New Jersey's UBC Quarry features in EARTH Magazine April 2011

It was July 2010 in mid season of yet another productive year at the West Paterson's world famous UBC Quarry now under new management of K Hovnanian Homes.  Mapping of the dinosaur trackways on top of Northeast Wall was in full swing by local amateur paleontologists and petitions were being signed and progress was being made efforts to save the Northeast Wall for future generations.  Without warning an army of bulldozers, backhoes, dumptrucks, and blasting crews marched onto the site of the last remaining section of the former UBC Quarry to begin a new season of construction and demolition.   The remaining vacant lot of land and the Northeast Wall were under attack for a new layout of retirement condominiums to be built in its place.  Years of research on the property was ended overnight as the first excavations started with leveling the top of the wall containing the most significant assortment of dinosaur tracks.  This attracted local newspapers and science journalists to the scene to investigate what was happening here in West Paterson's world famous fossil footprint quarry.  A quarry that has been operational for over 50 years that has produced some of New Jersey's most significant dinosaur trace fossils, minerals, and scientific information on the Triassic/Jurassic boundary.  Soon after the excavations and demolition of the Northeast wall began, local amateur paleontologist Chris Laskowich stumbled upon one of the last amazing finds that this quarry would reveal to the science community.  Amongst the rubble piles Chris found a complete Eubrontes footprint suspected to be from the dinosaur Dilophosaurus.  Measuring at close to 13 inches in length and on a boulder that weighed close to 5 tons it was a massive rock.  With the efforts of the New Jersey State Museum and K Hovnanian Homes this significant find was hauled down to Trenton and now resides as an entrance piece to all of those that visit the museum.  This find generated interest by both parties to allow the local amateur paleontologists and the New Jersey State Museum to work together in order to recover more specimens as construction and demolition moves forward.   One local freelance science writer and paleontology enthusiast Kristina Fiore believed something valuable was being lost in New Jersey and decided to take on the project to research the UBC Quarry's dinosaur tracks, the current state of demolition and its short and longterm impacts on the science community, residents of New Jersey, and amateur paleontologists.  Through her extensive research an article has been released in the highly recognized science magazine EARTH in the April 2011 issue.  I encourage everyone to pick up an edition of April's EARTH Magazine to read about New Jersey's UBC Quarry and its very significance to New Jersey. Until then work continues at the UBC Quarry in efforts to recover more dinosaur tracks and science data till the condominiums have been built.  May more exciting discoveries be on the horizon at the UBC Quarry.

The Eubrontes Track found at UBC Quarry now at the New Jersey State Museum

I would like to thank all of those that have been involved with the UBC Quarry over the past few years.  This includes but is not limited to the following:  Amateur Paleontologists: Chris Laskowich, Henry Vila, Jack Boyland, Larry Decina, Harry Maisch, Gary Vechierreli, Jason Schein, Howie Cohn, and many other volunteers for their dedication and hard labor.  Professional paleotologists:  David Parris, Rodrigo Pelligrini, Paul Olsen, Emma Rainforth, William Gallagher, and John Puffer for their scientific expertise.  Journalists:  Kristinia Fiore, Bjoern Kils, and Maggie Astor for bringing to light the recent activities at the former UBC Quarry.