PETRIFIED WOOD FROM CLOVER CREEK, IDAHO:

A case study in the power of amateur-professional collaboration.

Join us for the next FFF Webinar this July 14, 2026, 11:00 AM EDT (GMT-4)

RSVP: https://forms.gle/N9SkaPmzyaVH7dsY7 check your local time here!

One of the spectacular opalized wood specimens from Clover Creek, Idaho, is preserved in the collection of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.

Photo credit: The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History staff

Meet Our Speaker: Jim Mills

Jim Mills’ lifelong geology passion began at age nine in Southern California, leading to a 1965 UCLA Earth and Planetary Sciences degree and service as an Air Force Intelligence Officer. He later transitioned to a career with the National Park Service, driven by his deep appreciation for America's geological landmarks.

An avid collector for 75 years, Jim has focused on petrified wood for the past three decades, operating Mills Geological with his spouse, Beth Myers, to provide fossil wood and plant specimens to museums and collectors worldwide.

What Is the Story Behind the Clover Creek Oak?

More than a century after the fossil was discovered, a question about specimens labeled “Clover Creek, Idaho” inspired a remarkable investigation. Researchers examined historical documents, museum records, photographs, and surviving pieces of the tree to determine where it came from, how it was collected, and where the specimens are housed today.

This case study highlights the power of collaboration among amateur collectors, scientists, historians, and museum professionals to investigate the past, preserve important specimens, publish their discoveries, and share our geological heritage.

Want to know more? Join our webinar to hear the full story!

A visual reconstruction of the known fossil specimens of the Clover Creek Oak tree, labeled by the museum cities where they are kept today.

Illustration by Dagmar Dietrich (Chemnitz, Germany).

✅ The live online seminar on July 14 is free and open to the public.

✅ RSVP: https://forms.gle/N9SkaPmzyaVH7dsY7  

🎥 The recording is available to FFF members and donors.

Join our growing community to access the recording and other member benefits during your active membership year.

👉 Become a member today: https://www.fossilforests.org/getinvolved