Fletcher Posted June 15, 2016 Share Posted June 15, 2016 I'm hoping to be able to visit Quarry Hill Nature Center in Rochester, MN sometime soon, and I was wondering if anyone here has been there and what your thoughts on it are; where are the best places to go for fossils, what should I expect to find, are most fossils loose or should I bring more equipment, etc. The nature center's website has some information but you never know how genuine that is until you get there... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnbuckeye Posted June 15, 2016 Share Posted June 15, 2016 (edited) Hello Fletcher. I was surprised to see Quarry Hill mentioned on TFF. It is a wonderful local nature center that I used to do fossil projects for. Unfortunately the decision making for this center is left to an unseen board instead of the employees you meet.. So it has been very frustrating for me trying to work with Quarry Hill, never seeming to get answers to your questions. I have since donated many of my findings to a park 5 miles west of Rochester, Oxbow Park/ Zollman Zoo where I can meet with the naturalist and make decisions one on one. Just got finished with a fossil piece that was included in an auction to raise $ for the park. Anyways, I am a little off subject. When are you coming to Rochester and for how long? The city itself is full of fossils. The area I live in is the "driftless area" meaning no (actually a very little) glaciation occurred so Ordovician rock is just under one's feet. Not all Ordovician rock is productive for fossils, but much of it is. Our topography is hilly so plenty of good road cuts exist. How far are you willing to travel to hunt? My favorite spots are to the SE of Rochester. Here is a project that I created 2 years ago to give to Quarry Hill. Since the board could not make a decision in accepting this, I gave it to Bev (her fossil forum name).She does educational projects for the community. Check out her web site.These fossils were all collected within Rochester City limits as a way to show children living in the city that there is opportunity for them if they just get out and look. Edited June 15, 2016 by minnbuckeye Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fletcher Posted June 15, 2016 Author Share Posted June 15, 2016 Nifty! I'm not sure when I'll be heading down there yet, and it's likely just going to be a day trip to the nature center itself; I'm going to be visiting with family and I'm the only one who's really into fossils, so I don't know if I'll be able to talk them into looking for roadcuts or not! I'll definitely try, though... We probably won't be traveling far from the nature center, so if you know of any specific areas around Quarry Hill that are good for fossils & that you would be willing to share, that would be awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnbuckeye Posted June 16, 2016 Share Posted June 16, 2016 (edited) Will message you with 10 spots in Rochester. If you want me to show you around or desire a trip further out in the country, let me know. Otherwise have a GREAT hunt and let me know what you find. Are you from Rochester? Edited June 16, 2016 by minnbuckeye Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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