With heavy hearts we announce the death of our colleague and friend, Paul Moretti, who passed away on March 7.
Paul began his time with Penn Dixie in 2017 as a volunteer then quickly became involved with leading school field trips and stargazing programs. His role grew to include just about everything; he was most recently involved in guiding our upcoming construction projects.
If you spoke with Paul once then you’d know about his passion for astronomy and science education. We offer our condolences to Paul’s family and friends. He will be missed.
Photo Credits: Construction images, Mark Castner. Astronomy images, Pat Crants. Tour images, Graycliff Conservancy, Explore & More, and Penn Dixie.
Penn Dixie Fossil Park & Natural Reserve is a top-ranked destination for science enthusiasts of all ages! With a mission of hands-on science education, we encourage our visitors to learn about the natural world in an outdoor setting. Our programs emphasize natural history — including geology and paleontology, ecology, and astronomy. We serve 18,000 guests annually, including many who travel across the country to dig our fossils and explore our park.
Educators are the initial connection that visitors have with Penn Dixie. Educators are responsible for introducing Penn Dixie to guests, from admission to departure. The ideal candidate is driven to provide an outstanding learning experience for visitors of all abilities and backgrounds. Educators are expected to be friendly, helpful, and consistently maintain a positive attitude despite the challenge of working outdoors with large groups of visitors. Candidates do not need a formal background in geology or paleontology, but must be willing to learn.
Please note that this position is seasonal and part-time. Priority will be given to applicants who are available from April – Septemberand are able to work weekdays during the Spring and Fall seasons.Rate of pay starting at $16.50 / hour.
Essential Functions
Provide tours for guests (various group sizes)
Demonstrate enthusiastic and welcome behavior at all times.
Greet guests, accept admissions, conduct introductions, guide guests throughout the site.
Monitor and enforce safety rules.
Ensures cleanliness and organization throughout the site, including, but not limited to, collecting, cleaning and sorting fossils, organizing gift shop merch, garbage pick up, light trail maintenance.
Provide excellent customer service and be knowledgeable in Penn Dixie’s science, history, and programming (training provided).
Explain and promote Penn Dixie programs, membership, gift shop merchandise, birthday parties, and special events.
Respond to guest needs immediately, including issues requiring first aid.
Requirements and Qualifications
Documentation of U.S. citizenship or proof of eligibility to work in the U.S.
Obtain criminal background check clearance.
Ability to work a flexible schedule including some weekends, holidays and evenings.
Knowledge or interest in science and / or education.
CPR and First Aid certifications (may be provided if employee is not currently certified)
Must have your own reliable transportation to/from work.
Experience, Skills and Personal Qualities Required
Excellent verbal and non-verbal communication skills
Friendly, positive attitude
Comfortable speaking in front of groups
Exceptional customer service skills
Detail-oriented
Reliable and punctual
Strong teamwork and collaboration skills
Physical Demands
Speaking in small and large groups
Walking and standing outdoors, sometimes for extended periods
Bending/stooping frequently
Dealing with highly variable weather conditions
Ability to lift/carry up to 40 lbs
To apply, send a resumé and cover letter to our Science Program Coordinator, Robin Sanecki, at robin@penndixie.org
Applications will be accepted through February 20th, 2026
Penn Dixie has relocated our operations office to a new location in the Village of Blasdell.
We are excited to unpack all of our boxes — there’s a lot of stuff from nearly two decades at our previous office — and thank you for your patience as we organize our new office over the next few weeks.
Please note: this is our office/mailing address only—our fossil dig site location has not changed.
