Fossil Day celebration set for Saturday
In a city built on the prime rib special, bones of a different sort will take center stage on Saturday.
In honor of National Fossil Day, the Las Vegas Natural History Museum will host a variety of science presentations and activities from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The celebration at the museum on Las Vegas Boulevard just south of Washington Avenue will double as a promotion for the valley's new paleontological attraction, Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument.
The monument's first permanent superintendent, Jon Burpee, is expected to be on hand, as will members of the Nevada Friends of Paleontology and the Protectors of Tule Springs, a grassroots group that fought for recognition and protection for the ice age treasure trove at the valley's northern edge.
Attendees will be able to see science in action as students and paleontologists prepare, clean and assemble fossils collected in Southern Nevada. Activities will include making fossil impressions, excavating rocks and creating fossil stories.
Wednesday's National Fossil Day, an annual observance of all things paleontological, was started in 2010 by the National Park Service and the American Geological Institute.
"Fossils not only offer clues to the history of life, past climates, and ancient landscapes, but also spark our curiosity and discovery," said National Park Service director Jonathan Jarvis in a written statement. "Two national park sites created within the last year — Waco Mammoth National Monument and Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument — are examples of the success of communities and partners working together to preserve these irreplaceable resources for future generations."
The Tule Springs national monument is offering family-friendly fossil activities at the Nevada State Museum at the Springs Preserve in Las Vegas every Saturday afternoon in October.
Contact Henry Brean at hbrean@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0350. Follow him: @RefriedBrean
