MONMOUTH TOWNSHIP, NJ- I'll need a little backstory for this one. So once upon a time when I was a little girl and anything was possible, I decided that I wanted to become a paleontologist when I grew up. Ridiculous but true. I loved dinosaurs more than anything, so much so that my dad use to take me out to go look for fossils. And what we ended up with was a tradition; every Father's Day he would take us to Big Brook, a large stream right outside of Colts Neck, and look for fossils. It's mostly small stuff like sharks teeth and turtle bones, but sometimes there was more. The area itself is beautiful and heavily wooded, and walking the trail is necessary to make it to the water. I do suggest wearing clothes that you aren't particularly fond of because the area is very muddy!
-handheld shovel
-Sifter
-plastic sandwich bags
-towels/extra pair of clothes
Along with a little bit of knowledge of what you're looking for, you're all set to go! The trails are peaceful and full of life. I use to think, when I was little, that dinosaurs might actually still exist here, and that they go about their daily lives unnoticed by society. There's these dragonflies too, with opaque charcoal wings and streamline, metallic bodies. The way in which they moved was enchanting. And once you finally reached the water, the real fun began. First you had to wade into the water with a sifter, and shovel the contents of the stream's bottom into it. Once you did that, you would sift out the screen, and all the dirt and small particles would wash away. Then you would bring the remaining contents of the sift out of the water and inspect them fr any possible fossils. It's hard to get the hang of at first, but I picked it up with ease. I don't think I've ever been happier than when in these moments, and I really do miss the bonding experience it provided for me and my family. To learn more about this beautiful area and its resources, you can learn more at:
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