are interested and I will provide direct communication on specific details of camp locations and what to bring etc.
We are also planning several additional trips this season to other areas of Utah, including the Mastrichtian aged North Horn formation; the Triassic Chinle formation and the Permian Cutler formation, which will involve several shorter trips through June and July. Camp times and locations are yet to be determined, so if you are interested in joining us during this time, you should let me know and we will provide more specific details, on camp times and locations.
Anyone interested in joining us for any of these projects should contact Mike Getty at mgetty@umnh.utah.edu, or by phone at 801 834-3357. and those people specifically interested in the field training on the Memorial Day weekend should read the attachment and please contact Mike or Debbie to sign up as soon as possible, as there is limited enrollment. We will contact people to confirn their participation as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Mike Getty,
Collections Manager, Paleontology
Utah Museum of Natural History
(801) 581-5578
