Group Seeks Youngstown Fossil Sites Tips

Mahoning Valley Geology, Earth and Minerals is asking residents to share where they have found fossils in the Youngstown area.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Geology

Weathered gray shale slab with a faint tree-bark impression rests on damp leaf litter beside a wooded creek bank and sandstone outcrop. — Mahoning Valley Geology, Earth and Minerals is asking Youngstown-area residents to report where they have found fossils, as the group displayed older Trumbull County and Youngstown specimens at Ohio Geology Discovery Day. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Have you found fossils in the Youngstown area you'd share with local geologists?

Mahoning Valley Geology, Earth and Minerals (MVGEM) is seeking tips about fossil locations in the Youngstown area. The group displayed older fossils from Trumbull County and Youngstown at Saturday's Ohio Geology Discovery Day.

Why it matters

The effort aims to build interest in geology and expand the local record of fossils in Youngstown. The group is gathering community knowledge about where finds have occurred in the region.

The displayed fossils are 300-400 million years old, and one slab shows the bark print of a tree approximately 60 feet tall, often compared to a Lepidodendron. The number of reported fossil sites in the Youngstown area has not been disclosed.

The players

Mahoning Valley Geology, Earth and Minerals (MVGEM)

A local group focused on geology, earth science and minerals in the Mahoning Valley, which is seeking fossil location tips and promoting public interest in the region's geologic record.

The details

MVGEM displayed a large, nearly intact conularia fossil and a darker rock slab bearing a tree bark print at Ohio Geology Discovery Day. Taking fossils or anything from Mill Creek Park is illegal, and the group is discouraging people from entering abandoned mines or restricted property.

Saturday: MVGEM displayed fossils at Ohio Geology Discovery Day.

The Big Picture

The effort extends the public geology outreach presented at Ohio Geology Discovery Day by asking residents to contribute to a local fossil record. It positions community-sourced observation as a way to deepen the documented geologic history of the Youngstown area.

Residents who find fossils should note the location but leave specimens in place, since collecting from Mill Creek Park is illegal. Visitors should avoid abandoned mines and restricted property where the group has warned against entry.

The takeaway

Local fossil finds can add to the region's scientific record, but they should be documented without removing specimens from protected areas or hazardous sites. Sharing where you find fossils with MVGEM can help build a clearer picture of Youngstown's deep geologic past.