December 7, 2004 > Mammoth Discovery in Fremont

by Florence Ion

The Math/Science Nucleus in Fremont has their hands on a real treasure, the recently obtained Pleistocene fossil collection from the Wesley Gordon Discovery Museum of Nature. These fossils provide an important peek into Fremont's prehistoric past.

The exhibit will feature the remains of a variety of ancient specimens that were excavated from Bell Quarry in Fremont. These finds include the well-known wooly mammoth, saber-tooth tiger, mastodon, pony horse and the short faced bear.

Joyce Blueford, director of the Math/Science Nucleus, wants to bring awareness of the findings to try to spark an interest in the community. The exhibit will be open to the public for a limited time in hopes of receiving sponsors and volunteers to aid in cleaning up the fossils.

"The cases need to be cleaned, not all the fossils have their appropriate stands, and the labels are ancient," said Blueford. She hopes the community will recognize the importance of the exhibit. "This will be one of the largest collections outside of UC Berkeley's, and that one is not even open to the public." The expected completion date is next April.

The Math/Science Nucleus is a non-profit, educational and research organization composed of scientists, educators and community members. Founded in 1982, it serves as a science resource center to assist schools, teachers and administrators. The Nucleus aims to increase the science literacy of students in our school systems by enhancing the skills of teachers and administrators.

The facility, an important asset to the area, is unable to continually fund the 2,000 square feet needed to display the entire collection, nor can they afford to give all 1,300 fossils a complete makeover. With your help, it may be possible to extend the exhibit so that more can enjoy the wonder of our homegrown history.

The fossils will be on display December 14 from 4-7:30 p.m. at 4074 Eggers Drive in Fremont. The staff asks that small children do not attend due to the conditions of the fossils and the importance of presentation for sponsorship. If you're interested in helping the exhibit, visit http://www.msnucleus.org. (510-790-6284).