BVMNH 2007 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
We have fascinating things to see and do every Thursday through Saturday, 10 AM to 5 PM.
Our calendar of events is subject to change. Please contact the museum for conformation and registration to reserve your space.
Adults $7
$4 children: Under 18 years
5 and younger Free
Students (with ID) and Seniors (55 older) $5
The Third Thursday of each month is FREE
The First Saturday of each month is Family day (2 adults and up to 6 children = $20)
April
Roller Coaster Physics April 7th @ 10am to 12pm - A fun classroom activity for kids. Normal Museum admittance fee.
GEOLOGY OF CALIFORNIA - April 7, 2007 @ 3:00 PM
California has some of the most spectacular, beautiful, and unusual landforms on Earth. The state has virtually every type of rock and geologic feature. These are a reflection of dynamic geologic activities that have occurred over millions of years. Some of these activities continue today.
Yosemite Valley, Death Valley, Mt. Whitney and the Sierra Nevada, San Francisco Bay, Mono Lake, Mojave Desert, Mt. Shasta, and Lake Tahoe…are just a few of the recognizable names of features created by geologic processes. How were they created? When? What are the evidences of geologic activity?
Join local geologist Tim Elam as he presents a photographic overview of the geology of California. The presentation will be informal, and questions and discussion are encouraged. No geologic background is necessary to enjoy the event.
There will be no extra fee for attending this event…just the normal Museum entrance fee.
April 15-16 Owens Valley-Mono Basin
Water management, historic mining, glacial and volcanic geology are the main topics of this field trip Stops or topics of discussion include Cinder Hill, Owens Lake, Alabama Hills, Mazourka Canyon, American Perlite Mine, Tinnemaha Reservoir, June Lake, Devil's Post Pile, Inyo Craters, Mono Lake, Bode State Park and Travertine Hot Springs. We camp at Red Rock Canyon Friday Night and at Bishop on Saturday night.
April 21st and 22nd Sharktooth Hill Dig. Click here for more information Sharktooth Hill Dig
April 28th 'Great Balls of Fire' @ 1pm with Jack and Sydney Kelley. A speaker program with a fascinating display of meteorites. Normal Museum admittance fee.
April 28th 'Dinosaur Projects' @ 3pm - A fun classroom activity for kids. Normal Museum admittance fee.
May
SAPA (science as performing Arts) - May 12th located at Shirley Lane School on Fairfax Rd. (south of 58 fwy). Noon to 6pm. $25 for family, $5 per person. Call Museum for more information @ 661-324-6350.
May 18-21 Mother Lode III: Northern Mines GOLD IN KERN COUNTY! -
May 26, 2007 @ 3:00 PM Kern County has been the home to numerous gold mining ventures since the 1840’s. In fact, the lure of gold was the primary reason American, European, and Chinese settlers came to the county in the mid-1800’s. Numerous underground and open-pit operations existed throughout the late 1800’s and 1900’s. At least three million of ounces of gold have been mined from the county since the first discovery of gold near the Kern River. Although the last commercial mining ceased in 2003 near Randsberg, plans exist to commence mining again near Mojave. Recreational miners still find tiny flakes gold in the Kern River, and “nugget shooting” is common in the Mojave Desert. Join local geologist Tim Elam as he takes you on a guided tour of the geology, history and location of gold mining in Kern County. The presentation will be informal, and no geologic background is necessary to enjoy the event. There will be no extra fee for attending this event…just the normal Museum entrance fee. May 26th 'Crystal Growing' @ 3pm - A fun classroom activity for kids. Normal Museum admittance fee. June GEOLOGY OF YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK - June 9, 2007 @ 3:00 PM Yosemite is a treasure among America’s National Parks. Towering peaks, glacially sculpted valleys, alpine meadows, and spectacular waterfalls are just a part of the land surveyed by John Muir and others in the late 1800’s.
