Abstract
You can experience your America and find your park at 417 areas administered by the National Park Service (NPS).
Of those at least 267 preserve evidence of past life-fossils. In national parks, fossils are found in situ,
in museum collections, or in cultural contexts. This presentation will provide a guided tour of the scope and
significance of NPS fossils using the context of the Prehistoric Journey exhibit here at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.
From Precambrian stromatolites that overlook Glacier National Park to ice age mammoths at Waco Mammoth National Monument,
fossils from every geologic time period are represented in the rocks of the National Park Service. Of the more than 640,000
fossil specimens curated in NPS or partner museums, there are more than 2,200 holotype specimens discovered in what are now NPS areas.
Paleontological resources are more than just the fossils themselves; there are untold numbers of stories behind the fossils.
They include effigies carved from fossil brachiopods by American Indians, to the first scientifically figured fossil
from the New World, to "peetrified trees" recounted by mountain man Jim Bridger, to fossils in stones of historic structures.
The National Park Service manages these incredible resources from not just an academic perspective but as a part of
America's geologic heritage, in consideration of their scientific, cultural, aesthetic, educational, commercial, and
recreational values. Park management always includes a practical component that follows the Paleontological Resources
Preservation Act and must be relevant to park staff that rarely have a background in geology, let alone paleontology.
During the presentation, the audience will have an opportunity to "put on a ranger hat" and brainstorm ideas for managing an actual fossil locality.
The presentation will conclude with examples of educational outreach using NPS fossils such as the Junior Paleontologist program and National
Fossil Day, as well as a virtual tour of eight Cenozoic fossil parks and a discussion about how fossil parks provide excellent opportunities
to interpret past and modern climate change. You can find your fossil park and experience your ancient America at Paleontology.
Celebrate National Fossil Day at http://go.nps.gov/nfd and on Wednesday, October 17th, 2018. Download Free Geology Maps and Reports.
About the Speaker
Jason Kenworthy is a geologist with the National Park Service Geologic Resources Division in Lakewood, Colorado.
Jason grew up in Maryland just outside of Washington, D.C. and started a federal career path in 1997 as a GS-1 (!)
student lab aide with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. At the suggestion of his undergraduate advisor,
Jason applied for and received a Student Conservation Association internship at Fossil Butte National Monument (Wyoming) in February 2001.
Off and on from 2001 through 2006, he held a number of NPS positions including intern, volunteer, seasonal interpretive ranger,
contractor and term paleontology technician at Fossil Butte and the Geologic Resources Division
(duty stationed at George Washington Memorial Parkway [DC, Virginia, Maryland]).
During this time, he created a number of geology and paleontology interpretive products for Fossil Butte.
Jason also worked on a variety of servicewide fossil resource management projects, including a
systematic summary of fossils in parks of each of the 32 Inventory and Monitoring networks.