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ZRS FOSSILS AND GIFTS
3018 LYNDALE AVE SOUTH
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55408
TEL 612.824.1068
OPEN Tue thru Sat - Noon to 6pm
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EXCITING 2022 ZRS ADVENTURES AHEAD! |
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We hope this email finds you healthy and faring well throughout these past challenging years. If you are like us, the desire for getting out and about into nature to explore has been growing increasingly stronger. Due to the Covid pandemic and the need to protect ourselves, our customers and fieldtrip partners from infection, we have been unable to conduct our usual schedule of ZRS Guided Fieldtrips and GeoTours for the past couple of years. However, with the Covid situation now having significantly improved, we have lined up a schedule of fossil and mineral collecting adventures for the upcoming season. At this point in time, however, we will continue to require adult Fieldtrip and GeoTour participants (18 years and older) to have completed Covid vaccinations at least two weeks prior to the scheduled event dates. Thank you for your cooperation.
Join us this year as we head out into the field for the intriguing fossil, crystal, agate and mineral collecting opportunities listed below! With these adventures spearheaded by our ZRS paleontologist, we strive to provide wonderfully educational collecting experiences complete with well-planned itineraries, informational handouts and manuals, geological and paleontological discussions (age-appropriate for group), hands-on individual collecting guidance and special mailings with maps and lists of take-along equipment and necessities -- all put together to make your trip easy and enjoyable! Transportation, meals and accommodations are your responsibility for all of our US adventures, with ZRS providing suggested routes, along with options for hotel accommodations (at special group rates for SD and MT trips) and campground information. Car-pooling may be a possibility to arrange with other participants, if needed.
Please note that in order to prevent our field sites and experiences from feeling overcrowded, ZRS collecting adventures have been limited to a specific number of participants. Some trips quickly fill to capacity, so remember to reserve your space by registering as early as possible.
Our foreign GeoTours to Morocco, Australia and England are offered as a package arrangement with certain variations for each tour. Participation is very limited for these incredible experiences, so be sure to let us know as soon as possible if you are interested in joining us for these once-in-a-lifetime adventures.
At this point in time, we are opening reservations for the ZRS Guided Fieldtrips and GeoTours. If you would like to join us for any or all of these adventures, stop by ZRS to register in person at the store - or contact us by email ([email protected]). You can also reserve your space over the phone (612.824.1068) with payment by credit card. If you leave a message, be certain to provide your full name, your email address, your phone number and the total number of adults and youth who wish to participate in selected fieldtrip(s).
We hope to see you out in the field with us this coming season! Warm regards, Kelly and John
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2022 Rockin' in Morocco GeoTour |
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APRIL 2022
This spring's Moroccan GeoTour has been filled. If you are interested in learning more about our 2023 Moroccan adventures, be sure to let us know so we can keep you posted as plans for next year's adventures develop.
Explore exotic Morocco through a sixteen-day fossil, mineral and agate collecting experience of a lifetime. It's the perfect combination of rockhounding, archaeology, geology, history, immersion into a most unique Moroccan culture - and basically, an unforgettable adventure!
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If you are interested in collecting fossils, minerals and agates while experiencing some of the most breath-taking countryside and wonderfully hospitable cultures -- then this ZRS Guided Adventure to exotic Morocco is just what you're looking for! Each year we guide collectors along two different routes through the beautiful country of Morocco -- offering our participants one of the most unforgettable collecting adventures of a lifetime. ZRS will provide an in-store special "Morocco Nite" presentation featuring these unique excursions later this year, so watch for further details on this upcoming special event.
These amazing adventures are a fossil, mineral and agate collector's dream, in addition to being a sensory feast in countless ways. You will spend sixteen active days immersed in delightful experiences ranging from visits to the enchanting cities of Marrakech, Rabat, Essaouira -- as well as touring quaint southern villages and visiting remarkable Berber families in their goat-hair tents and mud-brick homes.
