National Fossil Day is a day to celebrate and learn about fossils, paleontology, and the history of life on Earth. It’s a day to promote scientific exploration, environmental stewardship, and fossil discovery.
 
The 2024 theme is “Celebrate Our Geologic Heritage.”
National Fossil Day is celebrated annually on the Wednesday of the second full week in October. We love fossils so much at NHSM, we are celebrating early. Join us on October 13 from 1-3 PM to learn, explore, engage, and take home fossils. Afterwards, stay for the special presentation.
Presentation, 3:15pm: Geologic History of Maryland by Martin Schmidt
 
Did you ever wonder why there are rolling hills and valleys in the area around Baltimore, but the land on the Eastern Shore is mostly very flat? What about those tilted and bent layers of rock along the sides of roads in the mountains of Western Maryland — how did they get that way? Join Martin Schmidt for a broad look at the billion-year geologic history of Maryland and the resulting geology & landforms we see today across the state.
Martin Schmidt has been teaching grades 9-12 at McDonogh School since 1978, including physics, chemistry, and geosciences over the years. He is author of the book, Maryland’s Geology, published by Schiffer Publishers, which is designed to give a basic geologic background and then apply it to the state, for students, teachers, and laymen. But besides looking down at the rocks, he’s just as watchful looking up at the weather and the stars, as he finds all of Earth science absorbing!
 
The program is free, but for planning purposes, we ask that you RSVP.
  • Everyone leaves with free fossils!
  • School Fossil Kits: Thanks to a generous donor, we have assembled classroom fossil kits that Maryland teachers are able to use in their classrooms. Nature Connections National Fossil Day is an official pick up day. Come get your free kit! One of our in-house fossil experts will be on hand to give a mandatory, brief orientation to the kits at the time of pick-up.
  • Do you have an unidentified rock or fossil? Bring it to Nature Connections for help in identification.
ABOUT NATURE CONNECTIONS: Nature Connections is a signature program offered to you by the Natural History Society of Maryland with financial support from the Citizens of Baltimore County. Programs, held on select Sundays, are free and open to the public. Each Nature Connection focuses on a different natural history topic.
 
Learn from presentations and displays from local experts and organizations • Explore specimens and artifacts from natural history collections • Hear about related citizen science projects • Talk to scientists who can answer your questions and guide your discoveries of the natural world • Enjoy games, art, crafts, stories, music, and drama for all ages