The NHSM Fossil Club is hosting a club-only trip to Lehigh Coal Mine in Lansford, PA, on June 7th. This site is known for its carboniferous fern and plant fossils from the Pennsylvanian Period (318-299 million years ago). The fossils will be found in spoil piles of shale, quartz crystals, and pyrite also may be found. After collecting, participants may wish to visit the No 9 Coal Mine Museum and Tour https://no9coalmine.com/.
Because this is an active coal mine, you must follow the safety requirements listed below.
We will meet in Lansford, PA, at 9:15 AM—we will leave the parking lot promptly at 9:30 AM to caravan to the collecting site, then have 3.5 hours to collect carboniferous fern and plant fossils. The meeting location will be sent to registrants upon registration.
Participants must be 18 years old or older.
The deadline for registering for this trip is May 31.
Attendees must wear:
- steel-toe boots (or sturdy all-leather hiking boots with ankle support)
- hard hat (available at Home Depot, Lowe’s, Harbor Freight, Walmart)
- eye protection
- leather gloves
You will need to bring:
- rock hammer and chisel, (putty knife optional, but useful),
- containers to put your finds in (such as drywall buckets or large roasting pans)
- wrapping material to protect finds (newspaper, bubble wrap, aluminum foil)
- bag lunch and snacks
- drinking water
- dress for the weather
- wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty with coal dust
There is no fee to fossil hunt in the coal strip mine. If you choose to take the optional No. 9 Mine Museum and Tour, there is a $15 fee (bring a light jacket or sweater to wear into the mine).
The walk from the mine’s parking area to the fossil collection area is less than one-half mile. Participants must be able to walk unassisted on rough ground.
Group size will be limited to 15 people. A waiting list will be created. The trip leader will contact people on the waiting list if spaces become available.
NHSM’s Fossil Club is a group of novice and more experienced collectors who meet to share knowledge and discuss fossil identification, fossil locations, and other fossil-related topics. Monthly meetings feature guest speakers both from within the club and from outside organizations. We also strive to schedule frequent collection trips to various locations.
An annual NHSM membership is $35 for individuals, $50 for families; Fossil Club membership is an additional $5 for individuals and $10 for families.
If you are not yet a member of NHSM, click here to join. When you join as a new member, you can add the club membership(s) of your choice to your registration. Current NHSM members who wish to join any clubs should email the Community Coordinator at rbaldwin@marylandnature.org.
