Member of the Month - September 2020 - RuMert

[Fossildude19]

Well, the seasons begin to change again. Transitioning from summer to fall always seems bittersweet, to me. Kids going back to school, via online classes or hybrid models this year, hunting seasons more than halfway over for some of those in northern climes, getting ready to begin their season in some southern climes, and the never ending cycle of seasonal weather changes that accompany this time of year. The holidays seem so close, and yet so far. 

Whatever your feelings about this time of year, we can all feel proud of our Member of the Month! By unanimous staff decision, the honor and crown go to:

 

 

        RuMert        

 

 

This month's winner has been with us since May of 2019, ...  nearly a year and a half. In that short time, RuMert has provided us with a number of fantastic trip reports, great photos of his Russian hunting grounds and finds, and his methods of travel to them. He's brought a few mysteries our way, and shown us his fossil hunting fortitude by hunting in Moscow during the winter!  

 

Always friendly, informative about his finds and trips, and helpful with identification, our hats are off to this newer yet valuable member of our international community!

Rumert, thank you for all you bring to the Forum. 

Would you like to say a few words about your journey to fossils, and the Fossil Forum ?  

[Pagurus]

 

I am thankful, Rumert, for your presence on our forum. Congratulations on all your hard-won finds, and this well-deserved recognition as member of the month. Thanks, too, for making our world just a little bit smaller. I always look forward to your interesting posts.

[JohnJ]

Congratulations!  

[Tidgy's Dad]

Congratulations! 

I also always enjoy your field reports, amazing what you can find in the middle of Moscow. 

Great finds, beautiful photos. 

Thank you. 

[FranzBernhard]

I have never posted in this kind of threads, but I am doing it now! It is just fantastic to have a Moscowian(?? - spelled right?) member in this forum. Such a highly active and passionate and informative and friendly member. I have never dreamed of such lovely fossils from downtown Moscow itself and that is possible to collect them freely. And that there is a man who brings them in a fascinating and addicting fashion to the rest of the world. Congrats and thanks for all of what you have done for all of us. Well, for the whole world, because your content is freely available to everyone with internet connection. .
Franz Bernhard

[Praefectus]

Congratulations!

 

[connorp]

Congrats!!!

[RuMert]

Wow, totally unexpected Thanks a lot, it's an honor and pleasure being with all of you. A great forum and fantastic community!

[FossilDAWG]

Congratulations and well deserved!  Your informative posts are always a treat, I almost feel as if I am with you in the field.

 

Don

[FossilsAnonymous]

Congratulations!

[Mark Kmiecik]

Congratulations!

[RuMert]

9 hours ago, Fossildude19 said:

Would you like to say a few words about your journey to fossils, and the Fossil Forum ?

I got acquainted with the world of fossils when I was like 14 and was for sure carried away. My father bought me a copy of a Czech fossil encyclopedia full of Zdeněk Burian's paintings, somewhat outdated today, but very atmospheric. I was also lucky to spend a few vacations near the best Jurassic site, Volgian stage stratotype in the Ulyanovsk region,where you could casually stumble on an ichthyosaur vert or a nice ammonite (of course I didn't know about its significance then). I gathered a small collection with emphasis on marine reptile remains, this collection thanks God survived through decades. My professional life was far from natural sciences, but I always valued the knowledge they grant. A couple of years ago I sorted out the small collection of mine and decided to visit the Volga site once again. It was basically a recovery of a part of myself:)  Since then I made quite a progress in understanding the Late Jurassic and paleontology in general and was convinced the evolution mechanisms were very much applicable to the social life (social systems' development and change, etc). That's why in my opinion paleontology is so important.

 

When I came back to fossil hunting, I started searching for forums and found TFF. In my opinion it's the best hobby and popular science forum in general, let alone paleontological. Very friendly and polite atmosphere, deep knowledge of many members, mature people everywhere. I've never seen long senseless quarrels between members, ridiculous behavior based on illusory superiority, a novice humiliated or a simple question unanswered. It's great the forum unites people from all over the world in a truly internationalist spirit, which is especially important today. I'd like to thank the community and the admins for their hard work and fantastic atmosphere we all enjoy here.

8 hours ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

amazing what you can find in the middle of Moscow. 

I was surprised too, as I was sure good fossils could only be found in remote locations. Finding them in urban environment is always thrilling

8 hours ago, FranzBernhard said:

I have never posted in this kind of threads, but I am doing it now! It is just fantastic to have a Moscowian(?? - spelled right?) member in this forum

Thank you for your kind words, it means a lot. That's how it's called in Russian, if you ever wondered:)

7 hours ago, FossilDAWG said:

I almost feel as if I am with you in the field.

Thank you! That's what I try to achieve in my reports:)

[hokietech96]

Congratulations!

[rand95]

Congrats.

[DPS Ammonite]

Congratulations RuMert. It is wonderful to be able to talk to people from around the world on our favorite subject without most the problems of censorship and hard feelings that occur with other topics such as politics and religion. If you don’t listen to the media, most people have a lot in common. 
 

By the way, in English we refer to a person from Moscow as a Muscovite, the same name as the mica mineral. @FranzBernhard I am willing to bet that there are other demonyms that have the same same as a mineral or rock since both often end in “ite”. I just found another: Dallasite.

Edited September 2, 2020 by DPS Ammonite

[Troodon]

Congratulations, thank you for your support of the forum

[Mike from North Queensland]

Congratulations 

[Coco]

Hi,

 

Congrats RuMert !

 

The narration of your huntings are alive and ... exotic. It is a pleasure to read you from the end of the world !

 

Coco

[minnbuckeye]

Glad to see the award given to you, RuMert. Well deserved!! Keep your fossil excursions coming. They are so enjoyable to read.

  

Mike

[jcbshark]

Congrats and thanks for all you do, I love your trip reports 

[RuMert]

Thank you all for your kind words!

By the way, finding fossils in the city doesn't mean I'm somehow restricted and can't visit remote locations. The sites I show are well-known and thoroughly described in literature. They could have been more numerous, but unfortunately in the past decade we've lost several highly productive sites in the region due to urban development. Most Upper Jurassic fossil layers are accessible in the city or its vicinity. Only Volga sites are better, but their productivity is hindered by the river lever which is nearly always too high. I hope there will be a water level window in a month and I'll be finally able to see what is happening there.

[minnbuckeye]

47 minutes ago, RuMert said:

By the way, finding fossils in the city doesn't mean I'm somehow restricted and can't visit remote locations

  

Showing fossil finds within city limits offer a unique perspective that most of our children don't envision. They see shows depicting stereotypical views of fossil sites, far removed from their lives. Your posts hopefully will show our youth, fossils are really just under their feet, even in cities. If only they look!!   

  

Mike

[RuMert]

Let's hope so Children do try to find fossils everywhere, but their parents are usually too worried to let them go in expeditions. I've seen even adults accompanied by their parents because on their own they could just fall in water or something. The best thing for children is knowledge again, somebody should advise them to search forums and literature 1st

[digit]

Congrats! Thanks for being Our Man in Moscow to open up a window into an area that most of us will never see (nor collect).

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[Darbi]

Congrats, @RuMert!