Member of the Month - January 2019 - FranzBernhard

[Kane]

With the flip of the calendar page, we find ourselves in 2019 and the start of a brand new year full of promise, plans, and possible adventure. For some of us, winter-like weather keeps us indoors to plot the season ahead, while for others it is high season in the rivers and other great hunting locations around the world. Wherever we find ourselves - in the field, the lab, or on this forum - that insuppressible feeling of newness and potentiality surges through us as we push our faces bravely into whatever this new year will bring. But with all that being said, it is also time for this year's first Member of the Month! By unanimous staff decision, this month's crown goes to: 

 

 

    FranzBernhard!;

 

Franz Bernhard has been with us since the summer of 2017 and has certainly "upped the bar" on how to report fossil trips and finds with exquisite scientific detail, field information, and some of the most professional photo documentation around here. Known for his deep knowledge of rudists, Franz Bernhard also recently brought us on a detailed virtual exploration of the Devonian Plabutsch Formation of the Eastern Alps. You might see him provide a pinpoint accurate identification, and in such a way that it is always informative and encouraging. He knows his fossils, but in a way that he wants us to know them, too. Franz Bernhard elevates our expectations, and does so in a way that shows class and style.

 

Always helpful and kind, knowledgeable and furnishing us with excellent details, let January 2019 be Franz's month to wear the crown! And, just as a small and revealing bit of evidence that speaks to his fossil wisdom and forum spirit, I recall his excellent advice about those who do not always find the eye-popping fossils that would turn heads due to their collecting locations, but are significant regardless:

 

"If you don't have access to optical really appealing fossils, you could try to make the entry a little bit educational, presenting the story the fossil tells."

 

Wise words to live by!  

 

Congratulations Sir! Wear this Crown with joy as you earned it!

 

Here is your opportunity to tell us your story - about your passion for fossils, and how you came to TFF!

 

On behalf of the staff here on TFF, congratulations!

[Manticocerasman]

Congrats Franz well deserved .

[DeepTimeIsotopes]

Well deserved! Congratulations @FranzBernhard!

[JohnJ]

Thank you, Franz!

[digit]

Huzzah! Three cheers!

 

We are blessed each month to have a great list of candidates to be singled out for this honor. @FranzBernhard has been a respected member for some time and I'm really glad that his time has come this month to kick of 2019 with a great MOTM. Franz's postings are informative and his helpful and encouraging posting style has made him a valued member and an asset to the forum. I can say that his appreciation of rudists has influenced me as I've noticed rudist displays more often in the museums I've visited lately (like the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto) and I smile and think of Franz.

 

Thanks again for adding to the diversity of knowledge contained here on the forum and for making it an inviting space.

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[Pagurus]

 

Great choice! Thank you for your interesting and informative posts. 

[The Amateur Paleontologist]

Congrats Franz!! Great job  

-Christian

[Bobby Rico]

Congratulations very well deserved  

good strat to the TFF year indeed.

[Fossildude19]

Congratulations, Franz!

I appreciate your posts here. 

Thanks for your contributions - keep it up!  

[Innocentx]

Congratulations, Franz. I very much agree with you're being chosen and with all the good things being said about you here. 

[Darktooth]

Congratulations Franz! Keep up the good work!

[Tidgy's Dad]

And he's a very friendly chap too! 

Congratulations, well deserved ! 

Happy New Year! 

[DPS Ammonite]

1 hour ago, Kane said:

“If you don't have access to optical really appealing fossils, you could try to make the entry a little bit educational, presenting the story the fossil tells."

Congratulations Frantz. You hit the nail on the head with your quote. The educational and scientific value of fossils is more important than the aesthetic or monetary value. Most of my rocks and fossils were saved because they have stories behind them (and not because they are great looking and sans provenance) that illustrate interesting geological and or paleontological principals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Miocene_Mason]

Congrats Franz! Welcome to the club!

[FranzBernhard]

First of all, I am overwhelmed being MOTM. Its absolutely and totally unexpected. And I think, I don´t deserve this, but, hey, staff has decided .

 

I am a little bit longer member of TFF as statet by Kane, about 4 years. I have lost access to my email adress in summer 2017 and the new account has been merged with the old one. But the first three years, I have only asked rather silly questions (in retrospective) and only drained data and wisdom from TFF and its members (Thanks for all your patience!). In the meantime, I feel more comfortable to comment on the one or another specimen and post some trip reports. I enjoy the open and friendly folks of TFF with all their contributions very much and I am little bit proud, that I can be a (small) part of it.

