Forgive Felicia Ludwig for getting all cosmic about it, but that’s just how she feels about fossil hunting.
Advertisement Story continues below advertisement Ludwig is now in the middle of building a nonprofit called Maryland Fossil Finders.
Additional popular fossil hunting sites are along the Potomac, James, and Rappahannock rivers.
Advertisement Although other fossil hunting groups and clubs exist across the state, Ludwig said her group will emphasize making fossil hunting open and accessible, regardless of language barriers or physical limitations.
While fossil hunting is a scientific endeavor requiring professional attention and analysis, major finds can be discovered by both amateurs and experts.
I apologize for Felicia Ludwig’s cosmic rant, but that’s her attitude toward fossil hunting.
In 2017, while exploring the sandy Matoaka Beach in Calvert County, Ludwig discovered her first fossil. A tiny fragment of fossil that could have been mistaken for a rock, bleached wood, or even trash, it was the mouth plate of an ancient stingray. However, this was millions of years old.
The 37-year-old Ludwig claimed that “there is magic in feeling so small.”. You are the first person to ever pick up some of these items. You are 37 years old, and they are 30 million years old. The notion that you are so unimportant truly appeals to me. “.”.
A friend introduced Ludwig, a Maryland native who grew up enjoying the outdoors but now spends her days at a computer gathering information, to fossil hunting. Ludwig became enamored with her friend after accompanying him on his subsequent hunt.
Ludwig is currently developing Maryland Fossil Finders, a nonprofit. With webinars teaching the fundamentals and frequent guided walks, the group, which was founded in September, hopes to inspire more Marylanders to go fossil hunting.
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Pay attention to DdotC. geographic area.
And they have good reason to try it—Maryland is uniquely .ted with artifacts from ancient geological periods. Fossils of several dinosaurs from the early Cretaceous period, roughly 150 million years ago, were found in a “bone bed” in Laurel, Montana, in 2023. An amateur fossil hunter and his family found a 650-pound whale skull that was 12 million years old that same year while they were exploring the Calvert County coastline. Calvert Marine Museum received the discovery for additional study.
Ludwig wants to increase the number of fossil hunters in the area because there is a lot of history that is still undiscovered.
She said, “You can find it if you’re out there.”. However, it might be washed out into the ocean and never be found again if no one is around. “.”.
Most of Maryland’s fossils are from the Miocene, which occurred between 23 and 5 million years ago. Mastodons and saber-toothed cats hunted alongside the earliest bears and dogs. David Hoppe, a graduate student in Earth Systems Science at George Mason University and a passionate fossil blogger, claims that elevated temperatures also resulted in higher sea levels, with a large portion of Maryland submerged in a shallow sea. The region extended as far south as Richmond and as far west as I-95.
Hoppe claimed that the sea was brimming with marine life, including sharks, whales, dolphins, fish, and saltwater crocodiles.
Hoppe stated that because these ancient sharks, like their contemporary counterparts, lose up to 10,000 teeth over the course of their lifetimes, shark teeth are the most prevalent fossil in the area.
According to Hoppe, “I am frequently asked if we will ever run out of fossil shark teeth here.”. We won’t run out of them anytime soon, I always say. Shark teeth can be found in millions, if not billions. “”.
The most well-known spot in the area for fossil hunting is the Calvert Cliffs, a picturesque stretch of beach situated against an old landmass that hangs on the western edge of the Chesapeake Bay. More than 600 species’ fossils have been found at the location, according to Hoppe.
Among these is one of the most sought-after discoveries in the region: the tooth of a megalodon, an enormous prehistoric shark that was almost 70 feet long. The length of its teeth is three to five inches. A 9-year-old discovered a five-inch megalodon tooth at Calvert in January 2023. Other well-liked locations for fossil hunting are found alongside the James, Rappahannock, and Potomac rivers.
Ludwig stated that her group will prioritize making fossil hunting open and accessible, despite the existence of other clubs and groups in the state, irrespective of physical or linguistic barriers. She has motorized beach wheelchairs available, two ASL interpreters who volunteer, and a Spanish interpreter. Ludwig has organized three hikes so far, and as the group moves into 2025, they have more hikes and events planned for the early spring.
After seeing Ludwig’s Facebook post about the Maryland Fossil Finders, Diane Bowlby, a 63-year-old yoga instructor, registered for one of the walks. Bowlby, who had previously taught Ludwig, had a habit of gathering seashells and rocks while traveling. However, she would be going on her first fossil hunt.
She went on one of Ludwig’s planned hikes from her house outside of York, Pennsylvania. Bowlby brought three shark tooth fossils back home and intends to return.
She continued, “There was a blind man on the trip, and he was using feel to find fossils.”. “It was incredible.”. “.”.
Ludwig says that inclusivity is important to her, as she’s faced reluctance from some seasoned fossil hunters who refused to share knowledge or good locations.
Ludwig remarked, “It seems like many people want to keep things a secret.”. They seem to believe that the hobby is being destroyed by the dissemination of information. “.”.
According to Hoppe, one of the primary conflicts that arises when fossil hunters hunt is gatekeeping. Others include grievances from landowners regarding trespassing by fossil hunters. Additionally, a lot of the sites are situated on state park property, and it is illegal to take items home.
“There have been instances where individuals have destroyed scientific specimens out of greed and a desire to possess something cool,” Hoppe stated. “The best course of action is to notify a museum by phone if you notice anything noteworthy. “”.
According to Ludwig, increased participation would only help the fossil hunting effort as a whole by removing more proof of the planet’s and its life forms’ past from the earth. Even though fossil hunting is a scientific activity that needs expert care and analysis, both novices and experts can make significant discoveries.
She remarked, “This is an opportunity to find things that haven’t been found yet.”. We’ll find more stuff if there are more people out there looking for these things. “”.
