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The Maryland Geological Society, a non-profit, volunteer organization dedicated to the collection, study, and display of all aspects of the geological sciences, is composed of amateur and professional fossil and mineral collectors. Membership is open to all and visitors to our meetings are always welcome!

Next MGS Meeting on Sunday, March 16th, at a New Location

MGS President Rick Smith sent the following message to club members:

Please save the date: Sunday, March 16, 2025 for our first meeting of the year, from noon until 3:00 PM. Due to the ever increasing costs of the Bowie Community Centers, we will be having our meeting at a new location - the meeting room of the Eastport Volunteer Fire Department in the Annapolis area, 914 Bay Ridge Ave, Annapolis, MD 21403. In addition to street parking, the church parking lot across the street should be available during the time of the meeting.

The theme of the meeting will be "Show & Tell". Please consider bringing a fossil or other item that is important to you and tell us the story behind it.

Thank you to Tom Newquist for making these venue arrangements for us. I will be sending out more information in a March edition of the newsletter in the very near future. I hope you are able to attend.

Cheers,
Rick Smith
President, Maryland Geological Society

WebSightings

The MGS WebSightings page gathers links to recent articles on fossils and minerals that appear on the web. Among the topics covered by recent articles: evidence that megalodon had a slimmer body shape than previously thought, and how an ancient amphibian taxon survived the end-Permian mass extinction.

Fossil Shells From the Calvert Cliffs

Pictured below is a small selection of fossil mollusk shells from the St Marys Formation (Upper Miocene) of the Calvert Cliffs.




Calendar

Sunday, March 16 - Show and Tell Theme

Meeting to be held at new location: Meeting room of the Eastport Volunteer Fire Department in the Annapolis area at 914 Bay Ridge Ave, Annapolis, MD 21403.

Links to Upcoming Shows and Events of Other Clubs

A list of some fossil and mineral clubs' shows in the eastern region of the U.S. is on the Eastern Federation of Mineralogical and Lapidary Societies' calendar.

Saturday and Sunday, March 29 and 30, 2025: Mineral Treasures and Fossil Fair presented by the Delaware Valley Paleontological Society and The Philadelphia Mineralogical Society. The fair features fossil and mineral displays, dealers, lectures, children's activities, and food. Hours are 10 AM to 5 PM on Saturday and 10 AM to 4 PM on Sunday. Venue is the Lulu Temple, 5140 Butler Pike, Plymouth Meeting, PA. There is an admission charge. For more information visit the DVPS website.

Saturday, April 19, 2025: Chesapeake Gem & Mineral Show presented by the Chesapeake Gem & Mineral Society. The fair features minerals, jewelry, gemstones, and fossils. Hours are 10 AM to 4 PM. Venue is Howard County Fairgrounds, 2210 Fairgrounds, West Friendship, MD. More information here.

About the MGS

Interested in learning some of the history of the club, who the MGS officers are, and how to join? The "About MGS" button at the top of this page provides links to pages that provide all of that information. Our meetings are an opportunity to interact with friendly and knowledgeable collectors.

Notable Quotations

Paleontologist Bretton Kent at an MGS meeting:

Amateur collectors make paleontology possible.
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