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Vancouver Island Paleontological Society
  • Home
  • Who We Are
  • What We Do
    • Events
    • 15th BC Paleontological Symposium 2025
      • Symposium Call For Abstracts and Posters
    • Research News
    • Presentations
  • Membership
  • Fossil Info
    • VI Geology
    • Ammonites
    • Reptiles
    • Fossil Fish
    • Fossil Plants
    • Gastropods
    • Bivalves
    • Crabs/Lobsters
  • Fossil Gallery
    • Field Trips
    • Artwork
    • Fossil Humour
    • General
  • Links
  • Contact Us

15th British Columbia Paleontological Symposium

The 15th British Columbia Paleontological Symposium will be held at the Florence
Filberg Centre, August 22nd to 25th, 2025 in Courtenay, BC.

Registration as of Monday, February 10, 2025 at eventbrite.ca:

Welcome to our website

The Vancouver Island Paleontological Society (VIPS) is a non-profit society of professional and amateur paleontologists based in Courtenay, British Columbia, Canada.

The Society was formed after the discovery of a large marine reptile called an Elasmosaur along the banks of the Puntledge River.

The 80 million year old fossilized skeleton was found by Mike Trask and his daughter Heather in 1988.

Upcoming Field Trips and Lectures for 2025

 To the members of the VIPS: The VIPS plans to have a field trip each month. We also have a VIPS meeting on the second Wednesday of each month. All are welcome.

Most field trips leave from VIPS’s President Dan Bowen’s place. Please call or text Dan at 1-250-897-5026 to confirm, and/or meet at 2120 Stewart Ave., Courtenay, BC. I will update the events periodically based on weather or conflicts. 

May 12-16 Escalante, Fly in via Nootka Air from Gold River

Eocene exposures, fossil crabs, and important finds. Isopods, fossil mammal and bird bones last year. Limited to five people. This trip is full. Prepare for five days of wilderness camping.

July 24-29 Yellow Bluff Bay field trip

Drive to Tahsis and stay overnight there to catch the boat next day at 7:00 am. Boat trip from Tahsis travel north of Nootka Island then into Esparanza Inlet to YBB. We will base camp there then hike one hour to Tatchu Point and Sandstone Point. For the more energetic members we will go to…

August 3 Sunday VIPS annual Saber-tooth salmon BBQ

At Dan’s. 2120 Stewart. Bring friend(s), food, beverage, lawn chair(s) and auction item(s). Socialize 4:00-5:30 pm, dinner 5:30 -6:30 pm, silent auction 6:30-7:30 pm. Music by Jay.

August 22-25, Friday to Tuesday BCPA-VIPS Paleontological Symposium

Friday: meet ‘n greet. Saturday: Presentations. Sunday: Presentations, fossil prep workshop and field trip. Monday: Field trip to Hornby Island. All welcome. See details here.

ay Hawley, finished preparing Eupachydiscus ammonite
Jay and Amy on a field trip to the west coast
Betty and Jean at Camp Escalante
Hornby Island Field Trip with students
James, Pat, Dan & Jay carrying out plaster jacket of juvenile Elasmosaur from Trent River
Dan, Cory, Heidi, John, Rod & Ken
Kapoose Rocks – Jim & John
Dan and Betty social distancing on Puntledge River
Kapoose Rock – Cadoceras – Jurassic Period
Just fishin’
Naomi – Diplomoceras
Betty & Pati at Escalante 2022
Betty, Pati, Dan & Diana, Escalante Trip 2022
Dan & Pati, Escalante Trip 2022
Megakos, Eocene Crab Fossil
Megakos, Eocene Crab Fossil
Quichena, BC
Blastoid, Cowichan Lake
Grassy Island, West Coast, BC Jurassic
Riff Creek, Port Alberni Area First Trilobite found on Vancouver Island
Jurassic Cycad Seeds, Haida
Jurassic Radiolarians, Haida Gwaai
Gastropods, Upper Cretaceous Haslam Formation
Pleuramatra sp. Upper Cretaceous, Vancouver Island
Diving for fossils – Lake Cowichan – Jean, Betty, and Mike
Ben Morin’s first ammonite find from Haida Gwaii
Escalante Sunset – Last fossil of the day

“Evolution is life to continue”

Anonymous, November 14, 1999

Geology of Vancouver Island

Did you know?
The oldest rocks on Vancouver Island are Devonian in age (ca. 370 m.y.) and include sea-floor and terrestrial volcanic rocks as well as some limestone of the Sicker and Buttle Lake Groups.

Introduction to Paleontology
Courtenay Museum

© 2025 Vancouver Island Paleontological Society

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