Celebrating Our 51st Year
The
Central Pennsylvania Rock
and Mineral Club, Inc. was
established in 1958 by rock
and mineral enthusiasts to:
Encourage
the interest, enjoyment, and
appreciation of members,
prospective members, and the
public for rocks, minerals,
gems, fossils, and the
lapidary arts.
The
Central Pennsylvania Rock
and Mineral Club, Inc is a
non-profit educational
organization and is a member
of the Eastern Federation of
Mineralogical and Lapidary
Societies, Inc. and a member
of the American Federation
of Mineralogical Societies.
CPRMC's first fieldtrip in
Spring 1958 to the Cornwall
Mine in Lebanon County.
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Pennsylvania Mastodon a True
Crowd Pleaser.
Saturday, January 23,
2010 by RJ Harris
Approximately 500 people
turned out at the State
Museum in Harrisburg for the
unveiling of the Marshalls
Creek Mastodon. The crowd
was comprised of donors who
purchased bones to support
and pay for the mounting of
the 10,000 year old
skeleton, including at least
fourteen members of the
Central Pennsylvania Rock
and Mineral Club. The club’s
membership recently voted to
purchase a bone with a $1000
donation as a part of its
community education
outreach.
The
mastodon was found on July
5, 1968 as two employees of
the Lakeside Peat Humus
Company in Marshals Creek,
Monroe County, snagged the
mastodon’s skull while
running a bucket through a
peat bog. Only a few bones
were missing. Robert
Sullivan, the museum’s
senior curator said that the
find ranks as one of the
most important specimens
known from North America.
Being 90% complete, it is
the most complete specimen
on the East Coast.
Central
Pennsylvania Rock and
Mineral Club members have
been involved with projects
at the museum for many
years, most notably Life
Member, Kevin Dermody, and
former member and two-term
President, Fred Widmann. The
late Don Hoff was the person
in charge of the excavation
crew of the mastodon in
1968.
The
Marshalls Creek Mastodon
stood nine feet tall at the
shoulders and weighed an
estimated 8,000 to 10,000
pounds. Its skeleton now
stands as a part of the
travelling “Tusks” exhibit,
which will be here in the
Capital City until May. At
that time the mastodon will
move to its permanent home
in the State Museum’s Hall
of Geology, which is now
under renovation. The new
exhibit will open in the
fall.
Bones are still available
for sale at the museum gift
shop, or online at
www.statemuseumpa.org.
The Central Pennsylvania
Rock and Mineral Club is a
non-profit group of geology
enthusiasts dedicated to
helping educate the public
in earth sciences.
Photos from the event.
Including some of our life
members at top left.
(Click on photo to enlarge)
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Pennsylvania Geology
now available digitally
Click
here to view
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N E W S LINKS
(Click on Headline to link
to source.)
Dinosaur True Colors
Revealed for First Time by
Feather Study- National
Geographic
Meteorite hits doctor's
office- Washington Post
Hawaiian Moon Rocks Found,
Most Others Still Missing-
Wired Science | Wired.com
Pink
Diamond Nets Record $10.8
Million in Hong Kong -
Bloomberg.com
Three
ancient crocodile species
unearthed - USATODAY.com
New
dinosaur species found. May
be a missing link- latimes.com
Fossilized skull of sea
monster discovered -
Science- msnbc.com
(Click on the "News Archive"
tab for more stories)
Latvian Meteor Crater a
Hoax- Ananova
Dinosaur 'Stomping Ground'
Found in Utah- Discovery
News
Biggest ever dinosaur
footprints found in France-guardian.co.uk
Throat infection may have
brought down T. Rex --
latimes.com
(Click on the "News Archive"
tab for more stories)
=============================================
Where can I collect?????
The question asked the
most of this website: "Where
can I collect?" Join the
club! This is not a pitch
for new members, it is the
best answer. Many sites are
never open to the public.
Due to our commitment to
safety and the fact that
clubs like ours carry
insurance on each member,
quarries and mine dumps
often give us occasional
access that individuals do
not enjoy. Our low
membership fee allows you go
participate in dozens of
fieldtrips each year.
Still want to try on your
own? Try this book:
Gem Trails of Pennsylvania &
New Jersey
by Stepanski & Snow
It is available via
Amazon and other book
retailers. Keep in mind that
some of the sites in the
book are now closed to the
public as well. Always get
permission from the land
owner before collecting.
Make safety your number one
priority.
============================================
Visit a Show near you....
March 27-28, 2010
Chambersburg, PA: Franklin
County Rock and Mineral
Club. 32nd Annual show. Saturday
10 AM - 6 PM. Sunday 10 AM -
5 PM. Shalom Christian
Academy, 126 Social Island
Road, Chambersburg, PA.
Adults $4- children under 12
free with an adult.
March 27-28, 2010 Sayre, PA:
Che-Hanna Rock & Mineral
Club; Athens Township.
Volunteer Fire Hall, 211
Herrick Ave. Saturday
9-5, Sunday 10-5; adults $3,
students $1, children under
8 free.
More
Show Dates from Rock and Gem
Magazine (click here)
Our
45th Annual Show is
September 18 and 19, 2010 at
Zembo Auditorium in
Harrisburg. Click on "Annual
Show" tab for full details.
============================================
Beautiful photos of
Pennsylvania Minerals and
Fossils. Collected by CPRMC
member and noted PA
collector, Kerry Matt.
You'll also find information
on Kerry's two
self-published books.
(Click
here, or click on the "PA
Minerals" tab)
=============================================
Specimens featured on our
homepage were collected on
club fieldtrips. Join CPRMC
and start finding treasures
for yourself.
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