Vancouver Paleontological Society Field Trip: Kitsilano Foreshore
Schedule
Sun, 08 Mar, 2026 at 01:00 pm
UTC-07:00Location
Dunbar St, Vancouver, BC, Canada | Vancouver, BC
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Vancouver Paleontological Society Field Trip: Kitsilano ForeshoreWe will meet at the end of Dunbar Street in Kitsilano at 1:00 PM. There is access to the beach there. The low tide is 1.2 metres (3.9 feet) at 3:57 pm. The tide will still be receding when we arrive at the site.
There should be street parking on Dunbar and adjacent streets.
We will be looking for Eocene plant fossils (approximately 40 million years old) including:
Leaf impressions (broadleaf trees)
Fossilized wood fragments
Conifer needles and twigs
Seeds and seed pods
Ferns
Many of the leaves resemble warm-climate trees, suggesting that southwestern BC had a much warmer, subtropical climate during the Eocene.
It is also very slippery and wet so you may want to wear rubber boots or hiking shoes. Consider wearing a hat for the sun and rain coat if we have rain.
Level of difficulty - Easy (the site along the Kitsilano beach in Vancouver. There is a pathway down the cliff to the beach. The beach itself may be slippery especially when wet. So please bring appropriate footwear. There are no public bathrooms available nearby. This site is ok for children.
Tools recommended - You will need a geological or bricklayer's hammer and a flat masonry chisel or rock hammer, safety goggles and gloves. You may also want to bring a putty scraper and / or flat cold chisel to separate the thin layers of the shale and perhaps a shovel. Newspaper, aluminum foil or bubble wrap to wrap your fossils in and something to carry them in. The shale is very brittle and crumbles easily.
Clothing - please wear appropriate clothing for the rainy weather on the day.
Footwear - Hiking shoes or boots or rubber boots.
Please bring drinks and lunch / snacks. There are no bathroom facilities nearby.
Please note, this is a members only event. You'll need to be a member of the societies of the BCPA (https://bcfossils.ca/) such as Vancouver Paleontogical Society, VicPS, VIPMS, or VIPS to attend this event.
You can sign up here (https://vanps.vcn.bc.ca/membership/) or join in person.
Please contact me via email ([email protected]) or msg me on FB by Friday, March 6 if you are interested in attending and I will send you more information to the meeting point.
Thanks,
John Fam
Vice Chair, Vancouver Paleontological Society
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Where is it happening?
Dunbar St, Vancouver, BC, CanadaEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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