News

Latest news and announcements from the Rice Northwest Rock and Mineral Museum.

TONIGHT: Watch “Unprepared” documentary on OPB

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This evening, Thursday, October 1, at 8 PM, OPB will be broadcasting the documentary “Unprepared.” It investigates the state of Oregon’s earthquake preparedness, and, according to OPB’s summary, finds “that when it comes to bridges, schools, hospitals, building codes and energy infrastructure, Oregon lags far behind…” Watch this evening to learn what Oregonians need to do to become resilient in the face of our seismic threats.

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35th Annual Portland Regional Gem and Mineral Show in Hillsboro

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The 2015 Portland Regional Gem Mineral Show Association is the 35th Annual event hosted by the Portland Regional Gem and Mineral Association October 9-11, 2015. This is one of the largest rock, gem, and mineral shows in the Pacific Northwest, bringing together over 40 dealers and hundreds of exhibits. There will be demonstrations, lectures, workshops, educational programs, specimens, and more through out the entire weekend. Admission is $5 per day for adults. Children 12 and under are free accompanied by an adult. The event will be at the Washington County Fair Complex across from the Hillsboro Airport in Hillsboro, Oregon. For more information, see the 2015 Portland Regional Gem Mineral Show Association announcements and news.

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Support the Rice NW Museum with Amazon Smile!

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Do you already like to shop with Amazon.com? You can now use Amazon Smile to have Amazon donate money to the Rice Museum each time you make a purchase. It’s easy! Just follow these three simple steps: Go to Amazon Smile and sign in with your usual Amazon username and password. When prompted, type “Rice Museum of Rocks and Minerals” into the charity search box. Select our museum as your preferred charity. Use smile.amazon.com to log into Amazon every time you shop. And that’s it! Each time you make a purchase using Amazon Smile, the Rice NW Museum receives a small donation. Sign up now and support our museum by using Amazon Smile!

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Support the Rice Museum by Shopping at Freddy’s

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Want to know a super easy way to support the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals? You can now help the Rice NW Museum earn donations just by shopping at Fred Meyer with your Rewards Card! To link your Rewards Card to the Community Rewards program: Register your card Search for the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals by our unique non-profit organization number: 85221 or by name. That’s it. Every time you shop using your Fred Meyer Rewards Card you earn points and you are donating to the museum. On a quarterly basis, Fred Meyer sends a donation check to the Rice Northwest Museum. Your shopping supports our programs and activities. If you don’t already have a Fred Meyer Rewards Card, you can sign up for one at the Customer Service Desk at any Fred Meyer store. Remember, you earn rewards points, fuel points, downloadable coupons, and more, and the Rice Northwest Museum can earn donations. It’s a win-win! While shopping at Fred Meyer, be sure and let them know how much you appreciate this easy way to donate and support local charities.

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Rice Northwest Museum Featured on What’s Hot in Tucson 2015

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The Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals’ exhibit at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show(R) was featured in “What’s Hot in Tucson 2015,” documentary produced by Blue Cap Productions.  Each year Blue Cap Productions produces a feature length documentary of the Tucson show, the world’s largest show of its kind. Host Bob Jones is a long-time fan of the Rice Northwest Museum. He interviewed Leslie Moclock, our curator, about the uniqueness of the exhibit. The theme of the event was minerals from western Europe. The Rice Northwest Museum exhibit broadened the scope focusing on Lead Minerals from Europe featuring pyromorphite found in Germany in 1894, the largest known sample of phosgenite, and other rare lead crystals, winning the Friends of Mineralogy Educational Award for best educational exhibit by an institution. Lead is typically thought of as a dull grayish substance used in batteries and solder, and the goal of this exhibit was to show off the beauty of classic minerals that contain lead. Executive Director Julian Gray talked about the history and development of the museum, and its change from a private to public non-profit, expanding the scope and future of the museum. This is a great look at the many outreach programs Rice Northwest Museum offers at various rock, gem, and mineral shows around North America as well as the educational programs we offer, expanding your ideas on rocks, gems, and minerals.

