Fern Glen Formation Imperial, Mo

[Raistlin]

So I took a trip to the Fern glen today (first time there this year). It was a great day out and got a bit warmer that I was expecting causing me to get a bit red and on my way to dehydration (really did not plan for it to get that warm, next trip out I take a cooler of iced down water).

I found several horn corals (they are incredibly abundant there), some broken brachs and a few that might clean or prep up to be nice ones, and a few of the star shaped bryozoan (did not find a whole one still). It was beautiful there as usual and the wildlife was out which made it better. I watch swallows playing/dancing in the air as I came back with lunch and something to drink (I stayed several hours overall). I really love the place.

What I have noticed though is the litter is building up more and more. It sickens me and there is more than one person can clean up in a day. I do not know who to contact to get the land cleaned up so I came here. I know there are others who make their way to the formation to look for fossils and enjoy the scenery.

What I would like to do is set a day where those who do go there (or at least some of us) can meet and not only look for fossils but clean up some litter. Today I seen that someone dropped off a playpen behind the large rock at the entrance. It looks pretty clean and new and for some reason just tossed out in a place it does not belong.

If anyone is interested let me know and we can work on getting up there and doing something about this.

Thanks

[sward]

Robert,

Nice initiative trying to schedule a day for several people to get together and fossil hunt and clean trash. It's a shame more people don't feel like you.

You may want to consider keeping a trash bag in your fossil hunting supplies. Each time you visit, pick some of the trash up as you're leaving and take it with you. Leaving a place cleaner when you leave than when you got there is always a good thing.

[Fossildude19]

Robert,

I second Steven's comments.

Good for you, trying to get a place back in good shape.

Regards,

[Indy]

Hi Raistlin

The star shaped bryozoan ... Evactinopora

is my favorite bryozoan Click Here

A couple of pictures taken at the locality several years ago

when the site was not as overgrown and littered.

Some, of many, fossils collected at this locality ....

many years ago Link

[sward]

Hi Raistlin

The star shaped bryozoan ... Evactinopora

is my favorite bryozoan Click Here

A couple of pictures taken at the locality several years ago

when the site was not as overgrown and littered.

Some, of many, fossils collected at this locality ....

many years ago Link

Robert & Indy,

I've never been there, but it's obviously a beautiful place. I hope to visit the area soon so I'll have to be looking for it.

Robert, hopefully you'll have it all cleaned up before I get there.

[Indy]

When hunting the Fern Glen ...

I always bring jugs of water and a spray bottle.

When moist the white fossils really stand out in contrast

on the the reddish shale and matrix.

[Bullsnake]

I would happily help out, Robert. But distance is a factor. However, if you come up with something, let me know. I love road trips, and if available, will certainly consider it.

I have also made a deal with a lady who owns a vacant lot right in the middle of town with a very small, but productive outcrop on it. I pick up trash that winds up in the lot, for the privilege of collecting.

[Raistlin]

Thanks for the support all.

I do take a trash bag but can only do so much. As it is it takes me almost 2 hours to get there (about 1 1/2 hours with out MoDOT working on things and other drivers lol) so getting time to pick up trash and find time to hunt is limited. Being that it is a bit of a drive I do not make it there often.

Aside from the play pen there is one of those large orange road barrels there. I am not sure what to do with the large trash to be honest. That is another reason I come here in hopes someone else has an idea. Next time I go I am taking a bucket for all the broken glass I can find. Putting that in a trash bag does not seem to safe.

At this point the trash seems to be limited to glass, and a few large items.

Also Indy thanks for the idea of taking a spray bottle. I have been going about it the hard way and most likely missing a lot of things. Well except the horn corals. I swear the sea floor must have been covered by those things. I still have yet to find a trilobite there either and I have heard there might be sharks teeth in the gray shaley stuff but not found one of those either.

[Indy]

Robert ...

Crusher shark/fish teeth can be found there in the reddish

as well as the gray matrix. They are rare ... and often you

will only see part of the tooth exposed. Once they start to

weather out ... they quickly deteriorate when exposed to

the elements.

Here's a tooth found there in the reddish matrix ...

Prepared under magnification with a micro-abrasive unit.

