The Calvert Formation cliffs along the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River rank among the most important fossil research sites in the Mid-Atlantic region. Fossils found here are composed of compacted marine plant and animal matter dating from the Miocene Epoch–approximately 17 to 10 million years ago.
But most of the land along the shoreline is privately owned, and public access is severely limited. We’re pleased that John Nance, Paleontology Collections Manager for Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons, Maryland, will lead field trips to two outstanding locations.
Field Trip #1:
The first field trip gives you access to Scientists Cliffs, a private community on the Chesapeake Bay established in 1935 as a summer residence for scientists. The tall cliffs along the edge of the Bay contain one of the world’s richest fossil deposits from the Miocene period. The Scientists’ Cliffs outcrops are considered better than the more famous outcrops at Calvert Cliffs State Park, mainly because of easier access.