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2015 Fossil Fest Speakers and Activities

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The 10th Annual Northwest Fossil Fest at the Rice Northwest Museum is this weekend, sponsored by NARG, the North American Research Group. The Theme this year is The Pleistocene Epoch and they have a round of amazing speakers and presentations that will tickle your fossil fancy. The lecture schedule for Saturday is: 11:00am – “The Beringia Land Mass of the Ice Age” by Greg Carr/NARG member 12:30pm – “The Yamhill Pleistocene Project” by Mike Full, Director of the Yamhill River Pleistocene Project 2:00pm – “Ice Age Fossils in Woodburn, Oregon” by Dave Ellingson, Educator, Woodburn High School, Oregon David Ellingson, Willamette Valley Pleistocene Project David Ellingson will be speaking on the Pleistocene peat bog found on the campus of Woodburn High School, and founded the Willamette Valley Pleistocene Project. The project has gained national recognition and acclaim with articles like “Biology teacher has a bone to pick with awareness” and “Digging Up Dirt on the Past” in the Woodburn News locally. The high school science teacher is lucky to have an Ice Age dig site right on the school campus, and Ellingson uses it to bring to life their archaeology and geology studies. He leads fossil hunt field trips throughout the Willamette Valley. The students have found mammoth tracks, evidence of baby mammoths, possible horn core of a Bison latrifons, sloth, horse, and mastodon, and other animal fossils, as well as evidence of an animal with a seven-foot horn span. The following is a 30 second, time-lapse video of a dig in 2013 called the Woodburn Fossil Rescue Dig by NARG.

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Thanks to Our Summer Festival Sponsors

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Summer Festival 2015 is getting closer; August 1-2 is just a few days away. An event this large would not be possible without the generous support of our community friends and sponsors. We are proud to introduce you to some of those sponsors for our Summer Festival 2015. Pumkpin Ridge Golf Club Prehistoric, Lincoln City, Oregon New Seasons, Hillsboro, Oregon Elmers, Hillsboro, Oregon Resers Fine Foods Longbottom Coffee and Tea Harry and David, Lincoln City Oregon Hazelnuts Marketing Board, Aurora, Oregon Outback Steakhouse, Barnes Road Shari’s Restaurant, 185th Avenue Furrow Farm Tree Farm, Hillsboro Grocery Outlet – Hillsboro -Grocery Store on Facebook Thanks to their generosity, we have great raffle prizes and freebies for participants. These all help support the educational programming at the Rice Northwest Museum. Be sure and stop by these businesses and thank them for their continued support of the Rice Northwest Museum and rock and mineral community of the Pacific Northwest. IMPORTANT ROAD CONSTRUCTION ALERT:  Please note that Helvetia Road will be closed August 8, 2015 because of construction.  Not to worry!  Just follow our detour instructions and be alert for detour signs to guide you to the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals and the 2015 Summer Festival.

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Northwest Fossil Fest at the Rice Northwest Museum

Events, News /

The Northwest Fossil Fest sponsored by the North America Research Group (NARG) will take place at the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals on Saturday, August 8, 2015, from 10 AM to 5 PM. The Theme for the 10th Annual Northwest Fossil Fest is The Pleistocene Epoch! The event is free for families to learn about fossils, fossil collecting, preparation, identification, and display. The event includes lectures and demonstrations, including presentations by Mike Full and Dave Ellingson.  Mike will discuss some of his recent important discoveries from the Yamhill River Pleistocene Project and will have some of his Ice Age mammal bone discoveries on display.  Dave, a science teacher at Woodburn High School, will talk about major fossil discoveries from a bog deposit on grounds of the Woodburn Campus.  The Woodburn discoveries are part of the exciting Willamette Valley Pleistocene Project.  The lecture schedule will be published soon. Paleontologists will be on hand identify fossils and to show kids of all ages how to clean and prepare fossils.  There will be lots of hands on activities and this is a great event for families and fossil fans.  Attendance for the Fossil Fest includes free admission to the museum. For more information and up-to-the-minute information see Northwest Fossil Fest. IMPORTANT ROAD CONSTRUCTION ALERT:  Please note that Helvetia Road will be closed August 8, 2015 because of construction.  Please follow our detour instructions and be alert for detour signs to guide you to the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals and the 2015 NW Fossil Fest.

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Survival and Resilience after a Cascadia Earthquake Event

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This week’s New Yorker article on The Really Big One has struck a chord with my friends on my Facebook feed. I’ve seen several posts this morning from geologists and non-geologists alike expressing fear and hopelessness in the face of a looming threat: the next great Cascadia earthquake, which may happen at any moment and will bring the coastal Pacific Northwest along with both Portland and Seattle to its knees. Though the article’s science and history are spot-on, the author has left out a critical part of the story: just what are we supposed to do about it? Contrary to popular belief, a Cascadia earthquake does not mean that everything is simply “toast,” as FEMA’s Kenneth Murphy is quoted as saying. Each of us has the power, both as individuals and as a regional community, to prepare for survival and resilience. Keep reading to learn more about what you can do!

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