Announcement: 2015 Fall Field Conference of the Far West Section, National Association of Geoscience Teachers

Hunting for fossils near Sharktooth Hill east of Bakersfield

2015 Fall Field Conference of the Far West Section

National Association of Geoscience Teachers

Sediments, Oil, and Fossils in the Southern San Joaquin Valley

October 16-18, 2015

Hosted by California State University, Bakersfield

Dirk Baron and Rob Negrini, CSU Bakersfield

Tim Elam, Buena Vista Museum of Natural History

Website: www.csub.edu/~dbaron/NAGT2015.htm

We invite all teachers, professors, students, and friends of the earth and geological sciences to attend the 2015 Fall Conference of the Far West Section of the NAGT on October 16 – 18, 2015 based in Bakersfield, California. Check the conference website www.csub.edu/~dbaron/NAGT2015.htm after Labor Day for latest updates and complete details.

Southern San Joaquin Valley of California

Join us to explore a region that offers interesting geology, a World-class fossil location, and provides employment to many geoscientists. The Field Conference will be based at the California State University, Bakersfield and the Buena Vista Museum of Natural History in downtown Bakersfield. The best place to camp in the area is the Kern River Campground near Lake Ming east of Bakersfield. Sites cannot be reserved but should be available on Fridays in October. Alternatives a little farther afield are several campgrounds along the Kern River in the Kern Canyon. Bakersfield has many hotels in all price ranges. Homewood Suites are located within walking distance of the campus; the historic and recently renovated Padre Hotel is a good (but somewhat expensive) choice with great ambiance downtown within walking distance of the Buena Vista Museum of Natural History. 

We hope to see you in Bakersfield!

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For more information, contact:

Sponsor: California State University, Bakersfield, Department of Geological Sciences

Coordinator: Dirk Baron, Geological Sciences, CSU Bakersfield; dbaron@csub.edu; 661-654-3044

Conference Website: www.csub.edu/~dbaron/NAGT2015.htm

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 See below the fold for more details

From GSA: GeoCorps Positions Now Available for Summer 2015

GeoCorps Positions Now Available for Summer 2015!

Are you interested in doing geoscience in some of America’s most beautiful public lands?

The Geological Society of America (GSA) has posted 125+ new GeoCorps America positions for summer 2015 on the GeoCorps website! Applications can be submitted online from now through February 3, 2015 (noon, Mountain Time).

Once again, GeoCorps features paid geoscience projects in some of America’s most amazing public lands, which are managed by our partner agencies—the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, and the U.S. Forest Service. This round of projects features some of the nation's premier public lands, such as the BLM San Juan Islands National Monument (WA), White Mountain National Forest (NH), Mesa Verde National Park (CO), and Grand Canyon National Park (AZ). It also includes some extremely remote, wild places, like Denali National Park (AK), as well as sites closer to an urban setting, such as Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (PA). GeoCorps project areas cover a broad range of subjects, including geology, hydrology, paleontology, mapping, GIS (Geographic Information Systems), geo-hazards, education, and interpretation. There are even positions relating to astronomy and archaeology this season.

Benefits
These temporary, paid opportunities provide on-the-ground geoscience experience and include a stipend of $2,750 (or more), free housing (or a housing allowance), and in some cases, a travel allowance. Watch this video to hear directly from recent GeoCorps America participants about their experiences.

Eligibility
Geoscientists of all levels are eligible to apply. This includes, but is not limited to, undergraduate students, graduate students, post-docs, professionals, faculty members, teachers, and retirees. Past GeoCorps participants are eligible to apply for "Guest Scientist" positions and "GeoCorps Diversity" positions.

Apply Now!
The GeoCorps website’s online application system is now open to receive applications, so get started on yours today! The final application deadline is February 3, 2015 (noon, Mountain Time). Apply online at the GeoCorps website.

More Information
For more information, see the official GeoCorps website, follow the GeoCorps Facebook page, subscribe to the GeoCorps Twitter feed, or contact Matthew Dawson at mdawson@geosociety.org or 303-357-1025.

Quick Links
• GeoCorps Home Page
• Summer 2015 Position Descriptions 
• How to Apply
• Eligibility Requirements
• Flier, poster, and brochure to print for friends and colleagues

Register for the Fall Meeting of the National Association of Geoscience Teachers! Oct. 10-12 at CSU Sacramento

Sacramento sponsored NAGT field trip from 2003 in the gold fields of the Mother Lode

The fall meeting of the Far Western Section of the National Association of Geoscience Teachers is taking place on Oct 10th-12th in Sacramento at California State University Sacramento. Trip opportunities include the Sierras, Delta and local Sacramento geology.  Professors, K-12 teachers, and students (official and unofficial) of the earth sciences or geology are encouraged to join us. You do not have to be a member of the NAGT to attend, although we would love to have you join our organization. We encourage and support the teaching of the earth sciences in California, Nevada and Hawaii, and try to sponsor meetings that are not a great stress on teachers and students on limited budgets. You do not have to live in these three states either. These meetings are a great way to become acquainted with the geology of this fascinating region!

Here is a sampling of some of the exciting field trips that are planned:

1.    A Traverse of the Sierra Nevada from Sacramento to Donner Summit-Eldridge Moores, Emeritus Professor, Geology Department, UC, Davis  

2.    Bay Delta Hydrology and Geology-Rob Barry, Chief Project Geology Section, California Department of Water Resources; John Suen, Professor Emeritus, California State Univ., Fresno; Mark Pagenkopp, Geologist, Calif. Dept. of Water Resources

3.    Gold, Aggregates, and the Yuba Dredge Fields, California Mineral Education Foundation, Cynthia Pridmore, Engineering Geologist, California Geologic Survey

4.    Miocene, Pliocene, and Pleistocene Stratigraphy near Sacramento, CA. Tim Horner, Chair CSU, Sacramento, Geology Department, CSU, Sacramento

5.    The Legacy and Effects of Mercury in California Gold Rush Streams -Mike Hunerlach, Regional Mining Geologist and Liaison US Forest Service, Charlie Alpers, Research Chemist, United States Geologic Survey. 

Speakers:
Stephen Testa, California State Mining Board-Oil, Gold, Earthquakes and Higher Education in the latter half of the 19^th Century.

Sue McClurg, Deputy Executive Director, Water Education Foundation The Bay Delta Conservation Plan: How did we get here, and where are we going? 

Lots of other activities and field trips are scheduled!

Register now! Information can be found at the links below:
    Register Online, using credit card or PayPal! http://nagt-farwestern2014.bpt.me/ 
    Registration form: http://nagt-fws.org/New_Registration_Form-1.pdf
    Conference Information: http://nagt-fws.org/NAGT_fall_conference_info.docx.pdf
    Conference Agenda: http://nagt-fws.org/NAGT_FWS_2014_Conference_Agenda.pdf
    Accommodation Options: hhttp://nagt-fws.org/Accommodation_Options_Fall_2014.pdf

Hydraulic Mine in the Mother Lode of the Sierra Nevada