 

My interests have changed through time: Minerals --> Ores  --> Coal --> And now Fossils, since about 4 years. Due to special cirumstances, I am confined to the area around Graz, Styria, and I only very rarely visit the northern part of Styria. But this doesn´t matter, I like and try to understand, what´s around me. And some of you may already know, whats around me... Not the best of fossils, not the most of fossils - but every fossil has a story to tell. And I don´t know why I became so interested in fossils, sometimes luck just happens!

 

Happy New Year to all with lots of nice fossils and storys to be told!
Franz Bernhard

 

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

10 minutes ago, FranzBernhard said:

First of all, I am overwhelmed beeing MOTM. Its absolutely and totally unexpected. And I think, I don´t deserve this, but, hey, staff has decided .

 

I am a little bit longer member of TFF as statet by Kane, about 4 years. I have lost access to my email adress in summer 2017 and the new account has been merged with the old one. But the first three years, I have only asked rather silly questions (in retrospective) and only drained data and wisdom from TFF and its members (Thanks for all your patience!). In the meantime, I feel more comfortable to comment on the one or another specimen and post some trip reports. I enjoy the open and friendly folks of TFF with all their contributions very much and I am little bit proud, that I can be a (small) part of it.

 

My interests have changed through time: Minerals --> Ores  --> Coal --> And now Fossils, since about 4 years. Due to special cirumstances, I am confined to the area around Graz, Styria, and I only very rarely visit the northern part of Styria. But this doesn´t matter, I like and try to understand, what´s around me. And some of you may already know, whats around me... Not the best of fossils, not the most of fossils - but every fossil has a story to tell. And I don´t know why I became so interested in fossils, sometimes luck just happens!

 

Happy New Year to all with lots of nice fossils and storys to be told!
Franz Bernhard

 

 

You do deserve it. 

Your contributions are worthy and informative. 

The rudist stuff is amazing and invaluable. 

I will continue to look forward to your next posts. 

 

[FranzBernhard]

3 hours ago, Manticocerasman said:

well deserved

 

2 hours ago, UtahFossilHunter said:

Well deserved!

 

2 hours ago, JohnJ said:

Thank you

 

2 hours ago, digit said:

Thanks again for adding to the diversity of knowledge contained here on the forum and for making it an inviting space.

 

2 hours ago, Pagurus said:

Thank you for your interesting and informative posts

 

2 hours ago, The Amateur Paleontologist said:

Great job

 

2 hours ago, Bobby Rico said:

very well deserved

 

2 hours ago, Fossildude19 said:

I appreciate your posts here.

 

1 hour ago, Innocentx said:

I very much agree with you're being chosen and with all the good things being said about you here.

 

1 hour ago, Darktooth said:

Keep up the good work

 

1 hour ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

well deserved ! 

 

1 hour ago, DPS Ammonite said:

You hit the nail on the head with your quote

 

43 minutes ago, WhodamanHD said:

Welcome to the club!

Thank you very much for all your kind and encouraging words.

I still can´t believe it...

Thanks!
Franz Bernhard

[FranzBernhard]

2 minutes ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

I will continue to look forward to your next posts

You will especially like my next trip report (hopefully!) .

Franz Bernhard

[Tidgy's Dad]

5 minutes ago, FranzBernhard said:

You will especially like my next trip report (hopefully!) .

Franz Bernhard

Brachiopods! ! ! ! ! !

[ricardo]

Franz,very well deserved...  and thanks for the great trip reports

[abyssunder]

Congratulations, Franz, and thank you for your nice topics here in TFF!  You make a good work in the rudist domain and not only. Please continue!

[Monica]

Congratulations, Franz!  Like I said in an earlier post, thanks to you, rudists are becoming one of my favourite fossils to read about here in TFF 

[Ludwigia]

Congratulations, Franz. It's always good to have a neighbor on board

[Crazyhen]

Congratulations, very well deserved to be MOTM for January 2019!

[FranzBernhard]

21 hours ago, ricardo said:

thanks for the great trip reports

 

21 hours ago, abyssunder said:

thank you for your nice topics here in TFF

 

19 hours ago, Monica said:

thanks to you, rudists are becoming one of my favourite fossils to read about here in TFF

 

18 hours ago, Ludwigia said:

It's always good to have a neighbor on board

 

17 hours ago, Crazyhen said:

very well deserved

 

Thank you very much for all your kind words!

...see you in the Silurian !

Franz Bernhard