Our Moroccan GeoTours provide endless educational opportunities related to fossils, minerals and Moroccan culture and history. You will have continuous photographic inspirations - daily picnics with fresh olives, almonds, enormous sweet oranges - evenings of music, dance and laughter alongside culinary delights - intricate North African handcrafts - brilliant patterns of color and texture in weavings and zellij - superb art and architecture - camel treks through the Sahara to overnight in a Berber tent - visits to unique archaeological sites - dayglow green lizards and friendly Barbary apes - amazing agates - and delightful exchanges with new Moroccan friends all along the route. Each of the trips cover approximately 2500 kilometers, including all major environments from high mountains and lush green valleys to vast deserts and the Atlantic Ocean as well. Participants will visit mine sites and dumps for minerals, special localities for agates, and a number of primary outcrops and world-famous localities for fossils. Included will be stops to visit local miners, villagers and delightful Moroccan fossil and mineral dealers. You can anticipate adventure at every turn!
VIEW PHOTOS FROM PREVIOUS MOROCCAN ADVENTURES VIA THE LINKS BELOW
Send us an EMAIL if you are potentially interested in our 2023 Moroccan GeoTours.
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Fossil Fieldtrip Adventure to Rockford, Iowa |
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SUNDAY - JULY 10th, 2022
RESERVE YOUR SPACE NOW FOR
THE ROCKFORD IOWA FOSSIL FIELDTRIP
This is a fun, easy-collecting daytrip adventure for anyone, but especially great for families with younger children! Collect marine fossils alongside of our ZRS Paleontologist, who personally assists you throughout your day's collecting experience. Enjoy a Fossil ID session over lunch!
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This is an exciting educational day trip for families with children! With paleontologist guidance, you will be collecting marine fossil shells from the Late Devonian Period (375 million years old) Cerro Gordo limestone member of the Lime Creek formation. This area is recognized as one of the most fossiliferous and easy to collect localities in the upper Midwest - with nearly 200 different species of marine invertebrates and micro-fossils described from the area. Our group will visit both a public collecting site as well as an additional location on private property.
During the Devonian Period, this portion of Iowa was a shallow sea shelf and shelf-margin environment that bordered a deep-water basin in eastern Iowa and central Illinois. A major global extinction event immediately followed the time represented by these interesting Rockford deposits.
ZRS will provide sample specimens, informational handouts and age appropriate details for everyone on this collecting adventure -- along with collecting assistance and specimen identification.
FIELDTRIP REGISTRATION FEE: $25 per participant (No age limits.)
Advance Registration is Required! Detailed information and participant instructions will be provided for this fieldtrip after final payment has been made.
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Fossil Fieldtrip Adventure to Glendive, Montana |
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SATURDAY JULY 30th &
SUNDAY JULY 31st, 2022
RESERVE YOUR SPACE NOW
FOR THE MONTANA FOSSIL FIELDTRIP
Hunt for fossils in the beautiful Montana badlands
- collect amazing ammonites, mother-of-pearl clams, dinosaur bones/teeth, and gorgeous petrified wood!
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This intriguing collecting locale is about a nine-hour drive from the Twin Cities. If possible, it is best to make this adventure a long weekend by planning for an extra travel day on both ends of the trip. On Saturday we will be collecting beautiful ammonites and other marine invertebrate fossils from the Pierre Shale formation of the Cretaceous Period, approximately 80 million-years-old. At that time this part of Montana was a shallow-water, inland sea - and now produces a wide variety of exceptional fossils - including ammonites, nautiloids, snails and clams -- magnificent with their beautiful original mother-of-pearl shell. ZRS provides identification manuals, geological information and collecting guidance. You'll be thrilled with your discoveries from this interesting site!
Sunday we will drive to a private ranch deep into the rolling badlands where we will be collecting dinosaur bones and teeth as well as abundant and beautifully agatized petrified wood. This badlands property produces many dinosaur fossils -- including skeletons of several species from the 70 million-year-old Hell Creek formation of the Cretaceous Period. The ranch owner will take us to a designated area for our day of fossil collecting at this site. Again, ZRS will be there to assist in fossil identification and with collecting guidance. There may be some restrictions on your collecting activities. Depending on weather conditions, the daily itinerary for the weekend may be reversed. Great fossil identification manual included with this fieldtrip.