Tuolumne Meadows, El Capitan, Glacier Point, Hetch Hetchy, Half Dome, Yosemite Valley, and Bridalveil Falls give us awe-inspiring views and memories. These spectacularly beautiful and unusual landforms, along with their flora and fauna, are just part of the Yosemite story. Join local geologist Tim Elam as he presents a photographic overview of the geology of California’s first National Park. The presentation will be informal, and questions and discussion are encouraged. No geologic background is necessary to enjoy the event. There will be no extra fee for attending this event…just the normal Museum entrance fee. June 23 'The Old Ridge Route' @ 1pm with Jack and Sydney Kelley. An interesting talk with a slide show about our historic Old Ridge Route, not the old 99. June 23rd 'Basket Weaving' @ 3pm - A fun classroom activity for kids. Normal Museum admittance fee. July August September LET’S TALK CRUDE…PETROLEUM GEOLOGY OF KERN COUNTY - September 8, 2007 @ 7:00 PM Kern County has long been home to California’s oil and gas industry. In fact, if Kern County was a state, it would rank 4th in the U.S. in oil production, behind only Texas, Louisiana, and Alaska. Why is there so much oil here? How do oil and gas form? What role does geology play in creating and concentrating deposits of oil and gas? What is the history and future of oil and gas production in the county? Join local geologist Tim Elam as he takes you on a photographic guided tour of the geology, history and locations of oil and gas production in Kern County. The presentation will be informal, and no geologic background is necessary to enjoy the event. There will be no extra fee for attending this event…just the normal Museum entrance fee. September 29-30 San Andreas Fault: Hollister to Carrizo Plains October FROM SAND AND GRAVEL TO DAZZLING DIAMONDS: MINERALS AND CRYSTALS IN EVERYDAY LIFE -
October 27, 2007 @ 7:00 PM Have you ever seen a picture of a beautiful crystal? Did you wonder what it was made of? Did you wonder if it was natural or faceted, cut and polished by man? What’s the difference between a rock, a mineral, a crystal, and a stone? Did you realize one of the most important mineral deposits in the world exists right here in Kern County? Join local geologist Tim Elam for an informal evening devoted to the beauty, uniqueness, importance, and identification of minerals. He will display crystals from around the world, and discuss how they form, where they can be found, and how they can be identified. He will discuss the unique properties some minerals possess, such as brightly-colored fluorescent minerals.
This 3?day field conference looks at the structure, stratigraphy and geologic history of the Northern Mines of the Mother Lode in Sierra and Plumas Counties. Friday's trip will be from Camptonville to Taylorsville by way of La Porte. Saturday's trip will be from Taylorsville to Downieville by way of the Walker Mine. Sunday's trip will be from Downieville to Grass Valley. There will be a Friday Evening Lecture at the Taylorsville Town Hall, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.
What geologic processes have converged to make this land a jewel of North America? Did you know that an oceans and volcanoes once occupied the entire park area, long before steep canyon walls defined Yosemite Valley? Where are the remnants of those oceans and volcanoes? Some important geologic features can only be seen on the highest peaks of the park. What other stories do the rocks tell us? What geologic activities continue today?
This 2-day field conference examines the segment of the San Andreas Fault between Hollister and Wallace Creek in the Carrizo Plains. On Saturday the field trip commences in Hollister. We will hike the Pinnacles at the National Monument and explore the hot springs near Coalinga. The day ends with a tour of the Baker Oil Museum. Saturday evening we will camp in Coalinga. On Sunday we go on to Parkfield, “Earthquake Capitol of the World”, look at fault scarps in Cholame Valley, and end the day at Wallace Creek, a world-famous off-set steam that is shown in all geology textbooks.
There will be no extra fee for attending this event…just the normal Museum entrance fee.
November
EARTHQUAKES IN KERN COUNTY - November 17, 2007 @ 3:00 PM
An occasional shaking of the ground reminds us that we live in earthquake country in Kern County. Why do we have earthquakes here? When will they occur? Is there anything we can do to make ourselves safer? When will the next BIG ONE be? What about the fault that runs through the Lake Isabella Dam?
Most folks have heard of the San Andreas Fault, one of the most studied, and yet potentially most devastating earthquake faults in the United States. A portion of this fault runs through Kern County. However, nearly all of the earthquakes felt in Kern County have been due to ruptures along faults other than the San Andreas.
Join local geologist Tim Elam as he presents a geologic view of earthquakes. He will discuss:
- The devastating 1952 Arvin-Tehachapi and Bakersfield earthquakes
- The White Wolf Fault
- The Kern Canyon Fault
- Plate Tectonics and the San Andreas Fault
The presentation will be informal, and questions and discussion are encouraged. No geologic background is necessary to enjoy the event.
There will be no extra fee for attending this event…just the normal Museum entrance fee.
December
“McKittrick and Maricopa Tar Seeps” - December 1, 2007 @ 7:00 PM
California is known for many unusual and fascinating geologic features. Here in Kern County, tar seeps near on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley have provided evidence of life in the valley thousands of years ago.
Similar to the more famous La Brea tar pits in Los Angeles, tar seeps and pits at McKittrick and Maricopa entombed and preserved the hard parts of thousands of fauna, from insects to large mammals, including saber-toothed cats.
Join local geologist Tim Elam for a photographic presentation that will include discussions of:
- The geology, formation, and age of the seeps
- Animals and plants found in the tar
- Paleontologic excavation operations
- Comparison to the La Brea tar pits
- Tar extraction by Yokuts Indians and early oil miners
The presentation will be informal, and no geologic background is necessary to enjoy the event. There will be no extra fee to attend this event…just the normal Museum admittance fee.
Donations are tax deductible
Click on the Cymbospondylus for more information
BVMNH Email: bvmnh@sharktoothhill.com
Address: 2018 Chester Ave.
Bakersfield, CA 93301
Web Master: Sherry Pauley webmaster@sharktoothhill.com