New office & mailing address:
3218 Lake Shore Rd., Suite 202
Blasdell 14219
Park address (no mail): 4050 North Street, Blasdell, NY 14219
To be properly prepared for the Dig With The Experts event, there is certain equipment that is highly recommended:
Rock pick / Bricklayers hammer
1 inch masonry chisel with hand guard (do not bring wood chisels)
3-4 lb hand sledge
Work gloves
Safety glasses
Super glue for gluing broken fossils
Aluminum foil for wrapping fossils
*There will a very limited amount of tools available for rent on a first come, first serve basis*
Rock pick / Bricklayers hammer
1 inch masonry chisel with hand guard
3-4 lb hand sledge
To learn how to properly split blocks, please refer to this shale splitting tutorial specifically curated for the event:
There are safety rules that must be followed: When splitting you must wear safety glasses. Work gloves are also highly recommended. Never hit two hammers together to try to split a block. This can cause pieces of metal to shoot off the hammer. When flipping large blocks, ask for assistance from a staff member. Lastly we will have people at the event who can cut out your finds with a rock saw. Listen to any instructions they give you as the saws are dangerous.
Other recommended items to bring would be:
A sun hat
Sunscreen
Drinking water
Proper gear for the weather conditions: rain jacket, waterproof pants, etc. (make sure to check the forecast prior to the dig and dress accordingly)
Closed-toe footwear (i.e., sneakers or boots) no Crocs, sandals, flip-flops or dress shoes
Kneepads or a kneeling pad
Lunch and/or snacks
What Fossils to You May Expect To Find
Trilobites
Eldredgeops (prev. Phacops) rana is the most common trilobite we find at Penn Dixie. They can be found rolled up or prone. (click on photos for a close-up)
We have two species from the Asteropyginae family, Greenops barberi and Bellacartwrightia undes. These trilobites look very similar but have small differences. The tail spines on a bellacartwrightia are thinner and more straight than the ones on a greenops. The bellas also have axial nodes which are small spines running down the center lobe of the trilobite. (click on photos for a close-up)
Greenops trilobite; photo courtesy of Mike Meacher of Stormbed PaleontologicalTwo Bellacartwrightia trilobitesBellacartwrightia trilobite
Pseudodechenella is the rarest of the trilobites pictured. These trilobites have a defined border around the base of the tail and have much different looking cephalons (heads) than all the other trilobites. (click on photo for a close-up)
Pseudodechenella trilobite; photo courtesy of Mike Meacher of Stormbed Paleontological
Other fossils
You will also be able to find the more common fossils in the piles. Corals and brachiopods will be common within all of the rock in the piles. There are many different species of both types of fossils to be found. Crinoids can be found in the bayview commonly, calyxes, however, are uncommon. (click on photo for a close-up)
There are other more uncommon fossils that can be found. Various species of bivalves (clams) can be found in the rock There are a few types of cephalopods (ancient squid fossils) that can be found as well. 2 major genera of straight shelled cephalopods: Dolorthoceras which has a smooth shell and Spyroceras which has ridges on its shell, and curled cephalopods called goniatites—these are much rarer. You can find gastropods of different species within all of the rock as well. There is also some plant material that can be found uncommonly. (click on photo for a close-up)
Carpoids
Last spring Site Manager Jonathan Hoag and Educator James Hanna discovered a new genus and species of carpoid, an echinoderm, on site. Since then a few other specimens have been discovered. The partial specimens are usually hard to notice so pay close attention as any further discoveries could be a big deal! (click on photos for a close-up)
Nearly complete carpoid, found by James HannaPartial carpoid, found by Alasdair GilfillanPartial carpoid, found by James HannaNearly complete carpoid, found by Jonathan Hoag
The layers within the piles
This is a block of the smoke creek trilobite beds. The smoke creek layer has a healthy mix of fossils and is where most of the trilobites are found. It is also where most of the cephalopods come from. (click on photo for a close-up)
This is a piece of the Bayview coral layer. These pieces are filled with all sorts of corals, brachiopods, and crinoids. This is where we also find most of the gastropods and occasionally the crinoid calyxes.
Hello Fossil Friends! Penn Dixie, has recently relocated from our Gateway Building office to a larger office within the Town of Blasdel. We are excited to unpack all of our boxes — there’s a lot of stuff from nearly two decades at our previous office — and thank you for your patience as we organize our new office over the next few weeks.
