WORKSHOP / GUIDED EXPLORATION -- October, 2012
Media Release - Expected August 2012
Media Release Oct 17, 2011
Fossil Hunters, Enthusiasts, and Experts Were in Ladonia!
Fannin County became part of a national event this week as National Fossil Day is observed in Ladonia and at nearby North Sulphur River fossil beds. The City of Ladonia proclaimed a week long Fossil Week that culminated with a National Fossil Day Workshop on Saturday, October 15. Partners hosting with the city included the National Park Service, the Dallas Paleontological Society, Bois d’ Arc Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalist, and the Ladonia Chamber of Commerce.
Dr. Jacobs is a noted vertebrate paleontologist, very familiar with the North Sulphur River, and is author of a Texas fossil guide, Lone Star Dinosaurs. He is also a professor of paleontology at SMU’s Huffington Department of Earth Science.
Workshop chair, PK Kirkpatrick, who is also Ladonia’s Mayor Pro Tem and an avid fossil hunter of the North Sulphur River for the past 20 years, said she was very pleased to have Dr. Jacobs, Mr. Hill and other noted paleontologists lead this special event in Ladonia. Others on the program include Chief Kevin Mayberry of the Ladonia Police Department who talked about safety at North Sulphur River and Texas Master Naturalist Doug Franklin giving history of the river.
After morning break, the workshop reconvened at Pete Patterson Fossil Park, AKA Ladonia Fossil Park, on Highway 34 to give guided exploration on foot for workshop attendees.
Event leader Kirkpatrick said those going on any excursion need to pack water, wear mud boots or mud wading shoes if the area should be so lucky to have had recent rainfall, and those with arthritic knees, ankles, backs, and mobility problems may want to stay topside at the park and not enter the river bed due to steepness and height of steps at the park.
For more information on events, call Ladonia City Hall at 903-367-7011.
See Pictures from the Event below and read PK Kirkpatrick's personal message.
PK Kirkpatrick Doug Franklin
Dr. Lous Jacobs David Hill
A PERSONAL MESSAGE from PK Kirkpatrick
The Fossil Day Workshop was a HUGE success!
There were about 150 in attendance for the workshop. Dr. Louis Jacobs gave a wonderful presentation on fossils in our area as well as the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex. David Hill who, with his sons, discovered four giant sea turtle fossils in a tributary off the North Sulphur River, also gave a very nice talk on finding fossils.
There was a Science teacher from Trenton, who brought a Science Class of 25-30 youth. A paleontologist from Mason, Texas who discovered a new species linking the land reptile to our marine mosasaur attended.
We were joined by several members of the Bois d' Arc Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalist. Chief Mayberry spoke to us about river safety. Afterward there was a river exploration at the NSR with many, many fossil hunters and more learning for all. The day was fantastic and was a great success.
I personally can't wait until next year for the Second Annual Ladonia Fossil Day.
PK Kirkpatrick
Welcome to Ladonia Fossil Park
Welcome
The park is open 365 days a year but hunting is determined by whether water is in raging flow. Due to safety issues, hunting is allowed only when the river is not flowing. Admission is free. The fossils date back 100 million years or more. With a few exceptions, hunters may collect and take fossils out of the river. A fossil left in the riverbed or embankment will not be there after the next big rainfall due to extreme flow rate of the raging North Sulphur River. Exceptions are large museum worthy finds and unusual and rare specimens. For many years, the North Sulphur River has been an attraction for local fossil hunters, amateur and professional paleontologists, and various fossil, paleontological, gem and mineral groups and societies in Northeast Texas. More recently, it has attracted national attention.
Description
Ladonia Fossil Park is a project of the City of Ladonia, Texas and is located two miles north of downtown Ladonia on Highway 34 north and west of the bridge spanning North Sulphur River. The park sits on the bank of the vast river channel and provides an entrance into hunting grounds that have yielded a variety of fossils from the Cretaceous and Pleistocene Periods. The river banks and river bed provides fossil enthusiasts with surface area exceeding a thousand acres for hunting.
The channelized riverbed, dry most of the time, stretches a distance of about ten miles to the west of and ten miles to the east of Ladonia Fossil Park and is open year round for fossil hunting. The bed is approximately 300 feet wide and 80 feet deep. Cretaceous fossils including mosasaurs and plesiosaurs are found in the bed while Pleistocene fossils including mastodons and mammoths are found in the banks. Of particular interest to serious fossil hunters are red bed outcroppings.
The City of Ladonia is not responsible for accidents or injuries occurring on this property. Use of this property is at your own risk.
• Fossil collecting is allowed only within the river beds and banks.
• Parking permitted in designated area only.
• Possession/discharge of firearms, hunting and archery are prohibited.
• Possession/consumption of alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs is prohibited.
• No pets allowed.
CAUTION !
Enter and exit collecting area at designated points only. Area has dangerous drop offs, steep slopes and loose soil.
CAUTION ! !
Encounters with dangerous insects/animals are possible
Web searches yield several hits for Pete Patterson Fossil Park, one of which is available below
*** The Fossil Forum -Pete Patterson Fossil Park
Other websites have pictures of their finds and some can be seen below.
More images from folks that have visited the Fossil Park and searched the North Sulphur River
Steep Steps leading down to the river bed
Skeletal remains of a mosasaur were found in this general area several years ago.
Bottom picture is a pterodactyl depicted hunting during the same period.
***permission pending for use of Fossil Forum Link