Paleontologists from the San Bernardino County Museum in Redlands, California reported the exciting new finds this week. The California museum team has been combing the upper Las Vegas Wash for fossils from the Pleistocene Epoch – the “Ice Ages” – for over a decade, finding hundreds of sites and thousands of fossils. But sabre-toothed cats – scientific name Smilodon fatalis – always kept a low profile. Until now.

“We’re ecstatic,” exclaims Kathleen Springer, Senior Curator for the San Bernardino County Museum and lead scientist for studies in the upper Las Vegas Wash. “We’ve been saying for years that these critters were out here, somewhere. It was just a matter of time until we found one.”

The initial discovery was made in 2003, during a survey conducted by scientists from the California museum that identified over 400 previously-unknown fossil sites in the upper Las Vegas Wash. The find wasn’t visibly spectacular – two broken limb bones eroding out of a small rise in the desert – and the identity of the fossils was obscured by surrounding sediment. In 2008, under a research grant from the Southern Nevada District Office of the Bureau of Land Management, San Bernardino County Museum researchers began collecting and curating the fossils found during their earlier surveys. The sabre-tooth site was relocated in June of this year, and the fossils have just finished being cleaned, stabilized, and identified.

“I hate to say, ‘We hit the jackpot’, this being Vegas – but we did!” jokes paleontologist Eric Scott, Curator of Paleontology for the San Bernardino County Museum and discoverer of the fossils.

The new discoveries date to approximately 15,000 years ago, according to radiocarbon analyses. “We’re establishing a tight radiocarbon chronology for the entire Tule Springs region,” says Springer, “and that work allows us to place individual fossils into our temporal framework. This is essential for understanding how living communities responded to environmental changes through time.”

Smilodon fatalis was a lion-sized predator with long, knife-like canine teeth. Scientists interpret sabre-toothed cats to have likely been ambush predators, hunting their prey through stealth and then disemboweling them with their canine teeth. The species died out at the end of the Pleistocene Epoch, eleven thousand years ago, and left no descendants.

Scientists and scholars have combed the desert north of Las Vegas, Nevada since the early 1900s, but none ever succeeded in finding sabre-toothed cats, which are frequently but incorrectly termed “tigers”. New York’s American Museum of Natural History, California’s Southwest Museum and the University of California, Berkeley, and Nevada’s own Nevada State Museum have all visited Tule Springs in expeditions dating from before 1920 through the early 1960s, and all made fossil collections. Bones and teeth of mammoths, camels, horses, and bison found their way into museum collections across the country. But sabre-toothed cats proved elusive.

“Meat-eaters are generally uncommon in the fossil record,” explains Scott. “In living communities, carnivores are far outnumbered by plant-eaters. The same holds true for past ecosystems. This makes fossil remains of extinct carnivores very rare and special – and very tough to find.”

The ongoing research in the Tule Springs region goes beyond just finding fossils, however. Funding from the Bureau of Land Management supports a comprehensive, integrative approach to Ice Age studies that emphasizes the geological age and context of the fossils. “We’re building on earlier studies,” says Springer, “and expanding what they learned. We’re seeing clear signals of regional responses to climatic changes through time, preserved here in the rock record, which have never been recognized before. The fossils are part of that picture, but there’s so much more going on here.”

The addition of sabre-toothed cats to the Tule Springs bestiary comes at a perfect time. This year marks the 50-year anniversary of the “Big Dig”, a massive interdisciplinary expedition at Tule Springs that explored the prehistory of the region at a scale never before attempted. On December 8^th, the Nevada State Museum will celebrate this anniversary with an all-day event, “Tule Springs ‘Big Dig’: Celebrating 50 Years of Exploration”. The event will showcase new exhibits, produced by the San Bernardino County Museum and funded by the Bureau of Land Management, which present highlights of past and current studies at Tule Springs. Springer and Scott will each present talks on the paleontology and geology of the region.

“I expect,” says Scott, “we may talk a bit about sabre-tooth cats, as well.”

