Fossil hunt

I went on a field trip with Emma's 5th grade to the Lilydale Brickyards on Friday. It was the same field trip that I took in 5th grade--probably one of the highlights of my educational career.


The Brickyards aren't functioning brickyards anymore--it's a state park near the Mississippi that contains huge fossil beds. It's amazing how many fossils are in this park...like walking on a beach full of shells, they are just everywhere and it doesn't take much to dig in a little clay and find a trilobite or coral or shell.


I was chaperone to 5 kids--we named ourselves "Team Sponge". It was a miracle no one wandered off and fell into the river because this park is truly a maze of paths, bushes, and cliffs. Thankfully I could whoop "TEAM SPONGE, FALL IN!" and the kids would immediate gather around. (I don't think we were as responsive in 5th grade on a field trip?) Anyway, the thrill the kids got from finding these ancient rocks brought it all back for me. I hope they hold the memory of the day as I have.

Emma and her teacher, Karen Swanson