Meetings: First Wednesday of Each Month (Click here for Directions)
Jan., (Not Feb.), Mar., Apr., May, Jun., (Not Jul.-Aug.), Sep., Oct., Nov., Dec.
7:00 - 9:00 pm Springfield Science Museum (Doors open at 6:30)

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Notice for Betts trip: The trip has been canceled due to weather !
If you have any questions, call trip leader Kevin Sulikowski.

>Next Meeting: June 6th, 2018<

SPEAKER: Professor Paul Olsen - Columbia University
Feathered dinosaurs of the Chinese Mesozoic:
Extraordinary preservation or extraordinary effort?

The famous Jurassic and Cretaceous lake deposits of China have produced a spectacular array of beautifully preserved fossils of birds, feathered dinosaurs, and other wonderful fossils with soft tissues preserved. The fossils unequivocally support the idea that birds are dinosaurs, as first proposed by Thomas Henry Huxley in the 19th century.

The seemingly extraordinary preservation has resulted in extraordinary explanations, usually involving volcanic eruptions. In reality, the preservation is not unusual and in fact characterizes deposits produced by lakes that were simply deep relative to their surface area, and also lacked oxygen at their bottoms.

Instead of extraordinary preservation, these amazing fossils owe their discovery to unprecedented collection efforts by the Chinese. Were such collection efforts made in the similar Triassic-Jurassic lake deposits of Eastern North America, we would likely have our own feathered dinosaurs.

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2018 CVMC Show, Saturday Door Prize Winner, from Belchertown, Nathan Krischbaum
Chalcopyrite on Quartz

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Educational Opportunities!!!

The Education Committee is looking for club members who would like to participate in planning and producing educational materials and programs to help educate both members of the club and the public about Geology and Mineralogy.
Taking part in committee functions can make you a more successful collector.
Meetings held in Hadley. All are welcomed.
Call Fred Wilda at 413-586-6691 if you think you might be interested.

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2017 Yearend collecting report by: Andy Brodeur
Members Photo's Page 120

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LOCAL GEO EVENTS: up-coming Local Geo events from Richard Little & GCC

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By: Patrick O'Connor of “The Republican” newspaper. Published October 25 th 2017

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New Article by Andy Brodeur
2016 - Part 2: Just when you thought it was safe to have a mineral show
The story of our 2016 mineral show and how it really pays to have a Plan B
2016 Show Photos by: Wayne Corwin &
Photoes and an article by: Andy Brodeur

2012 - Part 1: When The Show Hits The Fan
2012 Show Photos by: Wayne Corwin & Andy Brodeur

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This years 2016 mineral show raffle prize winners were both CVMC members.
James Donnelly of Chicopee won the Geode and Francis Noyes of Turners Falls won the Smokey Quartz and Microcline specimen. Both of these lucky Club members donated their time for the benefit of the show and it was nice to see them rewarded for their efforts!!

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Special Brag Night Congratulations To:
Dynelle Longto
The Second member to win both the Best Self Collected & Judges Choice Plaques !
Both of her specimens are from Sharon, VT ,,, and from the same day ,,, (What a Good day) ! ! !
The Polymorphic (meaning many distinct shaply forms hooked together) Clay Concretion was very aesthetic. And her Concretion with Leaf Fossil (Populus , most likely P. balsamifera) (Read more about it), was actually very special in form and detail ! ! !
Please click on the 2 Brag Night pages of photo's below:

Brag Night 2016 Photo's Page 1 - by: Wayne Corwin

Brag Night 2016 Photo's Page 2 - by: Wayne Corwin

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Connecticut Valley Mineral Club presented UMass with a
"Significant Massachusetts Minerals Case"
YouTube Video - by: Wayne Corwin - March 8, 2014

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CVMC Presented Granby Mass. Library With A $500 Check
2 Articles Courtesy of the Belchertown Sentinel & the Springfield Republican
Click on photo below to read the 2 articles

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The CVMC was presented with a Certificate of appreciation from
the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
>Click here to see story and photo's on FaceBook<

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Notice:Long time club member Warren Johansson has passed away.
The CVMC donated a
"Significant Massachusetts Minerals Case"
In Warren's Honor to the Petersham Library 11/12/14.
Fred and Wayne did a short mineral talk also.
(Click on photos to read more)

1921 - 2014 **** flowers the club sent

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Long time club member, Ron Lucia was honored at a special presentation
by the Connecticut Valley Mineral Club of a
"Significant Massachusetts Minerals Display Case"
To the Mount Tom Welcome Center on June 2 nd 2013
click here to See Presentation Report
View Video

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Our clubs very own Fred Wilda was the
2012 East Coast Gem, Mineral & Fossil Show's
"Special Exhibitor"
What a wonderful display he put on and alot of work he did !
(See video link of his cases at top of his page & other show photo's at the bottom of the page)

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WELCOME TO THE

CONNECTICUT VALLEY MINERAL CLUB (CVMC)

About Us :

The Connecticut Valley Mineral Club was founded in 1940, dedicated to the study, appreciation and preservation of rocks, minerals, fossils and all aspects of Earth Science. We pass on our love of minerals to people of all ages with a special focus on schools with lectures and hands on presentations to students. We recently began a new project with the Significant Massachusetts Minerals Case for Schools that features all the Massachusetts state earth symbols as well as other minerals that were important to the history of the State.
A minimum of 5 of these Case are donated to local schools each year.

We meet on the first Wednesday of each month at 6:30 pm in the Springfield Science Museum, Tolman Wing at the Quadrangle in Springfield, MA. Our meetings include occasional mineral presentations, general club business, and a room full of people willing to help you enjoy mineral collecting. In addition, we sponsor numerous field trips throughout the season, a yearly club picnic and our annual Mineral, Jewelry and Fossil Show.
Directions to our meeting location can be found here .

The CVMC takes a special interest in the preservation of local mineral sites and promotes good collecting habits within its membership as well as to individuals. We feel that the future of mineral collecting is our responsibility. Through good relations with land owners, education and ethical collecting habits we strive to keep our hobby alive and leave something behind for future generations of mineral enthusiasts to enjoy.

We are an informal and social group of all ages and backgrounds with a common interest in the earth and its wondrous treasures . We welcome visitors and encourage membership and once you meet us you will realize that you are never too old to get out and get dirty, we look forward to meeting you!

We are Members of the Eastern Federation of Mineral and Lapidary Societies (EFMLS) and American Federation of Mineral Societies (AFMS)

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Click on photo below to see our 2011 CVMC Picnic

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Mineral Cases for Schools: << Learn more, click on picture

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CVMC 2010 Annual Club Picnic Video

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CVMC 2009 Club Picnic Video