TBFC Season 2022-2023 updates:
Next Club Meeting is Mar. 4, 2023 @ 7pm EDT in the USF Behavioral Science Room #103 (In-Person) with Dr. Bob Sinibaldi!

Next CEMEX Center Hill Trip: Mar. 22, 2023 (Paid, Active Members only. Limit 20 People)
Next Brooksville Trip: Mar. 29, 2023 (Paid, Active Members only. Limit 20 People)
Next Peace River Monthly Trip: Mar. 25, 2023 (water levels permitting - Zolfo Springs Guage)
Check the Field Trips page or the Calendar for details!

President's Message

2022-2023 Season

This is CRUNCH time.

In the next 90 days TBFC has a lot to prepare for and a lot of hard work too. FossilFest 2023 is just weeks away and the Peace River Adventure (in some format) is just a short time after that. We’ll also squeeze in a few more TBFC meetings, add in some more field trips, and throw in a big season ending dinner in June. Are you ready TBFC!

FossilFest 2023 March 18th & 19th

At the time of this writing, FossilFest 2023 is less than a month away!

Download the latest FossilFest Flyer for more information!

Peace River "Mini" Adventure.

April 29th 2023

The Peace River Adventure has turned into one of TBFC’s most popular outings. Years ago we worried if we’d get enough participation to make the event even worth the work. Now, we sometimes worry if we can accommodate everyone who wants to attend. I should say, that was before COVID, and the hurricanes during the past year.

We have hoped that we would be able to run the entire weekend event, it appears that damage from the Hurricane Ian though, will prevent that from happening.

With FossilFest comes many new members, some who have never set foot into a river or mine in search of fossilized creatures from the past. The Peace River trip has become these folk’s freshman outing in paleontology and the perfect opportunity to learn how to hunt for their very own fossils. The trip has also become a sort of reunion for many of us who have attended the event for decades. Even though we have had in excess of 300 people show up for the Peace River Adventure’s weekend event, when we downsized to a single day of hunting because of COVID there was little participation. And I mean “little”. Despite that, we will press forward to provide an advertised day of hunting for our new members that we pick up during FossilFest. These folks will be biting at the bit to get out and hunt some fossils and we will be ready for them. The Peace River Adventure is a wonderful family outing and the only TBFC fieldtrip when we invite non-members to join in on the hunt. This is your opportunity to introduce friends and family to TBFC and Florida’s prehistoric past. The river is at its shallowest level and accessible by hunters of all ages (when Mother Nature cooperates).

Read the Chronicles each month (Members Only), check the calendar here on the TBFC website, and follow us on Facebook. Also, please be very cautious while venturing out into the rivers and creeks. There’s nothing in those rivers worth dying for.

Good Hunting,

Mike Searle

Announcements

Mar. 4, 2023
After the Find – How to Process Fossils into Your Collection
with Dr. Bob Sinibaldi

7PM IN-PERSON CLUB MEETING at the USF Behavioral Science Room #103

Whether you make a “big” find or just pick up another common fossil, there’s a process that starts with finding the specimen, all the way to putting it on your shelf for display. Or, if you’re lucky, donating it to a museum collection. Many of have perfected the art of finding fossils. There’s also a bunch of us, myself included, who have neglected to properly clean, repair, preserve and log every find we bring home. Dr. Bob will discuss proper discipline with the processing of the fossils. His discussion will explain everything from getting your specimen out of the ground to the shelf in a safe and ethical manner.

Everybody knows Dr. Bob, at least those of you that have been to a meeting or two. A longtime member of TBFC, past president, and current Board member, Dr. Bob is certainly active in the paleo community and a big part of what makes TBFC tick. Did I mention he is also an author with four paleo books to his credit? I’ll throw a plug in here for the Paleo-Store where you can purchase any, or all, of Dr. Bob’s books: Ice Age Florida in Story and Art, What Your Fossils Can Tell You: Vertebrate Morphology, Pathology, and Cultural Modification, Fossil Diving: In Florida’s Waters or Any Other Waters Containing Prehistoric Treasures, and The Handbook of Paleontological Terms.

Tampa Bay Fossil Chronicles

Hopefully you’ve noticed that TBFC has stepped up its game with the newsletter each month. In addition to all of our regular contributors, we’ve added two new recurring articles this season. “In Touch with Inverts” by Rob Carlson was added in September. Recently added, “Paleo Analysis” by Steve Vicari. Each month Steve will be discussing interesting prehistoric fauna and how they relate to extant species.

Please check out all of the articles in each issue. Only TBFC members receive the Chronicles, we don’t post it online or on Facebook.

Be sure to renew your Fossil Permits!