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Protecting
the Past |
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Protection for many of Nova Scotia's natural and cultural
heritage resources is provided by the Special Places Protection
Act, originally passed by the Legislature in 1980. The Act
covers palaeontological, archaeological, and historical sites
and remains, including those under water.
You can help protect Nova Scotia's heritage resources. Spread
the word about the importance of fossils. Report your finds
to the Nova Scotia Museum and join the international research
effort to discover the secrets of the past. Share your discoveries
with others who would like to study and enjoy them.
Your efforts, combined with the work of many other Nova Scotians
through the provincial Museum, will go a long way to ensure
that Nova Scotia's heritage resources will still be here for
our grandchildren's grandchildren to enjoy.
This part of the site is dedicated to the management side
of things. We provide a few tips for collectors, give you
a heads-up on safety considerations, tell you a bit about
our famous tides, explain what Special Places are and let
you know if you need a permit and how to get one.
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Common
Questions about Fossil Hunting |
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Why
not finders-keepers?
One of the first specimens ever given to the Museum is a 30,000
year old fossil Mastodon bone. It was donated in 1835, and several
million museum visitors have marvelled at it. In our time, this
fossil bone has sparked new excitement. An archaeologist has
noticed small gouges that might have been made by stone tools
during butchering.
Is this fossil bone really a clue to Nova Scotia's first people,
or were the gouges simply made by the blade of a pioneer's plow?
Only the fossil itself and the scientists' instruments can give
us the answer.
Personal collections of fossils are often well cared for and
bring much pleasure to the finder's family and friends, but
they are usually not available to other people for study or
enjoyment. Fossils in a desk drawer cannot tell their story
to a researcher or excite the curiosity of a child. Preserving,
studying and interpreting fossils is one of the responsibilities
of the Nova Scotia Museum. The Museum serves the people of Nova
Scotia; with your help Museum staff can look after these important
pieces of our heritage and keep them available for all of us
and for future generations.
Like the Mastodon bone, many fossils have been cared for in
museums for more than a century. Every year, thousands of people
see and enjoy them. Where will your personal collection of fossils
be 100 years from now?
Why shouldn't I remove fossils myself and
give them to the Museum?
Once a site is disturbed, it cannot be put back together. The
position of a fossil in a site (its context) may tell a critical
part of its story. Palaeontologists need to know whether one
fossil was found above or below another, or whether two items
were found side-by-side. A professional "dig" may involve scientists
and amateur palaeontologists working carefully to excavate bits
of rock. The whole area is studied and detailed notes are taken.
These provide the clues needed to understand how the fossil
was preserved, why it ended up in that place, and even what
the conditions were like at the time. There is only one chance
to record this vital information.
What should I do if I find a fossil?
You may collect one or two loose fossils. Do not disturb anything
still in the bedrock. Record whatever you can - exactly where
it was found, who collected it and when, and any other information
that might be helpful. When you get a chance, send or bring
the fossils and information to the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural
History in Halifax, or the Fundy Geological Museum in Parrsboro.
Museum staff will help you find information about the specimen
and the site. If one of your fossils is found to be especially
important, it might become part of the provincial collection,
with your name on record as the discoverer. It could be preserved
or displayed at the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History or
the Fundy Geological Museum, featured on this Fossils of Nova
Scotia Web Site, provided to your local museum for display or
used in educational programs. Often fossils are studied and
photographed, then returned to you.
What Are Heritage Research Permits?
It is against the law in Nova Scotia to excavate fossils without
a Heritage Research Permit. You must have a permit before disturbing
any place where fossils are found. The permit system is in place
to make sure that:
people excavating fossils are qualified to do the work;
the excavation is well planned;
the fossils end up being properly studied and cared for; and
a report on the work is written and kept in the Museum archive.
This type of requirement is common is most areas with important
fossil resources. Laws to regulate fossil collecting have been
created to prevent what has often happened in the past - important
fossils and information being lost when researchers retire or
pass away. Another purpose of the Act is to ensure that important
fossils are seen, studied and reported on by those who have
the knowledge and training to do so. The Museum will ensure
that both the fossils and the knowledge they represent are passed
on for future generations.
The Special Places Protection Act also states that anyone exploring
for fossils requires a permit. For years the Museum issued "Casual"
permits for people picking up a few loose fossils from the beach,
but we are now looking at another approach. While we encourage
people to pick up beach fossils before they are destroyed by
the tides, we want to make sure that the important ones find
their way to the Museum and to those most knowledgeable about
them. We are actively working on how best to do this - stay
tuned.
If you are planning to excavate fossils (by removing them from
the bedrock, for example), you need a permit. You may write,
fax or e-mail the Museum at this address:
Robert Ogilvie
Heritage Resource Services
Nova Scotia Museum
1747 Summer Street
Halifax, NS B3H 3A6
Phone: (902) 424-7344
Fax: (902) 424-0560
E-Mail ogilvirr@gov.ns.ca
Who can get a Heritage Permit and do an
excavation?
Anyone who has a plan for an organized investigation of a palaeontological
site may apply for a permit. Heritage Research Permits are issued
under the authority of the Minister of Education and Culture.
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