National Fossil Day

Today is the midpoint of Earth Science Week, which has been declared National Fossil Day by the National Park Service. If you're lucky enough to be in Washington DC, the park service is hosting an event on the National Mall. The rest of us will have to be content with the fossils of our local areas—or, of course, our official state fossils and state dinosaurs. Your state probably has one, but if not, maybe you could start a movement today. The key to getting a state emblem of any kind enacted (including state rocks, state minerals and state gemstones) seems to be schoolchildren. If you can coordinate the state's kids to petition their legislators and reinforce their effort with smart lobbying, your state too can have a cool fossil and/or dinosaur of its own.