Clearwater Nature Center Earthcache EarthCache
Hidden : 5/24/2011
Difficulty:
1 out of 5
Terrain:
1 out of 5

Size: Size: not chosen (not chosen)

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Geocache Description:

The Zombie Horde are members of the Maryland Geocaching Society.

This Earthcache is Handicap Accessible and can be completed outside the building.

To begin a fossil can belong to one of two categories:

* Type I-the remains of the dead animal or plant or the imprint left from the remains.

* Type II- something that was made by the animal or plant while it was living, like a footprint or a burrow or its poop (coprolite)!

Type I Fossils include bones, teeth, skin impressions, hair, the hardened shell of an ancient invertebrate (an animal without a backbone) like a trilobite or an ammonite, or the impression of an animal or plant, even if the actual parts are missing.
Type I fossils can be the actual thing that it once was, like a piece of bone or hair or feather. More often the bone material is replaced by different minerals contained in the liquid of the sediments that buried it. What was once bone is now some sort of crystal. This process also takes place with shells, exoskeletons and wood. If the spaces in the bone are filled with liquid minerals which later harden it is called Permineralization. Sometimes the organic material is dissolved by the mineral-laden water. The process happens so slowly that each cell is dissolved and replaced by a particular liquid mineral before it hardens. This is called petrification. In petrification, every detail down to the cellular level is duplicated in the minerals. Type I fossils can also be molds or casts of the original animal or plant part. If the original organism decays, leaving an imprint and an empty space, it is called an exterior mold or simply a mold. If a space in the structure is filled with minerals and then the original animal or plant part dissolves, it is called a cast. There are many ways that fossils are formed. Freezing, drying, carbonization, and Permineralization are some of the processes that create fossils.

The posted coordinates will take you the closest parking.

To earn credit for this Earthcache: Make your way towards the ramps to the main building (handicap accessible) and read the different signs with information and email the answers the following questions:

1) Name two kinds of fossils that could be found in this area from the Miocene Period.

2) Look at the fossils at the coordinates, and using the photos and information on the nearby sign, tell me are they Type I or Type II fossils?

3) Based on information on a nearby sign, what is the name of a nearby eroded valley? ________ Cliffs

4) Decomposers such as _______ and ________ participate in the process of breaking down falling trees, leaves, and the waste of animals and returning nutrients to the soil.

5) (Optional) Please post a picture of yourself or a picture of the nearby Nature Center / woodland area.

Clearwater Nature Center 11000 Thrift Road
Clinton, MD 20735
301-297-4575; TTY: 301-699-2544

Hours of Operation:
Monday - Saturday, 8:30am - 5 pm
Sunday, 11am - 4pm

Located within Cosca Regional Park,

Clearwater Nature Center offers a variety of interpretive programs hosted by park naturalists. Environmental education is strongly supported at this facility through interesting exhibits, displays, programs, special events, clubs, trips, and volunteer opportunities. The nature center features a small indoor pond, live animal exhibits, a lapidary workshop, and seasonal herb and butterfly gardens. Walk in on your own or visit the facility as part of a group to meet the live mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and birds of prey (including a bald eagle) that reside at the center. Admission is free; nominal fees apply for programs.

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