Pikes Peak Pebble Pups and Earth Science Scholars: Pikes Peak Pebble Pups Prepare to Celebrate National Fossil Day

The National Park Service and the American Geological Institute are partnering to host the third annual National Fossil Day on October 17, 2012 during Earth Science Week. National Fossil Day is a celebration organized to promote public awareness and stewardship of fossils, as well as to foster a greater appreciation of their scientific and educational value.

Fossils discovered on the nation's public lands preserve ancient life from all major eras of Earth's history, and from every major group of animal or plant. In the national parks, for example, fossils range from primitive algae found high in the mountains of Glacier National Park, Montana, to the remains of ice-age animals found in caves at Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. Public lands provide visitors with opportunities to interpret a fossil's ecological context by observing fossils in the same place those animals and plants lived millions of years ago.

The Pikes Peak Pebble Pups will be organizing a special series of activities to celebrate this important date. We are near one of the most important fossil sites in the world, the Florissant Fossil Beds Natioanal Monument. This year's Earth Science Week theme is "Our Ever–Changing Earth."

Check out this video by the lead interpreter at the Florissan Fossil Beds National Monument--Jeff Wolin.

Our events will:
Celebrate the wonderful diversity of fossils as clues for understanding the history of life, past climates, and ancient landscapes; Promote the understanding that fossils are non-renewable resources and the importance of preserving fossils for future generations amd highlight the science-based management of fossils on public lands.

There is a special National Fossil Day art and photography contest to celebrate the third annual National Fossil Day. National Fossil Day is Wednesday, October 17, 2012, during Earth Science Week. The theme for this contest is “Careers in Paleontology.

Please see below for contest guidelines:
Who can enter? The National Fossil Day Art & Photography contest is open to U.S. residents of any age. Entries will be judged by a panel of National Fossil Day partners and paleontologists.

What should my artwork include? This year's theme is "Careers in Paleontology." You might think that the only way to be a paleontologist is to be out in the field, on a dig. However, people with all sorts of backgrounds, interests, and skills are able to work in paleontology. What do YOU love to do? This contest emphasizes the variety of careers in paleontology, and we encourage creative thought about how individuals might bring their own unique skills and talents to the paleontological workforce. Artwork should focus on what the job is, what it accomplishes, and how it relates to fossils. Artwork can be the form of a sketch, painting, watercolor, photograph (black/white or color), or computer-generated image, but it must be two-dimensional and flat.

How large should the artwork be? All artwork must be able to fit inside a 13" x 17" envelope or smaller. If submitting a digital photograph, the image should be between 100 KB and 2 MB in .jpg format.

What do I need to submit? A valid submission will contain the following information:

1. An original copy of the artwork. Each piece must be original, authentic, unpublished, the sole property of the entrant, and not previously submitted in any other contest.

2. Your personal information, printed on either the back of your artwork or on a separate sheet attached to your artwork:

First and last name (as it appears on your entry form)
Age of artist
Mailing address
Phone number
E-mail addres

3. A completed and signed entry form. Print out the entry form here and send it to us when you send your artwork. Entries cannot be accepted without a signed entry form (if under 18, a parent, guardian or teacher must sign).
Click here to get your entry form

4. Optional - If you would like to submit a digital photograph, send your personal information, along with your attached photo to National_Fossil_Day@nps.gov with the subject line: NFD 2012 PHOTO CONTEST. You must also mail in a signed entry form.

5. All mailed entries and entry forms must be sent to:
National Fossil Day 2012 Art & Photography Contest
American Geosciences Institute
4220 King Street Alexandria, VA 22302-1502

Note: The pebble pup leadrs will submit pebble pup and junior entries, all together in one envelope, with each student's information and signed entry form attached to his/her artwork. .

When is the deadline? All submissions must be postmarked by Friday, October 5, 2012.Entries postmarked later will not be eligible. Entries cannot be returned. American Geosciences Institute cannot confirm receipt of entries.

Submissions will be separated into and judged based upon the following age groups:

• 8 years old or younger
• 9 to 13 years old
• 14 to 18 years old
• 19 years old or above

Examples of last year's winners: