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)
Setting up the fossil tables and video. Greg (far left) was coordinator of the Exhibit.
Some of the fossils on display.
Visitors examine the fossils.
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 !
Mary Ann and Carole talking with a visitor.
And they examine the snacks even closer !
More fossils on another table, and a digital microscope to get a close up look at some of the microfossils.
Looking at images under the microscope (shown on the laptop screen).
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.
It got even more interesting when Channel 6 news showed up to see what all the fun was about!
Martha, in pink, was coordinator of the sand pile activities.
Young lady showing off her find to Jun and Sandy.
The dinosaur stamps also were a big hit!
