Delaware Valley Paleontological Society
(DVPS)
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Who We Are
The Delaware Valley Paleontological Society is a nonprofit educational organization chartered in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. We are a diverse group of people, ranging from amateurs to avocational and professional paleontologists brought together by our uncommon common interest.
Benefits Of Membership
Newsletter
The Delaware Valley Paleontological Society Newsletter is published ten times each fiscal year, September through June. The newsletter covers the activities of the Society as well as other items that might be of interest to our members. Items such as Upcoming Events, a list of local shows and happenings related to paleontology, Dig This, reports of news items in paleontology, Field Trip Schedule, and Field Trip Reports. There is also the occasional article from guest writers. Members are always encouraged to submit material they would like to share.
Monthly Meetings
Meetings are generally held on the fourth Thursday of each month from September through June in the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We kick-off the meeting with an update of Society business by Officers and Committee Chairs. Then we sit back and enjoy our guest speaker for the evening. Guest speakers range from amateur members to notable people in the field. Here’s a brief recap of some of our past guest speakers.
Field Trips
The DVPS takes to the field on a regular basis, visiting sites throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, and Canada.
Website
www.dvps.org is our web address. You will find up-to-date information about the club as well as recent photos from field trips, member finds, and world class fossils. In addition there are field trip reports and links to recent news of interest to fossil enthusiasts. The website is a work in progress and we are constantly making changes to make the site more interesting and relevant to our members.
Fossil Fair
Fossil Fair is our annual fund raising and community outreach event. Proceeds from Fossil Fair help to support our scholarships and grants program, as well as the ongoing activities of the DVPS. A lot of effort goes into making Fossil Fair a success. Funds are raised through the sales of fossils and other related items at our sales table and also by way of our food concessions. The exhibit area gives members the opportunity to publicly display their collections. There’s also children’s activities including a fossil dig, and the kids get to keep what they find. Donations of fossils, paleo-related items, and food, are vital to the success of this event.
The Mosasaur
The DVPS publishes a scientific, peer-reviewed journal, The Mosasaur, on an occasional basis. It contains articles on fossils and geology related topics, especially those of local interest. The editors of the journal welcome contributions from amateur paleontologists as well as those from professionals in the field, publishing articles of interest to all.
Paul Bond
Scholarship Fund
The Fund was established by the DVPS in 1994 in to provide a scholarship to graduate students actively pursuing a master’s degree or a doctorate in paleontology in the Delaware Valley region. It is named in memory of Paul N. Bond to honor his commitment to the study of paleontology and the respect in which he was held by all who knew him. Paul was a charter member of the society, served on the board of directors and also as a past Vice-President. He was an inspiration to us all.
Grants
Friends of the New Jersey State Museum – For the Inversand Excavation http://njstatemuseum.blogspot.com/2011/06/njsm-paleontologists-leading-major.html
The DVPS awards grants at the discretion of the Officers.
History of the
DVPS -Milestones/Events
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June
1977 |
Fossil
enthusiasts meet at Academy of Natural Sciences (Phila.,
Pa.) to discuss forming a group. |
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August
1978 |
Notification
of first meeting sent out to museum members and fossil enthusiasts. |
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Sept.
1978 |
First
meeting held at Academy of Natural Sciences (Phila.,
Pa.). |
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January
1979 |
First
slate of officers elected. |
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June
1979 |
First
overnight fossil collecting trip (Madison County, NY) |
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1980 |
First
Fossil Fair was held at Academy of Natural Sciences (Phila.,
Pa.) |
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1981 |
DVPS
incorporated as a non-profit entity. |
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May
1981 |
DVPS
newsletter contains masthead of skeleton of Mosasaur |
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Nov.
