Natural History Society of Maryland
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Natural History Society of Maryland

Fossil Trip: Stratford Cliffs, with John Nance

  • 06 Nov 2016
  • 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
  • Stratford Cliffs / Stratford Hall Plantation 483 Great House Road, Montross, VA 22520, Montross, VA
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Registration

  • Sunday, November 6, 2016
    10:00 AM

    Stratford Cliffs / Stratford Hall Plantation
    483 Great House Road, Montross, VA 22520, Montross, VA (edit map)

    Directions and exact meeting spot will be given to participants closer to event date.
    The Calvert Formation cliffs along the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River rank among the most important fossil research sites in the Mid-Atlantic region. Fossils found here are composed of compacted marine plant and animal matter dating from the Miocene Epoch–approximately 17 to 10 million years ago.

    But most of the land along the shoreline is privately owned, and public access is severely limited. We’re pleased that John Nance, Paleontology Collections Manager for Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons, Maryland, will lead field trips to two outstanding locations.

    Field Trip #2:

    On this field trip we’ll visit a different section of the outstanding Calvert Formation: We’ll hunt for fossils at Stratford Cliffs, Virginia (on the south side of the Potomac River, adjacent to Westmoreland State Park. This property was the plantation home of four generations of the Lee family. The estate encompasses 1900 acres of farmlands and forests on a high bluff overlooking the Potomac River. Fossilized remains found at this site indicate a sea filled with primitive shark-toothed porpoises, salt-water crocodiles, sea cows, gopher turtles, rays, whales and sharks. Thousands of shark teeth found along this area attest to the frequency of the sharks, largest among them being Carcharodon megalodon, or Giant White Shark, with teeth measuring 7 inches or more.

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The Calvert Formation cliffs along the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River rank among the most important fossil research sites in the Mid-Atlantic region. Fossils found here are composed of compacted marine plant and animal matter dating from the Miocene Epoch–approximately 17 to 10 million years ago.

But most of the land along the shoreline is privately owned, and public access is severely limited. We’re pleased that John Nance, Paleontology Collections Manager for Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons, Maryland, will lead field trips to two outstanding locations.

Field Trip #2:

On this field trip we’ll visit a different section of the outstanding Calvert Formation: We’ll hunt for fossils at Stratford Cliffs, Virginia (on the south side of the Potomac River, adjacent to Westmoreland State Park. This property was the plantation home of four generations of the Lee family. The estate encompasses 1900 acres of farmlands and forests on a high bluff overlooking the Potomac River. Fossilized remains found at this site indicate a sea filled with primitive shark-toothed porpoises, salt-water crocodiles, sea cows, gopher turtles, rays, whales and sharks. Thousands of shark teeth found along this area attest to the frequency of the sharks, largest among them being Carcharodon megalodon, or Giant White Shark, with teeth measuring 7 inches or more.

The Natural History Society of Maryland is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation and contributions are tax-deductible.

The mission of the Natural History Society of Maryland is to foster stewardship of Maryland’s natural heritage by conserving its natural history collections, educating its citizenry, and inspiring its youth to pursue careers in the natural sciences.


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