The San Bernardino County Museum is at the California Street exit from Interstate 10 in Redlands. For more information, visit www.sbcountymuseum.org. The museum is accessible to persons with disabilities. If assistive listening devices or other auxiliary aids are needed in order to participate in museum exhibits or programs, requests should be made through Museum Visitor Services at least three business days prior to your visit. Visitor Services’ telephone number is 909-307-2669 ext. 229 or (TDD) 909-792-1462.

Built in 1902, Kendall Place was purchased by Plymouth Village in 1984 and is a cornerstone of the 37-acre community.   Live entertainment will be provided by talented pianist, Steve Lawless.

Come see Kendall Place decorated in Victorian holiday style by the Redlands Horticultural Society.  Enjoy gathering with friends, residents and staff, to reminisce of seasons past and to look ahead to a bright future.  Specialty desserts and door prizes.  Tours available.  For more information call: (877) 321-4896.

Pick one evening to bring your family to play holiday games, hear holiday stories, make winter crafts, have refreshments, visit with some live animals, and have a photo op with Santa. You can wear your pajamas and bring your favorite teddy bear to keep you company. Please arrive by 6 pm to enjoy the whole party.

“Families love this program and return year after year,” said Jolene Redvale, curator of education. “Our relaxed, seasonal atmosphere gives everyone a chance to enjoy each other’s company while they take part in long-held holiday traditions including story time, snacking, craft-making and, best of all, the thrill of talking to Santa Claus himself.”

Cost is $10.00 per person. Under age 1 is free with paid adult. Each admission includes all holiday crafts and activities, a chat with Santa, and refreshments. Space is limited and fills quickly—only reservations with payment received by 4:30 pm on Wednesday, December 5, will be eligible to register for the party. No payments will be accepted at Santa’s PJ Party, and the museum is unable to give refunds for this program. Call (909) 307-2669, ext. 256 with questions; pick up a registration form at the front desk or visit www.sbcountymuseum.org.

The San Bernardino County Museum is at the California Street exit from Interstate 10 in Redlands. Parking is free. For more information, visit www.sbcountymuseum.org. The museum is accessible to persons with disabilities. If assistive listening devices or other auxiliary aids are needed in order to participate in museum exhibits or programs, requests should be made through Museum Visitor Services at least three business days prior to your visit. Visitor Services’ telephone number is 909-307-2669 ext. 229 or (TDD) 909-792-1462.

“How many times in a day do you throw away a slip of paper with a note on it, a letter you received, a movie ticket, or the packing from a product you have purchased?” asked Michele Nielsen, the museum’s curator of history. “For that matter, how many times in a day do you shred a print copy of an e-mail? All of these paper-based items are ephemeral. They are not meant to be kept, and they are seemingly inconsequential, but over time they can have real meaning. Documents, letters, hastily scribbled notes, and even advertising materials are a fascinating way to discover things about our past and gain insights into our county’s history.”

As a part of the exhibit, visitors can try an old style of handwriting, long-since out of use, and try to decipher popular words and phrases from the past. Read historic diary and journal entries and correspondence. How do they compare to the scrapbooking, journaling, and electronic communicating we do today?

The San Bernardino County Museum is at the California Street exit from Interstate 10 in Redlands. The museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 9 am to 5pm. General admission is $8 (adult), $6 (military or senior), $5 (student), and $4 (child aged 5 to 12). Children under five and Museum Association members are admitted free. Parking is free. For more information, visit www.sb countymuseum.org. The museum is accessible to persons with disabilities. If assistive listening devices or other auxiliary aids are needed in order to participate in museum exhibits or programs, requests should be made through Museum Visitor Services at least three business days prior to your visit. Visitor Services’ telephone number is 909-307-2669 ext. 229 or (TDD) 909-792-1462.

This year’s elevated experience offers a seated dinner, a short program about the Feast of Lights, music and no-host cocktails in the Casa Loma Room at 5:30 p.m. November 30, prior to the first night of the Feast of Lights.

Guest can enjoy the evening with for $36 (T&G members) or $40 (non-members) or experience the Moveable Feast with preferred seating at the Feast of Lights for $61 (T&G members) or $65 (non-members).

