When the Duke Point Highway was being constructed in 1996, Jim Bell was moving rocks with his excavator near the Cranberry Arms Pub in Cedar. While carrying a 20 ton block of sandstone, he spotted a giant palm frond impression on the side of the rock. The Cranberry Arms Palm Frond is now housed at Vancouver Island University and is the focus of this earthcache.
Excavation of the Island Highway:
How did the palm frond get into the rock?
More than 80 million years ago, sand, gravel, and mud eroded away from the coastal mountains and settled along beaches and on the seafloor. At the same time, decaying vegetation in swamps accumulated as layers of peat that would later transform into coal, gas, and oil. As plants and animals died, they were covered up by eroded materials and decaying vegetation in swamps, lakes, and oceans. Very slowly over time, the materials that covered these plants and animals turned into the sedimentary rock that you can still see today while driving the Island Highway and exploring the Nanaimo area. Next time you drive the parkway, think about all the evidence of life that's locked in the rocks you're traveling past!
Nanaimo, 80 million years ago:
Examples of sedimentary layers along the island highway:
What does the fossil tell us?
The palm impression preserves details of life 80 million years ago (the Cretaceous period), when dinosaurs ruled the earth. It shows us that Nanaimo had a different climate at the time, and was much more tropical than it is now.
Aside from this palm frond, fossil records of leaves, flowers, nuts, sharks, crabs, snails, lobsters, and turtles have all been unearthed in the region. In addition to the animals we recognize today, examples of animals that are long extinct such as ammonites, mosasaurs, and elasmosaurs have been uncovered. If you'd like to see the skeleton of an elasmosaur, one is on display at the Courtenay Museum.
An artistic rendering of the Elasmosaur:
How to Log:
To log this earthcache, please email me the answers to the following questions. Logs without accompanying email answers will be deleted.
1. Describe the fossil: How big is it? Is it a perfect imprint or was it damaged in some way? What geological process would contribute to it being in the state it's in?
2. On the rock, what evidence of human intervention is there? Why do you think these interventions were made?
3. Do you see other fossils in the rock?
4. Post a photo of yourself and the fossil. This is optional, but much appreciated!
This cache is located in a glassed-in hut outside on the grounds of Vancouver Island University. It is accessible 24/7.
Graphics used with permission of Dr. Steven Earle, Vancouver Island University Department of Geology. Graphics and information for this earthcache were found at: GeoScape Nanaimo.