Year: 2016

In consideration of our 2016 Dig with the Experts program — which will be our largest ever and will welcome visitors from all over North America — Penn Dixie has prepared this short guide based on frequently asked questions. If we haven’t addressed one of your questions/concerns, please email Phil Stokes at phil@penndixie.org or call 716-627-4560.

---

General Stuff

How do I get to Penn Dixie?
Please see our map and directions.

Where can I stay?
We refer our visitors to the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce lodging guide. A number of hotels are located within 1-2 miles of Penn Dixie; we recommend that you evaluate these businesses based on your travel needs (e.g., staying with a pet), budget, location, and reviews. Yelp and TripAdvisor tend to provide useful feedback in our experience.

When does the dig begin?
The dig begins at 9 am on Saturday May 21. Those arriving early are welcome to park, use the restroom, and prepare their tools for the dig.

When does the dig end?
The program concludes at 4 pm, though the site will remain open until 5 pm. Penn Dixie members are allowed to collect until sundown, provided they park outside the gate once it is closed. We will reopen on Sunday at 10 am.

How do I check in?
If you pre-registered, simply present your ID and we will issue a wrist band for the dig.

I didn’t pre-register. Can I pay at the site?
Yes — we will accept walk-in admissions all day.

Are restrooms available?
Yes — we have two portable toilets available.

Is food available?
You Crack Me Up Food Truck will be on site with coffee by about 8:30 am and will serve breakfast items all day. Visitors will also be able to leave and return to the site all day.

What about the weather?
With the exception of lightning, the program will run regardless of the weather. Prepare for cold and wet conditions, warm and sunny conditions, or something in between. We recommend that participants bring:

• Sunscreen and a shade hat
• Rain jacket and rain pants
• Waterproof boots
• Water (2-3 liters)
• Lunch and/or snacks

What else is happening?
The night before the dig — Friday May 20 — Paleo Joe Kchodl will give a special presentation on the Fossil Fish of the Lost Lake, Wyoming in the auditorium of the Gateway Executive Building at 3556 Lakeshore Rd. in Blasdell. The talk begins at 7 pm — admission is $5 for the public and FREE for Penn Dixie members.

---

Fossil Collecting

What can I expect to find?
We can’t say — Dig with the Experts is your opportunity to unearth the unexpected! Since Penn Dixie has millions of Devonian marine fossils, everyone is guaranteed to find something. Probably lots of things. You can get an idea about what has been found in the past by viewing our fossil gallery.

Can I keep what I find?
YES! If you find something cool, though, we ask that you submit a photo that we can include on our website.

I’ve heard that there will be a lot of people attending. How will you deal with the large number of collectors?
We’ve been in regular contact with Dan Cooper and his team, and we’ll open a larger portion of the quarry to accommodate the larger crowds. Consequently there will be more piles of rocks at the surface for splitting purposes.

What do I need to bring to collect fossils?

1. Rock hammer
2. Small sledge hammer and chisel
3. Pry bars
4. Safety goggles
5. Newspaper/bubble wrap
6. Bags for storing wrapped fossils

What if I don’t have that stuff?
Penn Dixie has a limited number of tool sets for rental at $5/day. We will also have fossil collecting bags and hand lenses for sale. Additionally, Past & Present Fossil and Rock Shop will be present with a range of neat merchandise.

Celebrate Children’s Day at Penn Dixie! This year’s event will be held on Sunday June 5 from 1-4 pm. Our 2016 program includes:

Petting zoo by Sun-Dance-Kids Farm
Balloon dinosaurs by Mr. NO the Balloon Guy
Face painting by Hamburg Y.E.S.
Fire trucks from Big Tree Volunteer Fire Co.
S.W.A.T. Truck from Hamburg Police Department
Rocks, minerals, and fossils from Past & Present
Fossil collecting and nature walks
Sunspot viewing

Adults: $9, Children 3-12: $7, Children 2 and Under & Penn Dixie Members: FREE

Pre-register through our online store by June 2 to save $2 per admission! Please note that tickets will not be mailed — just present your receipt or ID at our entrance to receive your wrist band(s).

