I was still spending a lot of time in Tampa so I joined the Tampa Bay Fossil Club and then I checked out a few others, looking for a good selection of field trips. The Orlando club didn't have any scheduled field trips at that time but I noticed that the Fossil Club of Lee County in Fort Myers had a trip planned to the Mosaic phosphate mine. Anyone Googling fossils of Florida will come across amazing photos and videos from the phosphate mines; what a wonderland!
I joined both clubs, paid my dues, and sent emails introducing myself and letting them know where my interests lay. The way I see it, I'm already middle aged so I haven't any time to lose!
I went to the Tampa meetings first since it's closer for me. TBFC is a big club and I felt invisible at the meetings. There are so many long-standing members, I didn't stand a chance of being included in the more coveted field trips. I'm not dissing TBFC; they've got it going on! But being a newbie and not very outgoing, I needed something a little more personalized.
Sometimes everything falls into place and that's what happened with the Fossil Club of Lee County. It is a smaller club and a better fit for me. The president of the club answered my email AND invited me on the Mosaic mine field trip! I cannot begin to express how excited I was!
The 4+ hour drive to Fort Myers is a pain and I can only attend meetings once a quarter but I've found my fossil club.
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