Our Meetings

Guests are always welcome to the meetings if you would like see what we're all about. Meetings start at 7:00 pm and usually take place the first Saturday of the month, unless there is a holiday, then it's on the second Saturday of the month. Located at the USF Behavioral Science Room #103.

After the speaker finishes we have a short break. Then we draw for door prizes and some raffle items as well. We finish with any final announcements.

Upcoming Meetings and Guest Speakers (2025-2026 season):
NOTE: All meetings are the first Saturday of the month at 7:00 pm unless otherwise clearly noted.

Sept. 6 - Patty Moore, President of the Paleo Preserve
A Brief History of Leisey, the Legend and Legacy

Patty Moore is the President of the Paleontological Education Preserve; aka Paleo Preserve Fossil Museum. She’s done many jobs through the years from chemist to zookeeper but her children’s interest in fossils brought her to paleontology. If you’ve been around TBFC for a minute or some years, you probably already know Patty. She can be found at most TBFC meetings, sometimes giving us updates on the Paleo Preserve, and volunteering at FossilFest each year.

If you’ve heard some of the “old timers” talking about hunting fossils at the Leisey Shell Pit and wondered what they were talking about, come and learn! Patty will share the history of the Leisey Shell Pit, its significance in Florida’s fossil history, how it relates to the Tampa Bay Fossil Club, and its impact on the Florida Museum of Natural History fossil digs.

Oct. 4 - Aaron Woodruff
Prehistoric World

When dinosaurs disappeared, mammals began to thrive and take center stage. Prehistoric World invites readers into this fascinating chapter of natural history, featuring detailed species accounts by Aaron Woodruff, who manages vertebrate paleontology collections at the Florida Museum of Natural History. The book is further enriched with vivid artwork by renowned paleoartist Julius Csotonyi.

Titled Prehistoric World: Over 1,200 Incredible Mammals and Discoveries from the Mesozoic and Cenozoic, the book highlights the rise of warm-blooded animals after the dinosaurs’ extinction. Aaron presents engaging details about each species, covering their diets, habitats, and behaviors, while blending scientific accuracy with storytelling.

Well-known Ice Age icons such as mammoths and saber-toothed cats are included, but readers will also encounter many lesser-known species unearthed in more recent discoveries.

“Bear-dogs are among my favorite ancient predators,” Woodruff explained. “Before the great cats evolved, they dominated landscapes across the Northern Hemisphere and Africa.”

Prehistoric World also sheds light on ancient mustelids, the ancestors of today’s weasels, badgers, and wolverines. Unlike their modern relatives, these carnivores could grow as large as wolves or jaguars during the Oligocene and Miocene periods, making them capable hunters of deer- and horse-sized prey.

The artwork in Prehistoric World will grab people’s attention and spark their imagination.

Aaron devoted seven months to researching and writing the book, often working nights, weekends, and holidays while maintaining his full-time role at the museum. He even finished Prehistoric World on his birthday. “This is exactly the type of book that ten-year-old me would have cherished,” Aaron recalls. As a child, he was captivated by dinosaur books, often making his own versions by drawing creatures, writing descriptions, and stapling the pages together.

Some species proved challenging to document, since many were described centuries ago with minimal context. In these cases, Aaron turned to Greek and Latin dictionaries to decode their scientific names. He also coined common names when none existed, for instance, Miopanthera lorteti became “Lortet’s cat,” and Tremarctos floridanus was given the name “Florida spectacled bear.”

“Much of the fossil record comes down to isolated teeth,” Aaron says. “If we’re lucky, those teeth are still attached to jaws.” Even so, paleontologists can deduce a surprising amount of information, such as diet, age, and sometimes sex, from these limited remains.

Aaron says his younger self “would have been ecstatic” to know he would one day publish a book on paleontology. Though marketed primarily toward children, Prehistoric World is designed to appeal to readers of all ages, offering both fresh knowledge about prehistoric mammals and a greater respect for the diversity of life, past and present.

Come to the October meeting to see Aaron’s presentation and learn more about our Prehistoric World! We’ll have plenty of copies of the book on hand for purchase and for Aaron to sign.

Nov. 8 - Annual Auction

TBFC Scholarship Auction

Dec. No Meeting

There is no club meeting in the month of December.

Jan. 10 - TBD



Feb. 7 - TBD



Mar. 7 - TBD



Apr. 4 - TBD



May 2 - TBD



June 6 - End of Season Dinner

View Our Past Virtual and In-Person Meetings

COVID-19 had forced us to adapt!
Since in-person meetings were not possible during that time, the club hosted Virtual Live Meetings on our YouTube channel.
Since COVID, we've tried to record in-person meetings and upload them to the site too. Unfortunately not all meetings are able to be recorded but please check the channel for any new content.

Subscribe to the channel to get notifications when we go live or a new video is uploaded!

All our club live streamed or recorded meetings will be saved and can be re-watched anytime! Not all meetings can be recorded for various reasons.
You can view past virtual or recorded meetings in the playlist below: