Our Prehistoric Palmetto State

Join the FCM for a free, fossil workshop offering a fun & engaging glimpse into South Carolina’s extinct fauna. Our Prehistoric Palmetto State is an engaging presentation on the process of fossilization and the diverse animals present in South Carolina’s fossil record. Paleontologist Ashby Gale will construct explanations for why fossil deposits are located where they are, interpret past data from the fossil record to analyze historical climate patterns, and explore the driving mechanisms of fossilization processes. Throughout the presentation, he will share different fossils collected in the Lowcountry for the audience to get an up-close look at the Lowcountry’s prehistoric past! The presentation typically lasts an hour and 15 minutes, and guests may ask questions at the conclusion of the talk.

Guests may bring fossils and questions! For fossils, please limit to 10 finds per family to ensure the line doesn’t get too long.

Mr. Gale will also have copies of the book he helped co-author, A Beachcomber’s Guide to Fossils, for sale ($29.95). Compiled from decades of visiting beaches along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, collecting fossils, and conducting extensive research, A Beachcomber’s Guide to Fossils is the definitive guide for amateur collectors and professionals interested in learning more about the deep history they tread on during their vacations. Authored by Bob, Pam, and Ashby Gale, this guide offers more than twelve hundred high-quality color photographs and detailed descriptions of more than three hundred fossil specimens found on beaches from Texas, east to Florida, and north to New Jersey.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on April 6, 2026, at 9 am.
Members get priority ticket access the week before starting on March 30, 2025. Only 20 early tickets are available.

The cost to attend is free, but registration is required via the link on this page.