Looking for Big Brook NJ advice

[mzkleen]

I was supposed to go on a guided trip to Big Brook yesterday, but heavy overnight rain and flash flood warnings caused the group to cancel the trip. Bummer. Anyway, I am looking for advice on what equipment I should take along, minimal is best, and different locations along the Brook. Thank you!

[Jeffrey P]

You should check the Fossils of New Jersey website for advice about equipment for collecting from the Cretaceous streams of New Jersey. You will need a hand shovel and sift with quarter inch mesh is best. I've seen people using kitchen strainers. There are rules in Big Brook Park on the size of shovel and sift allowed. You might also consider Ramanessin Brook which is in Holmdel. You can access by a trail located on Middletown Road across from the elementary school. Familiarize yourself well with the fossils you might potentially find. Shark teeth, which are fairly common, are relatively easy to recognize, but there's a host of other fossils present which are easy to overlook. Last year I found a dinosaur tooth there and 99% of people probably would have tossed it not realizing what it was. 

[erose]

Yes, something to sift the gravel thru. 1/4" mesh is a good size. You might miss some tiny teeth but you won't have as much pea gravel to lift or sort.  I carried a smaller screen and used it when I was noticing smaller teeth. You can also lay a piece of window screen over the larger mesh.

 

No big shovels allowed at BB but you only need a small one or anything to scoop gravel into the sieve. Too much in each sieve  and you'll be aching at the end of the day.  Ziplocks or plastic boxes for the fossils and labels and you are good to go.

 

Keep in mind that to do well you need to get in the water. So shoes for wading in mud and gravel, a towel and maybe some extra water to wash up, and a change of clothes shoes for the ride home. Pack a picnic and whatever else you need for a day outdoors.

[Andy B]

I carry all my gear and snacks in a home depot bucket with a lid. Everything fits except for my sifter. When I get sore in the back its nice to be able to sit on the bucket on a sand bar or muddy bank while I pick through the gravel I've scooped.

[Craig]

I like to bring 2 buckets. One with a lid for your "keep dry" gear and to sit on while going through your sifter and the other to set your sifter on while going through. The bucket I use for the sifter has 1/2" holes throughout so it doesn't want to float if you're sitting in the water while sifting. It also drains the water yet collects the material that passes through my 1/4" or 3/8" screen for finding micros at home.That bucket also has a rope handle so I can stack the buckets and haul them on my shovel over my shoulder. 

[Masp]

A backpack could never hurt for stuff like:

 

- snacks

- change of clothes and shoes

- water (tends to get very hot during the day this time of year)

- bug spray (the bugs can get annoying. Not so convenient when you’re trying to find fossils and you gotta fight off the insects). 

 

Put any other small things you need, but when it comes down to it, all you really need is a sifter, a garden trowl, boots, and a bucket for your fossils. 

[goatinformationist]

Or start out on the right foot with KFC buckets...  dark meat is better on wet days for some reason.  Eat up, hydrate and have a great day.