August 27, 2006 - Fossil Exhibit, Homewood Library, Jefferson Co, AL

August 27, 2006 brought a reception at the Homewood Library to celebrate our annual exhibit and gave us a chance to meet the public. Channel Six news arrived and gave us excellent coverage, including an interview with Greg. Members set up the reception and provided food and beverages (and fossils to share) and were on hand to meet, greet and answer the many questions that came our way.

The main hall held several exhibit cases filled with Alabama fossils. But what if you want to touch and hold the fossils? So in the auditorium, BPS had two tables covered with fossils that visitors could pick up and examine closely. The scanning microscope proved to be a big hit for the “close examination” part. Plenty of food added to the good time. A great video on view, “The Making of ‘Walking With Dinosaurs” was a big hit. At one point during the day, Greg gathered a crowd around him, and took off for the main exhibit hall, where he did a quick presentation regarding the exhibit. But the biggest hit of all was the sand pile outside which had been liberally salted with Alabama fossils to “discover.” Kids and grown-ups alike dug in and had fun! We were delighted at the crowds who showed up and the interest shown in the paleontology of Alabama. There was a lot of surprise expressed that Alabama has such a wide variety of fossils.

The annual exhibition and reception gives us a great opportunity each year to share our knowledge, collections and enthusiasm with the Birmingham community. Huge thanks are due to the Homewood Library for providing such a wonderful facility and helping make this all possible!

--Edited by Vicki Lais


(photos courtesy Vicki Lais)

fossil setup
Setting up the fossil tables and video. Greg (far left) was coordinator of the Exhibit.


fossils on display
Some of the fossils on display.

people checking out the fossils
Visitors examine the fossils.

food table for fossil exhibit
Carole handled food and publicity for the event, and did a super job! Thanks, Carole ! ! ! Mary Ann and Leisa also donated some home-made goodies - those trilobite cookies and brownies sure went fast, didn't they !

visiting at fossil display
Mary Ann and Carole talking with a visitor.


snacks at fossil display
And they examine the snacks even closer !

gathered around the food table at fossil display


fossils on table
More fossils on another table, and a digital microscope to get a close up look at some of the microfossils.

digitial microscope to look at fossils


people looking at microscope image fossils
Looking at images under the microscope (shown on the laptop screen).

kids finding fossils in sand pile
As interesting as it was inside, the sand pile outside was where the action was! Kids of all ages got to search for their very own fossil in the generously seeded sand box. Fossils from all over Alabama were donated by BPS members for the day's event.

kids finding fossils in sand pile
It got even more interesting when Channel 6 news showed up to see what all the fun was about!


kids finding fossils in sand pile


kids finding fossils in sand pile


kids finding fossils in sand pile
Martha, in pink, was coordinator of the sand pile activities.




asking the expert to identify a fossil
Young lady showing off her find to Jun and Sandy.

dinosaur stamp for fossil hunters
The dinosaur stamps also were a big hit!

kids hunting fossils in sand pile


kids hunting fossils in sand pile