FIELDTRIP REGISTRATION FEE: $255 Adults / $165 Ages 12 - 18 / $50 under 12 years
(Under 12 years old with ZRS special permission only - call to inquire.)
Advance Registration is Required! Detailed information and participant instructions will be provided for this fieldtrip after final payment has been made.
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Rockin' in Merry Olde England GeoTour |
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SEPTEMBER 29th - OCTOBER 16th
Join ZRS in beautiful England to explore the early beginnings of geology, paleontology, stratigraphy and evolutionary biology! This exciting sixteen-day tour has been specially designed for interested collectors of all ages and experience levels who love unique, hands-on educational adventures -- as well as for fun-loving novice and seasoned fossil, mineral, archaeology and history buffs who love to travel and explore the world.
You will experience many world-famous sites and meet an impressive array of renowned, knowledgeable people passionate about geology, paleontology and history. Opportunities to trade fossils and minerals with British collectors will also be available.
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You can find additional summary details for the 2022 England GeoTour our via this LINK!
On this unique adventure you will follow in the footsteps of the famous Mary Anning - collect on the same beaches she explored, and be exposed to a wide variety of additional classic fossil and mineral collecting localities, visit world-class paleontology labs and also enjoy private tours led by paleontological staff of major public and private museums ... all while relishing the beautiful English coastline, countryside and touring the famous sites of Stonehenge, Darwin's Down House, the Roman Baths, Salisbury Cathedral and more. This tour is limited to a total of ten participants -- we have one space still available for our 2022 GeoTour, so let us know asap if you are interested in joining ZRS for this fantastic experience -- another adventure of a lifetime!
Send us an EMAIL if you are potentially interested in our 2023 England GeoTour.
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Fossil & Mineral Fieldtrip Adventure to South Dakota |
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FRIDAY OCTOBER 21st &
SATURDAY OCTOBER 22nd
THE BLACK HILLS & BADLANDS
OF SOUTH DAKOTA FIELDTRIP
We have scheduled this adventure for the Friday & Saturday of Education MN Conference weekend to allow families with kids to fully participate on both fieldtrip days with two travel days available.
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Contact ZRS to register for this unique opportunity to spend cooler weather days exploring these gorgeous South Dakota back-country areas collecting fossils and minerals! Day one will include guided opportunities to collect fossil mammal bones, skulls and teeth on privately owned badlands near Hot Springs, South Dakota. This area also produces superb fossil turtles. The fossils are found in the Brule Formation of the Oligocene Epoch - 25 to 40 million-years-old. At that time this portion of South Dakota was a subtropical flood plain for several major rivers. We will spend the day collecting surface finds and specimens still in the soft rock matrix. To remove the latter requires patience and some skill. ZRS will provide orientation background on the geological details of this badlands area, information regarding what material you can expect to find, collecting instructions, identification manuals -- in addition to individual guidance to help you remove any specimens you discover. Our group has collected multiple turtles, along with various skulls from this site and numerous teeth, jaws, shell and misc. bones.
The second day we will travel through some of the scenic Black Hills back country to explore three or four of our favorite abandoned mines and collect a wide variety of crystals, minerals and rocks. The mines are relatively safe, but may require hard rock techniques. Again, ZRS will be there to provide geological background information, along with mineral identification and collecting guidance.
This is a fantastic experience where you will collect beautiful specimens of rose quartz, tourmalines, feldspar, apatite, muscovite, tantalum, mica and spodumene crystals -- all the while enjoying the peacefully spectacular environs and wildlife viewing opportunities. This trip (coinciding with MEA weekend) is purposely scheduled later in the year to avoid the heavy tourist traffic and challenging temperatures that occur in this area during the summer months. Early fall adventures also ensure superb nature and wildlife experiences as well. Great fossil identification manual is included with this fieldtrip.
View Photos from previous South Dakota Fieldtrips via Link Below:
FIELDTRIP REGISTRATION FEE: $255 Adults & 17/18 Yrs / $95 Ages 12 - 16
(Under 12 years old with ZRS special permission only - call to inquire.)
Advance Registration is Required! Detailed information and participant instructions will be provided for this fieldtrip after final payment has been made.
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