1981 |
First
trip to North Carolina's Lee Creek Mine was made. |
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1981-82 |
Concept
of a DVPS Journal formulated. |
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1982 |
Mosasaur Volume I published. |
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1983 |
DVPS
makes first contribution to paleontological endeavor (Dodson's dinosaur). |
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1984 |
Mosasaur Volume II. |
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1985 |
Joint
trip with Calvert Marine Museum to Swatara Gap, Pa. |
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1986 |
Mosasaur Volume III |
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1988 |
10th
Year, 5 Presidents to date, 8th Annual Fossil Fair |
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1989 |
Field
trips expand into Florida and Nebraska; Mosasaur IV
published. |
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1991-93 |
Paul
Bond Scholarship fund established; Philadelphia Foundation manages funds. |
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1994-96 |
Mosasaur V and VI published. |
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1997 |
The first Paul Bond Scholarship is awarded to Joshua B. Smith – University of Pennsylvania |
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1997 |
Field
trips expand to Buffalo, NY. |
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1997 |
DVPS
website established. |
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1998 |
Paul
Bond Scholarships is awarded to Katherine L. Davis and Allison R. Tumarkin – University of Delaware |
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March
1999 |
20th
Anniversary dinner held in Horsham, Pa. (Lifetime Achievement Award to
Courtney Rockefeller) |
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2000 |
Paul
Bond Scholarship is awarded to David B. Cassenti –
Rutgers University |
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April
2001 |
Annual
Fossil Fair moves to Plymouth Meeting location. (co-sponsor Philadelphia
Mineralogical Society) |
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2001 |
Paul Bond Scholarship is awarded to William E. Gottobrio – Bryn Mawr College |
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2001-02 |
Field
Trips expand across Canada (Niagara Falls area, north of Toronto) |
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2002 |
Paul Bond Scholarship is awarded to Matthew C. Lamanna – University of Pennsylvania |
|
March
2003 |
25th
Anniversary Dinner held in Horsham, Pa, (Lifetime Achievement Award to Ron Tillis)(speakers P. Larson and K. Donnan
presented Rex Appeal, The Amazing Story of Sue.) |
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2003 |
Paul Bond Scholarship is awarded to Merrilee F. Geunther – University of Pennsylvania |
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2004 |
Mosasaur VII published |
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2004 |
Paul Bond Scholarship is awarded to Doreena M. Patrick - University of Pennsylvania |
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2005 |
Continued
success with Field trips into Canada |
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2006 |
Paul Bond Scholarship is awarded to Domenic D’Amore – Rutgers University |
|
2006 |
Joint
trips with Central Pa Mineral Club |
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2006 |
New
trips to New Jersey creek beds |
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2006 |
Fern sites
in Pa revisited (St. Clair) |
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2007 |
Trip
to Fruitville Pike Quarry, Lancaster County |
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2007 |
New
trip to Shamokin, Pa area (ferns, tree trunks) |
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2007 |
Joint
trip with Calvert Marine Museum Club to PA fern sites |
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2007 |
New
trip to New Jersey creek sites (Ramanessin Township
Park) |
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2008 |
Call
for papers for Mosasaur VIII |
| 2008 | Revised DVPS Bylaws approved by DVPS Executive Board |
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2008 |
Joint
trips with Delaware Mineralogical Society to Red Hill, Pa |
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2008 |
Paul
Bond Scholarship is awarded to Emma Schachner –
University of Pennsylvania |
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2009 |
Joint
trip with Calvert Marine Museum to scientists Cliffs, Md. |
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2009 |
Ken
Shuck elected President |
Past Presidents: William Gallagher, Courtney Rockefeller, Earle Spamer, Sidney Hostetter, Vince O’Donnell, Mike Keklak, Paul Lazar, Robert Kline, Larry Decina, Ron Tillis, Donald Miller, Ken Shuck
Have a question for DVPS? Click the link to e-mail us.
This
website was created by Erik Grobelny and maintained
by James DuHadaway.
All information or images disclosed herein are copyright © of the Delaware
Valley Paleontological Society,
or are copyright © of their respective owners.