“This event has traditionally been wine, appetizers and the company of friends,” said President Shelli Stockton. “This year, we decided to elevate the experience with a sit-down dinner, and we hope our guests enjoy this new offering.”

Tickets are available online at http://bulldogconnect.redlands.edu or by calling 748-8011. Reservations needed by Nov. 19, 2012.

Redlands’ famous cooking guru hosts this cooking class to recruit volunteer bakers for the Redlands YMCA’s holiday home tour, boutique and pantry that will be held Dec. 1-2 in the Y’s Roy Coble Gymnasium.

The cooking demonstration at The Eating Room, 107 E. Citrus Ave., includes a light dinner along with the traditional sampling of tasty treats Green will demonstrate.

Cost is $25, plus a pledge to provide four dozen homemade baked treats (Christmas cookies, breads, brownies, etc.), fudge, or toffee for the YMCA’s holiday pantry. (Baked goods must be dropped off at the YMCA, 500 E. Citrus Ave., Redlands by noon, Fri., Dec. 2.)

Registration deadline for Green’s cooking demonstration is Fri. Nov. 23. To register the class, call the YMCA, (909) 798-9622, register online at http://www.ymcaeastvalley.org or at the YMCA, 500 E. Citrus Ave., Redlands.

Attendees must be at least 13 years old.

Redlands YMCA Holiday Home Tour is 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Sun., Dec. 2. Information on tickets and the tour is at http://www.ymcaeastvalley.org.

Proceeds from the cooking demonstration, home tour, and other related events benefit the YMCA of the East Valley’s Legal Aid Clinic.

Amy Gerstler is a writer of poetry, nonfiction and journalism and the author of twelve books. Her most recent book of poetry, Dearest Creature, was a finalist for an LA Times book award and the Poets Prize, and was named one of the New York Times most notable books of 2009. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, Paris Review, American Poetry Review, several volumes of Best American Poetry and The Norton Anthology of Postmodern American Poetry. She was the guest editor of the yearly anthology Best American Poetry in 2010. Her previous twelve books include Ghost Girl, Medicine, Crown of Weeds, which won a California Book Award, Nerve Storm, and Bitter Angel,which won a National Book Critics Circle Award in poetry.

Ms. Gerstler is currently a professor at University of California-Irvine.

Please join us for a reading by Amy Gerstler on Thursday, November 15 at 7:30 in Hall of Letters 100, to be followed by a reception and book signing with the author. This event is free and open to the public.

For more information please contact the Creative Writing Department at 909-748-8260.

EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

Duck Stamps and Refuges

Duck Stamp Art will be exhibited at the San Bernardino County Museum during “Flights of Fancy,” November 16, 17, and 18, 2012. The exhibit includes the top entries from this year’s Federal Duck Stamp contest and Junior Duck Stamp entries.

Duck stamps are not postage stamps. In fact, they are not “Duck Stamps”—they are actually called Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps. These revenue stamps are purchased by waterfowl hunters each year to validate their hunting licenses. Duck Stamps are also used as entry passes to refuges with entry fees, and are sought after by collectors and conservationists. The proceeds from stamp sales are the single largest source of funding for wetlands habitat conservation and enhancement. The stamp design, new each year, is chosen through a prestigious, federally sponsored art contest. The winning painting appears on the following year’s duck stamp.

The Duck Stamp program started in 1934. America’s vast flocks of wild ducks were at record lows. Drought and drainage were destroying the wetlands where birds nested in North America. A political cartoonist, Jay N. “Ding” Darling, conceived the idea of a federal revenue stamp to be purchased by hunters to fund migratory bird habitat. Artists were commissioned to design each year’s stamp until 1949, when the annual contest began.

Since 1934, the Duck Stamp program has raised over $750 million to preserve 5.2 million acres of wetlands in 186 national wildlife refuges. Today, 98 cents of every dollar in Duck Stamp sales goes directly to the purchase of habitats in the National Wildlife Refuge System. These refuges are used by one-third of our threatened and endangered species and two-thirds of our most important commercial and sporting species along with fishes, songbirds, shorebirds, and countless other species. In California, Duck Stamp sales fund, in part, the following national wildlife refuges: Butte Sink, Colusa, Delevan, Grasslands, Humboldt Bay, Kern, Lower Klamath, Merced, Modoc, North Central Valley, Sacramento, San Luis, San Pablo Bay, Sonny Bono Salton Sea, Sutter, and Willow Creek–Lurline.

