Re: Avocational micropaleontologists

[Elizabeth Nesbitt <lnesbitt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

P.S. we've also have micro-paleo workshops for our Northwest Paleo
Association, that fill up immediately, and include a number of teachers.
We are in the process of designing an in-house micropaleo unit for
visiting school groups when our new exhibits open in November.

Liz Nesbitt
Curator, Geology Division
Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
Box 353010, University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195-3010

On Wed, 27 Aug 1997, Jere H. Lipps wrote:

> Andrew is right--I've never met an avocational micropaleontologist either,
> although there were great ones in the past.  Some museums have had amateurs
> come in and pick forams, however.  This is not the same as doing
> voluntarily at home, but it demonstrates some interest out there.
> 
> I was very surprized when someone proposed for our Forams '94 meeting in
> Berkeley that we have a special session for teachers.  I said it was a
> waste of time, since I assumed teachers would know nothing.  Boy, was I
> wrong.  Teachers came, they loved looking at forams brought by Bill Sliter,
> Karen Wetmore, Jim Ingle and myself, and they appreciated the lectures and
> discussions.  They especially enjoyed meeting micropaleontologists from
> other countries--Japan, Germany, Philippines, Texas, France, etc.
> 
> I was wrong, and microfossils have since been incorporated into teacher
> workshops we've done at AGU (San Fran.) GSA (Denver) and other places.
> 
> Don't give up--I think we're getting someplace.  And the teachers really
> were impressed that you could do so much more with forams than with
> dinosaurs.  They just didn't know!
> 
> Jere
> 
> 
>