Be sure to renew your Fossil Permits! Never Dig into the River banks! Collection of Artifacts is Illegal on Florida state owned land!

President's Message

2025-2026 Season

Closing Out 2025

And just like that, 2025 is coming to a close. For the past few years, my December messages have carried a familiar theme: “Get out there and hunt for some fossils!” The summer rains have once again helped uncover fossils long hidden beneath the riverbeds. It’s one of the few benefits we gain from the rough weather many of you endure during Florida’s lengthy rainy season. If we’re spared any more major storms, I believe we’re in for an excellent winter and spring fossil-hunting season with plenty of exciting finds. The rain has finally eased, water levels are dropping, and the Peace River is already knee-deep in several areas.

TBFC’s river trips are the second Saturday of the month (water levels permitting) and are for active club members only. I look forward to seeing the fossils you’ve uncovered during “show and tell” at the January meeting. There’s no better time to start planning your river excursions, whether for SCUBA diving or screen-washing. Join one of TBFC’s field trips or connect with other fossil hunters through our Facebook page to coordinate outings. And remember to keep those hunting permits up to date!

We had an outstanding scholarship auction at the November meeting with a fantastic turnout. We raised a solid amount to support scholarships in the coming year. My sincere thanks to Dr. Bob Sinibaldi for serving as auctioneer, and to Luke Gruender for keeping everything running smoothly on the floor. A special thank you as well to John and Cheryl Jacobs for managing the auction logistics, tracking bidders and winners, and crunching the numbers at the end of the night. It was a long evening, and I appreciate everyone who attended, donated, bid, and helped make the event a success. Thank you all.

New Members! - Over the last few meetings, we’ve been thrilled to welcome an increasing number of new members. It’s genuinely exciting to see fresh faces in the crowd, and we look forward to getting to know each of you, both at our meetings and out in the field. If you’re new to TBFC, thank you for choosing to join us. You are now part of a community of almost 600 fossil enthusiasts who share a passion for discovery, science, and Florida’s rich prehistoric past.

We meet monthly (except July and August), typically on the first Saturday. Schedule updates to the website will be made, as occasional schedule changes do occur. Field trips are also listed here and discussed at each meeting. We encourage you to attend regularly and join us afterward for a late dinner, where the conversation continues, usually about fossils, but not always, until the restaurant finally asks us to leave.

FossilFest 2026: - A reminder that FossilFest 2026 is right around the corner (March 21 & 22, with setup on March 20). Please mark your calendars and plan to volunteer for our biggest event of the year. Volunteer scheduling will begin in January. As we wrap up the year, I wish all TBFC members peace, joy, and togetherness this holiday season. Merry Christmas and Happy Everything! I also wish you all a prosperous—and fossiliferous—2026.

Be good to one another and stay safe out there.

Good Hunting,

Please be very cautious while venturing out into the rivers and creeks. There’s nothing in those rivers worth dying for.

Missed a meeting or just want to watch it again? You can view our past meeting recordings or live streams in the playlist below (Also found in the About section):