The event will be held on Sunday June 5, 1-4 pm, rain or shine. We encourage everyone to wear boots — the fossil quarry can be muddy — and dress appropriately for the weather as Penn Dixie is an outdoor venue.

Penn Dixie visitors have dug up a lot of cool — and sometimes unexpected — things over the years, but Earth Day (April 23) kicked off our 2016 dig season in dramatic fashion.

Colleen McCarthy found this rare specimen — a crinoid holdfast — in the Windom Shale. Crinoids (i.e., sea lilies) were widespread in Devonian oceans. Crinoid columnals — which comprised the organisms’ stalks — are very common at Penn Dixie. Crinoid holdfasts, which allowed crinoids to attach to the substrate, are exceedingly uncommon — both at the site and in the fossil record. We thank Colleen for her wonderful addition to our fossil photo collection!

Beginning in 2016, Veterans who participate in Erie County’s ‘Thank A Vet’ discount program will receive free admission to Penn Dixie. Penn Dixie joins over 1,200 local businesses who participate in the program.

The ‘Thank A Vet’ card is a complimentary photo I.D. certified by the Erie County Clerk that a veteran has produced his or her original discharge paper and has been honorably discharged. The card is available to any veteran who is an Erie County resident and honorably discharged from any branch of service of the United States Armed Forces.

Admission is valid for the cardholder on public days, most special events, astronomy programs, or winter/spring lectures. Limited to one free admission per Veteran per year. Offer cannot be combined with other offers and has no cash value. Excludes summer camps, Dig with the Experts, Miss Buffalo Nature Cruise, and field trips.

Hamburg, NY –
Penn Dixie’s signature fossil dig — Dig with the Experts — is set to be the biggest yet, says Penn Dixie Executive Director Phil Stokes, PhD. “We’ve received nearly 100 pre-registrations, and the program is still a month away,” he adds. The annual dig attracts fossil hunters from around the country. “So far, most registrants are not from Buffalo,” Stokes explained. “We are thrilled to host so many out-of-town visitors in Hamburg.”

Members of the Cincinnati Dry Dredgers paleontology group will be among those traveling to Penn Dixie to dig. Dan Cooper, who will lead the excavations, is enthusiastic about this year’s prospects. “We’re going to open the biggest hole yet,” Cooper declared.

The dig, which will be held from 9 am to 4 pm on Saturday May 21, allows paleontologists — both amateur and professional — to examine freshly excavated rocks from several feet below Penn Dixie’s surface. The rocks will be placed on piles around the quarry and participants will have the opportunity to dig through the previously buried layers. Though the dig will focus on trilobites, brachiopods, cephalopods, and other Devonian Period fossils, unexpected and rare specimens are occasionally unearthed as well.

Dig participants are welcome to bring rock hammers, chisels, pry bars, gloves, and safety googles. Additionally, Penn Dixie recommends that participants prepare for all weather by packing rain gear, sunscreen, a hat, and plenty of water. To preserve their finds, Penn Dixie recommends that diggers wrap their fossils in newspaper or bubble wrap.

For those seeking a double dose of paleontology, Penn Dixie will host a talk by award-winning paleontologist ‘Paleo’ Joe Kchodl on the preceding evening. The talk, titled ‘Fossil Fish of the Lost Lake, Wyoming,’ will tell the tale of the catastrophic extinction preserved in fish fossils from the Green River Formation in southwestern Wyoming. Kchodl’s talk will be held at 7 pm on Friday May 20 in the Gateway Building Auditorium at 3556 Lakeshore Road in Blasdell.

Admission to Dig with the Experts is $30 for the public and $25 for Penn Dixie members. Admission to the paleontology talk is $5 for the public and free for Penn Dixie members.