Marengo
October 21, 2008 - Teacher Workshop, Sumter County, AL
The "Fossils of the Black Belt - A Hands-On Field Workshop" was a huge success! This fossil workshop was sponsored by the Geological Survey of Alabama, The University of West Alabama, and Discovering Alabama. Approximately 35 teachers from around the South arrived bright and early in Livingston, Alabama to learn about fossils and field geology. After a morning lecture, the group visited several sites in Sumter County, including Jones Bluff beside the Tombigbee River, the Hawkins Overlook, and the Blackland Prairie Restoration Area on the UWA campus, and Jefferson. Cretaceous fossils were collected at a site where the K-T boundary is exposed. The afternoon was spent cleaning and identifying fossils, and ended with drawings for numerous door prizes. The workshop leaders were Dr. David C. Kopaska-Merkel (Geological Survey of Alabama), Dr. Andrew K. Rindsberg, Dr. Doug Wymer, and Dr. John C. Hall (all of the University of West Alabama).
February 21, 1999 - Sumter & Marengo Co, AL
Richard Thurn of the University of West Alabama led the group of 18 members on an excellent day-long field trip to several sites in Sumter and Marengo counties. He started the day inside with a showing and explanation of the various fossils in the display cases at the science building on the campus of the University. The next two stops were at roadside chalk gully formations easily accessible and illustrative of the variety of fossils in the area representing Late Cretaceous snails and oysters.
The third stop was an optional one which everyone took advantage of: a trip to Moscow Landing on the Black Warrior/Tombigbee River, site of an outcropping of the K-T boundary. The chalk on the river bank was very slippery due to the recent rains, but, with the help of Richard's "always take it along on field trips" handy-dandy rope, the attendees was able to get to descend to the river's edge and to observe the K-T boundary. They also spent time collecting fossils in the Late Cretaceous and a few fossils from the Tertiary.
The last stop also was an optional one which 8 people took advantage of: a stop at a road cut on Highway 28 in Marengo County near Jefferson, Alabama. At this site there is an outcropping of the Tertiary and farther down the road there is an outcropping of the Late Cretaceous. The interesting feature of this site is that in between the two areas, there is a good outcropping of the K-T boundary. Additional collecting was done in the Cretaceous layers with everyone finding a good variety and quantity of representative fossils.