Field Trip

Among these wetlands are wildlife refuges near the Salton Sea. Museum director and ornithologist will lead a field trip to the Sonny Bono Wildlife Refuge and Wister Wildlife Area on Thursday, November 15, to recognize the contribution that Duck Stamps have made to waterfowl conservation and to observe hundreds of thousands of wintering waterfowl. The trip, which will depart from the museum in Redlands on Thursday morning, costs $70 per person ($60 for San Bernardino County Museum Association members) and includes morning coffee, transportation, lunch, beverages, and snacks. Advance registration is required; reservation forms can be picked up at the museum or made by calling LaWanda Avery-Brown at (909) 307-2669 ext. 225.

Guest Artists

Robert Steiner, this year’s winner of both the Federal and the California duck stamp contests, will meet museum visitors and set up an exhibit of duck stamp and waterfowl paintings. World-champion carver Dennis Schroeder will show waterfowl and songbird carvings. Seetharam Maddali will exhibit fine art nature photography in the Fisk Gallery.

Robert Steiner is a guest artist at Flights of Fancy in a dual role as the winner of the 2012 Federal Duck Stamp competition and the 2012 California State Duck Stamp contest. Steiner is America’s foremost duck stamp artist. He has won the 1998–99 Federal Duck Stamp art competition, the 2013–14 Federal Duck Stamp art competition, and has designed 82 state duck stamps to date. These include three prestigious “First of State” stamps: 1989 Rhode Island, 1990 Colorado, and 1991 New Mexico. He is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and earned a Master’s degree in fine art printmaking from San Francisco State University. Steiner won his first duck stamp art competition when he was chosen as the winner of the 1981 California Duck Stamp contest. Since then, he has gone on to design more duck stamps than any other artist!

Steiner is the only wildlife artist to ever receive an award from the National Academy of Art and Letters in New York. He also was awarded an Honorary Lifetime Membership by The Park Rangers Association of California for his outstanding contributions to California’s wetlands preservation efforts. Mr. Steiner’s paintings have been featured in scores of books, magazines, radio programs, television interviews, and museum shows. Recently, the Outdoor Channel ran a thirty minute program documenting Mr. Steiner as the world’s premier duck stamp artist.

Dennis Schroeder was born and raised in Minnesota with its many lakes, rivers, and abundant wildlife and waterfowl. Wildlife art was always his primary interest while growing up and through his art education, sketching and painting the surrounding lakes and marshes and their wildlife. He began his carving career in 1984 and soon found that his background in landscape and wildlife painting to be very useful in creating his carvings. He began to enter his wildfowl carvings in competitions across the country, resulting in numerous first places and best of show awards. In 1990 and again in 1991 he won the prestigious title of “World Champion” in the Ocean City, Maryland international wildfowl carving competition. Though he does not compete in these competitions any longer, his love of wildfowl art has only increased. He now regularly serves as a judge in many of these wildfowl carving competitions, including the World Championships. He was also invited to judge the renowned Federal Duck Stamp art competition in Washington D.C. His work is displayed in museums and private collections across the nation and in other countries.

Seetharam Maddali was born in Krishna-Godavari river basin of Southern India, a place that witnesses one of the largest bird migrations on Earth and home to many endangered species. Growing up, he observed many fascinating creatures: colorful painted storks, spot-billed pelicans, peafowl, water buffalos, Olive Ridley turtles, and venomous cobras. These experiences influenced his interest in sketching and, later, wildlife photography. He moved to the United States in the late 90s, where he worked with the United States Geological Survey, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and United States Forest Service on web-enabling conservation, land use planning, and the permitting process. His environmental concerns dramatically expanded during this period of work, as did his knowledge of North American flora and fauna. Maddali’s photography hangs in both private and corporate collections. His website is a showcase for his photographic art: www.naturearts.com. His publication credits include Westways, Digital Texas, Birder’s World, Digital SLR User and National Geographic. He achieved the Award of Excellence in Arts, 18th TANA Conference, 2011; CMA 2011 Gold award winner, World Best Animal/Wildlife Photography Retail Wall Calendar; CMA 2011 Gold award winner, USA Best Animal/Wildlife Photography Retail Wall Calendar; CMA 2010 Silver award winner, National Best Animal/Wildlife Photography Retail Wall Calendar; two of his images reached finals and three reached semifinals in BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year, 2010; Cornell Lab of Ornithology Featured Photographer, November 2010; First, Second and Third prizes in the 49th Annual Hillcrest Festival of Arts, California; and Featured Artist, TANA 2009 International Festival, Chicago.

