It s not hard to find rock stars in northwest Ohio. You just have to know where to look.
You look at one rock and it s bland.
Another has ridges or its shape is different, or its color or size, explains 10-year-old Ben Holman, one of about 50 people under a cerulean sky on a recent Sunday afternoon in Fossil Park, 5702 Centennial Rd., just south of Mayberry Square. Digging into silica shale in this former quarry in Sylvania Township with sticks, handles of old toothbrushes, or their bare hands, they re looking for remnants of sea creatures that lived some 375 million years ago.
The rock stars they stalk are called crinoids, trilobites, braciopods, bryozoans, gastropods, and horn coral.
This is what we do on our vacations, says Ben s mother, Jackie Holman, holding a small plastic food container in which she s placed her finds. She and her husband, Matt, a geologist, and their three children have stopped for a dig on their way home to suburban Houston from a family reunion in Battle Creek, Mich.
They re not the park s only out-of-town visitors on this postcard of a day. The people scattered around the site include Brian and Josh Dyzak of Los Angeles, accompanied by relatives from Swanton; the Danckaert family of Annapolis, Md., on their way home from a vacation in Michigan; the Geierman family on a day trip from Southgate, Mich., and the Gardenours from Butler, Ind.
Only about one-quarter of the visitors are from Lucas County, says Gary Madrzykowski, director of the Olander Park System, which operates the 7-year-old park. The rest are from throughout Ohio and the nation and the world all 50 states, England, Germany, France, Japan, China, South Africa, Jordan, Russia, Israel. ... If you re a fossil person, this is a must stop.
The site has an assortment of marine fossils that is somewhat rare, says Mark Camp, an associate professor of geology at the University of Toledo. Visitors just might find rare trilobites, shrimp-like organisms, and fish remains in addition to plentiful braciopods.
Many of the fossils are complete, adds Mr. Madrzykowski. They not only tend not to be broken, but they re very big, from a quarter to a half-dollar in size to larger than that.
An estimated 18,000 to 20,000 people visit annually. Fossil Park (www.olanderpk.com, 419-882-8313) is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays, through Oct. 19. Admission is free.
Hanson Aggregates, which owns the site and first proposed creating a public fossilhunting park, provides fresh supplies of shale to the park system monthly from its nearby quarry.
There s no money being exchanged.
Our focus was community service and to promote earth science education, explains Ron Tipton, Hanson vice president.
This silica shale unit has such a huge abundance of fossils that anybody can get instant gratification, Mr. Tipton says.
Also plentiful is pyrite fool s gold.
Park visitors aren t allowed to bring any digging equipment like hammers or chisels. They don t need them, anyway: The shale breaks easily with your hands.
In fact, the softer the touch, the better, says ranger Drew Titkemeier.
The more force you use, the less chance you have of keeping anything intact.
Another tip comes from Laurie Dzyak of Swanton, a frequent visitor.
We ve learned that the best time to come is after a rain, she says, because dust washes away, and things are right on top. We have found whole shells.
She and her husband, Mike, and daughters, Melanie and Katie, bring beach buckets to hold their treasures, old toothbrushes to loosen the shale, and paintbrushes to whisk the specimens clean. They also suggest bringing a mat to sit on and something to wipe your hands off when you re done.
But some would contend that getting grungy is part of the fun.
There s something about digging in dirt that brings out the kid in you, Mr. Madrzykowski observes.
Contact Ann Weber at:
aweber@theblade.com
or 419-724-6126.
First Published July 13, 2008, 10:40 a.m.
