Discovering dinosaurs

Ready for a spring break road trip to a time long ago?

Madera County is home to one of the largest middle-Pleistocene fossil excavations in North America. At the Fossil Discovery Center in Chowchilla, visitors can travel back in time 700,000 years and meet Columbian mammoths, saber toothed cats, giant sloths and short-faced bear.

“The Fossil Discovery Center is truly a local gem, welcoming more than 30,000 visitors each year from school groups and Central Valley families to travelers exploring Yosemite’s southern gateway,” said Brooke Smith of Visit Yosemite Madera County.

“It’s one of the premier museums in the Central Valley, drawing students from across the region. The center houses an extraordinary collection of Ice Age fossils which are still being discovered right next door at the Fairmead landfill.”

The discovery center next to the landfill also serves as a visitors’ center.

The site overlooks current landfill operations and the paleontology dig with a good view of the valley floor and rising foothills to the east — the area where prehistoric rivers washed down the bones that have become the Fairmead fossils.

The facility interprets both the paleontology activity and the landfill activity. The diverse themes are united by showing how the world of the past became the world of the present and how our current activities, including waste disposal, will create the world of the future.

Of particular significance for California and the western United States, the fossils are among those from only a few sites known from this time period, especially with so many species.

The fossils were first discovered in 1993 when a landscaper working at the Fairmead Landfill began to find discoloration in the soil during earth removal. Once an eight-foot mammoth tusk was uncovered, the earth removal stopped until proper identification and an assessment could be made.

The Museum of Paleontology at the University of California Berkeley was called in and the San Joaquin Paleontology Foundation was formed.

As more fossils were uncovered, astounding discoveries were made including some new species identified. Knowing the landfill site held enough fossils to keep paleontologists busy for decades, the Discovery Center was created to share the wonders with the community and visitors to Madera County.

It’s not just fascinating and educational, the Fossil Discovery Center is fun, as Smith can personally attest having hosted her own soiree on the premises — daughter Penny’s eighth birthday.

“Beyond its exhibits the center hosts unique events like birthday parties and baby showers. And it has completed a new Native American exhibit thanks to a recent grant from the state of California.”

Smith noted the place is also home to the landmark Mammoth Orange refreshment stand, now available for lease as a potential food stand in a prime location just off Highway 99.

The Fossil Discovery Center is located at 19450 Ave. 21 ½ in Chowchilla. Visit www.maderamammoths.org for more information.