Requesting help with fossil exhibit

[philipsmithwv]

Hello,

 

I am the executive director of the West Virginia Botanic Garden in Morgantown. Since my undergraduate paleobotany class I took long ago, I've had an interest in local fossils and the natural history story they tell. Of course, West Virginia is known for coal, but I've long wanted to tell a richer story of the state's underground forests at the state's flagship public garden. We do not have an indoor space for an exhibit, which makes development more difficult. It has to be designed to face the elements and secure fossil artifacts so they don't get stolen. Thanks to a small grant, I'm finally able to get moving on production of a custom panel with locked shadow boxes. I couldn't be more excited! 

 

The panel will be 6' wide by about 3' tall mounted to posts. As I said, there will be 8x8" shadow boxes made of aluminum attached to the back. An acrylic window at the front and on the top will allow light in. Each box will be lockable. All fossils will come from my personal collection. Even though a couple of the specimens are not ideal, I can easily replace them when I find better pieces. 

 

Now, here is where you all come in! As I said, I only had one undergrad course. With that and a handful of books, I know enough to seem like I know what I'm talking about. But I'm humble and am nervous about putting my draft into production where tens of thousands of visitors will see potentially incorrect information. I have sent the draft panel to public agency officials and some local university folks, but have not heard anything back. In trying to get this thing done sooner rather than later, I could really use some critical editing help!!! You won't hurt my feelings. I'm a little reluctant to just post the draft panel image up here for fear of a mountain of possibly conflicting advice, but perhaps that's the best way to do this. 

 

My education director helped with the draft since she has expertise in interpretive signage, but she can't help with the substantive content. The gray areas are where the windows will be. I have something that will represent each of the areas. My Sigillaria fossils are pretty awful and I'm not 100% certain any of them are actually of that, but I'll augment it by putting one of my good Stigmaria pieces in with it instead of over with Lepidodendron. My only trilobyte is like 1/2" big, so the animal display will probably have a nice crinoid and a really nice Lithostrotionella piece. (Note: images were purchased legally)

 

Fire away!

 

 

Edited March 6, 2023 by philipsmithwv

[FranzBernhard]

Wow!

The layout is simply - great! Congrats!

Just one small suggestion: What do you think about a slightly bluish background for the Undersea Animals? But I totally understand the grey background also.

Franz Bernhard

[rocket]

well done, love the way you did!

Cannot say much to the plants, but found one mistake. Under the pic with the ancient life your wrote "Trilobytes", should be renamed to "Trilobites"

[Mark Kmiecik]

[Ludwigia]

Well done in my opinion. I've nothing to add to what my colleagues have already mentioned. There is certainly no incorrect information here.

[rocket]

have you thought about to give it free for download with a QR-Code? Space enough to place on the panel.

Often see them on displays and posters going to the website of the University or Museum or to the pic for downloading them

[philipsmithwv]

Great feedback so far! Thank you. 

[DPS Ammonite]

Kudos.

 

Philip, have you considered incorporating labeled West Virginia rocks into your outdoor plant displays? Local large rocks too big to “walk away” or smaller ones set into cement could be labeled like your plants.

Plants often are associated with certain rock types. The botanical garden in Berkeley, California imported Sierra Nevadan granite for their Sierra Nevada plants and serpentinite for their plants that selectively grow on those rocks.

 

You might be able to source larger rocks from highway/infrastructure construction projects in the state.

[philipsmithwv]

That could certainly be considered. There will be some challenges to overcome, but I like the idea. 

 

One thing I'm excited to add to this exhibit if it works out is a large stump fossil. The state geological survey said they may have one that a coal operator has offered to donate. All I have to do is find funding to have it transported and set. So far, easier said than done. I'm still waiting on a formal agreement, but hopeful! 

 

The exhibit will be placed adjacent a large growth of club mosses. I'm also going to plant a couple of Ginkgo trees nearby that can be incorporated into mini-talks from docent tour guides at the exhibit. 

 

###

 

On the exhibit text. I think I might add a sentence about there being true spore ferns present as well. Also, I should probably include something about other form genera on Calamites since I might put an Annularia fossil in the display. The problem with that is form genera is a whole new concept for a lot of people and can be difficult to explain at a 5th grade level. This is why I ask for advice on the subject! 

Edited March 6, 2023 by philipsmithwv

[ScottBlooded]

Hey this is great stuff, love to see a fellow West Virginian on here. You’ll have to both post on here when it’s done (or work in progress stuff of course) and let me know where in Morgantown it is so I can take my kid someday. Also if you’re in need of any specific fossils and I’ve got it to spare, I have a lot of different WV fossils, mainly from eastern panhandle and always like donating to a good cause. These are primarily trilobites and brachiopods but I’ve got a few other odds and ends.

[Adam86cucv]

Definitely keep us updated on the progress of this.  My mother's family is from Preston county, so a detour out to Morgantown when out that way visiting family would be cool.