Saturday, 30 October 1999, 10:00AM
 
 
Some of the students in the Invertebrate Zoology course have proposed a field trip to collect fossils
from the Cretaceous marl beds of Monmouth County.  We are going to meet at 10:00AM at the
parking lot of the Township Park on the road where Big Brook crosses the road, and access to the
brook is relatively easy.  Plan about a 30 minute drive from New Brunswick to the site.  You will
need either boots or old sneakers since we will be getting into the stream bed to look for fossils.
Bring old gloves that you don't mind getting wet.  Also, bring dry shoes and sox to change into if
you do get wet.  The weather is supposed to be quite good - sunny and warm.

     Bring an old bucket or plastic container, or a tough plastic bag, for storing your fossils.  A
plastic gallon milk jug with the top cut off works well.  Bring a hand lens if you have one.  Also, you
may wish to bring a lunch if you plan to stay later.  We expect to collect for only about 2 hours.  We
will probably walk quite far along the brook path heading east from the road, in order to get to the
better collecting pools.  So if you arrive late, and you do not find us at the parking lot, just walk
along the path until you find the group.  You may wish to bring binoculars and/or a camera for
birdwatching and taking pictures of the fossils in situ.  If you have anything suitable for screening
things out of the sediment, you may wish to bring it.  Otherwise, we will have a couple of screens
for general use.

     Call R. E. Loveland at (732) 463 - 9108 if you have any questions.  This is not a required
trip, and will be conducted on an informal, voluntary basis.  The fossils that we find will be shown
in the lab next week.

DIRECTIONS:  South on Rt. 18 from New Brunswick.  Past the Tennent Road Exit.  Next Exit is
Matawan-Freehold Road, or Main Street, into the town of Marlboro - be sure to turn North toward
the town.  Within a short distance, you will see Vanderburg Road on the right (should be second
road on the right after leaving Rt. 18).  Turn Right onto Vanderburg Road and proceed east.  This
road become Crine Road at the junction of Boundary Road.  Continue on Crine Road to the first
road on the left - turn left onto Hillsdale Road, and proceed north.  In less than a mile you will cross
Big Brook.  Immediately after the brook there will be a parking lot on the right; this is the parking
lot for a small park maintained by Colt's Neck.  Park here, and wait till the group gathers around
10:00AM.  If you arrive later than 10:00AM, park and then walk east along the brook path until you
find the group collecting in the water.

CAUTIONS:   There may be Poison Ivy along the trail.  Glass and other sharp
objects could possibly be in the stream bed - do not feel around in the water
when you cannot see what you are doing.  Be careful going thru the sediments.
Also keep your eyes open for pesky bees, especially if you eat something sweet.