Fossils from all over B.C. and the world were on display Saturday (March 26) at Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary.
The Victoria Palaeontology Society held its 25th Fossil Fair, showcasing a diverse range of ancient fossils from as long as 550 million years ago.
Items such as dinosaur bones, ammonites, trilobites, corals, mollusks, insects, giant palm leaves and microscopic fossils were on display for families to interact with and learn from.
Tom Cockburn from Victoria Palaeontology Society said fossils are important for their heritage and educational value and are recognized as such under provincial legislation.
“We work very closely with the scientific community. Anything that is scientifically important goes to the Royal B.C. Museum,” said Cockburn. “We got a whole collection of bones from a couple who did the right thing and brought them in to be analyzed.”
The society cooperates with professional palaeontologists undertaking research on fossils collected by researchers and the public.
“What we do in the society is teach people how to collect responsibly, how to store it and how to keep the scientific integrity so we can pass it on – when it’s really scientifically important we work to get it in the hands of a palaeontologist to find out what the fossils can teach us, ” said society member Jerri Wilkins.
To find out how you can preserve natural heritage if you come across a fossil visit gov.bc.ca/fossil-management.
ALSO READ: Scientist says amazingly preserved fossil egg shows dinosaur, bird links
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