Click on the picture to Magnify ... Click Here

[Raistlin]

Those are pretty cool looking and not at all what I was expecting in a sharks tooth lol.

Out of curiosity though what causes those to break down due to the elements verses other sharks teeth?

For instance I once destroyed trying to get out of stone a sharks tooth that was Mississippian in age. It was fully exposed to the weather as it was sitting on top of the rock. Unfortunately the rock was incredibly hard and I over estimated my skills at retrieving the tooth. All I have left of it besides the tiny broken bits if a photo on my phone.

[Indy]

Those are pretty cool looking and not at all what I was expecting in a sharks tooth lol.

Out of curiosity though what causes those to break down due to the elements verses other sharks teeth?

For instance I once destroyed trying to get out of stone a sharks tooth that was Mississippian in age. It was fully exposed to the weather as it was sitting on top of the rock. Unfortunately the rock was incredibly hard and I over estimated my skills at retrieving the tooth. All I have left of it besides the tiny broken bits if a photo on my phone.

The teeth here in the Mississippian are normally brittle and I seldom ever try to remove them completely from the matrix because they...as you know...will often just shatter.

Teeth here in the Mississippian and the Pennsylvanian appear to be solid...however, they are porous....meaning they will absorb moisture then expand and crack. Extended exposure to the sunlight will also aid in deterioration. This could happen in days...not months.

If you find a nice exposed tooth in matrix around here...It was only recently exposed due to weathering. In other words...the tooth was probably just below the surface before a rain and then expanded a little to pop off the matrix just above the tooth. If you found that tooth 1 month later...odds are you would have found it cracked and or fallen off the matrix in pieces.

When I find Mississippian/Pennsylvanian teeth fragments around here...It's obvious they were not fossilized after they broke apart...but deteriorated after weathering free.

I'm speaking from experience with teeth found around here in the Mississippian and Pennsylvanian limestones...and not about teeth in general from other areas of the country.

Edited May 3, 2013 by Indy

[Raistlin]

This was found in Tar Springs Sandstone. It had been exposed a long time. There was a covering of trees to keep it from direct sunlight not it still got a does of light, heat, ice, and water.

I know it had been exposed awhile because it was shown to me by others who left it there. I pedestaled the thing and everything. The rock was super hard and my inexperience at breaking the pedestal off was a failure in the worst way. the pedestal stated to chip away at the sides which caused me to make some bad choices and ended up causing complete loss of the tooth. Needless to say I am still working on getting over that one and it happened last summer.

The tooth bits that remained though after they popped lose of the sand stone did pretty much crumble to dust. I am assuming the matrix was all that held it together?

Btw have you IDed the horn corals from the Fern Glen? Do you know if there are more than one or are they all the same?

Edited May 3, 2013 by Raistlin

[Wahclella]

On 5/2/2013 at 8:28 PM, Raistlin said:

So I took a trip to the Fern glen today (first time there this year). It was a great day out and got a bit warmer that I was expecting causing me to get a bit red and on my way to dehydration (really did not plan for it to get that warm, next trip out I take a cooler of iced down water).

I found several horn corals (they are incredibly abundant there), some broken brachs and a few that might clean or prep up to be nice ones, and a few of the star shaped bryozoan (did not find a whole one still). It was beautiful there as usual and the wildlife was out which made it better. I watch swallows playing/dancing in the air as I came back with lunch and something to drink (I stayed several hours overall). I really love the place.

What I have noticed though is the litter is building up more and more. It sickens me and there is more than one person can clean up in a day. I do not know who to contact to get the land cleaned up so I came here. I know there are others who make their way to the formation to look for fossils and enjoy the scenery.

What I would like to do is set a day where those who do go there (or at least some of us) can meet and not only look for fossils but clean up some litter. Today I seen that someone dropped off a playpen behind the large rock at the entrance. It looks pretty clean and new and for some reason just tossed out in a place it does not belong.

If anyone is interested let me know and we can work on getting up there and doing something about this.

Thanks

 

[Wahclella]

Hello,  just moved here in Fenton from Oregon,  looking to go out with someone within the next month or when weather permits for Fossil and or Gem collecting. 

My cell: 360-356-8459

Steve 

Edited October 25, 2018 by Wahclella
Addition of city