Get glimpse of the past, from way back
Travel back to the age of dinosaurs — and beyond — at the Victoria Palaeontology Society’s Fossil Fair at the Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary, 3873 Swan Lake Rd., Saturday and Sunday.
This is the 23rd year of the event, which features a rich and diverse variety of animals and plants fossils found on Vancouver Island, as well as other parts of British Columbia.
The fair is an educational experience for all age groups.
Expect to see dinosaur bones, ammonites, trilobites, corals, mollusks, insects, giant palm leaves and microscopic fossils from the Cambrian Period (550 million years ago) to the end of the last Ice Age (a mere 10,000 years ago).
“This year, we will have 42-million-year-old fossilized snails from the Crescent Terrane on display,” said Tom Cockburn, chairman of the Victoria Palaeontology Society. “The partially crystallized snails have been found on volcanic rock in the land around Sooke, Metchosin and Colwood.”
Educators will be interested in display cases and storyboards used in presentations to school groups and youth camps.
Activities for children include a fossil scavenger hunt with prizes, fossil colouring, rubbing stampings and the chance to look through microscopes.
Think you’ve found a fossil? Bring it in for identification by an expert.
You can also read about the recently released results of voting for a provincial fossil.
The society co-operates with professional paleontologists undertaking research on fossils. All scientifically important fossils are donated to the Royal B.C. Museum.
Admission is by donation. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information, go to vicpalaeo.org.