Activities

Environmental organizations, including the San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society, Ducks Unlimited, the U. S. Forest Service, U. S Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Game, the California Waterfowl Association, and the San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society will be represented; most will offer special activities for children.

On Saturday and Sunday, Bass Pro Shops and angler Richard Crook will give fly casting and fly tying demonstrations, and Starlight Kennels will bring Labrador retrievers to show off obedience and retrieving skills.

The museum’s education division will invite families to create colorful three-dimensional butterflies, to make and color flip books that show birds in flight, to paint decoys, and to look through microscopes to see feathers up close and personal. Selena Bryan will employ music and free-form dance while helping visitors make colorful feathered bird masks. These family activities are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Artist Trudy Wood will teach art classes for children: drawing birds and feathers with colored pencils at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. and basic pen-and-ink at noon. These classes are offered free on Saturday and Sunday; because space is limited, advance tickets will be available at the museum’s front desk. Dance performances by CSUSB Generations-Dance are scheduled for Saturday afternoon. On Saturday at 3:00, PoetrIE will introduce visual poetry, including making a collage of a raven and writing a poem about what the raven sees, smells, and encounters as it flies.

Chef Roger from Five Star Catering will host a cooking demonstration on Saturday at 3:00.

Reception

A “fancy dress” gala evening reception is planned for Friday evening, November 16, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. The reception will include hearty hors d’oeuvres, no-host beverages, music, opportunity drawings, and social networking. Tickets are available at $25/person or $40/couple; members of the Museum Association are $20/person or $35/couple.

Community Support

Flights of Fancy is organized by the San Bernardino County Museum Association to celebrate its 60th anniversary. Event sponsors include Five Star Catering; Bass Pro Shops; PrintProPlus.com; 91.9 KVCR; Beaver Medical Group; James and Marguerite Glaze; Lewis, Brisbois, Bisgaard & Smith LLP; Ritual Brewing Co, and Target. To recognize the Association’s 60 years of commitment to community service, a special journal will be published in conjunction with Flights of Fancy with the support of numerous organizations, individuals, agencies, and businesses.

The San Bernardino County Museum is at the California Street exit from Interstate 10 in Redlands. Flights of Fancy is open Saturday, November 17, from 9 am. to 5 pm and Sunday, November 18, from 9 am to 4pm. General admission is $8 (adult), $6 (military or senior), $5 (student), and $4 (child aged 5 to 12). Children under five and Museum Association members are admitted free. Parking is free. For more information, visit www.sbcountymuseum.org. The museum is accessible to persons with disabilities. If assistive listening devices or other auxiliary aids are needed in order to participate in museum exhibits or programs, requests should be made through Museum Visitor Services at least three business days prior to your visit. Visitor Services’ telephone number is 909-307-2669 ext. 229 or (TDD) 909-792-1462.

Silent Movie Night at the University of Redlands

Before the “talkies” began, movies were accompanied by organ improvisations that enhanced what was seen on the screen. Robert Salisbury, considered to be “the dean of theater organists”, is famous for his artistry in this genre. This will be the fourth year he has been presented here, and the feature film this year will be the “It Girl” featuring the legendary actress Clara Bow.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information please contact the School of Music at (909) 748-8700 or at music@redlands.edu.

Robert Salisbury, organ.

Location:    Memorial Chapel

Date: Friday, October 19, 2012

Time: 7:30 PM