EUGENE–There’s always a chance that you’ll see something unusual–something really rare–at the University of Oregon Museum of Natural History’s annual Identification Day.

Last year, Chris Evans, a teacher at Howard Elementary School in Eugene, identified a 35-million-year-old salamander fossil, only the fourth ever found in the history of the world.

"Three fossilized Oligocene salamanders have been found before this one–one by our pioneer Oregon geologist Thomas Condon," Evans says. "The person who brought in this fourth fossil found it in the same place Condon did–down the road in Goshen!"

You’ll never know what you may have on your shelves or in your garage until you ask.

This year, stump the experts with your rocks, bones, fossils and attic mysteries from noon to
3 p.m. on Saturday, June 3, in the recently re-dedicated Glenn Starlin Courtyard garden of the University of Oregon Museum of Natural History, 1680 E. 15th Ave., and on the lawn behind the new law school commons. Parking is free in the UO lot behind the museum.

Cost is $3 per person, or $6 per family, and any additional donations are tax deductible. The event is a fundraiser for museum public programs, sponsored by the Friends of the Museum.

A 2 p.m. prize drawing will include an amethyst, part of a cathedral geode, donated by local rock store owner Jim Nelson, as well as gift certificates from the Museum Store, Adam’s Place, Fred Meyer stores and others. Visitors do not need to be present to win.

Outdoor activities for children, ages 5 to 12, feature cooperative active games and the hands-on science projects "Garbage Archaeology" and "Almost Alike/Definitely Different." Food and drink will be available for purchase.

In addition to Evans and Nelson, 10 other experts will participate in the 11th annual Identification Day. They include scientists, historians and community experts in fossils, rocks, birds, antiques, textiles and Lane County history.

Identification Day is designed to educate and inform, so neither dollar appraisals nor sales advice will be given.

Quinton Barton of the Lane County Historical Society will try again to find someone who can recognize the mystery tool that stumped the experts and the public last year. It looks like a long-handled pick, with iron loops instead of points on the head.

"I’ve taken this to many people and places and nobody has been able to tell me what it is," Barton says.

Like Barton, many of the other experts have favorite stories from previous Identification Days–as well as fond hopes for the "Big Find."

UO geology professor Greg Retallack hopes someone will bring him an Oregon dinosaur fossil so he can prove that there were, in fact, dinosaurs here.

"A complete skull would be lovely," he says.

Louise Shimmel of the Cascade Raptor Care Center will bring orphaned or injured birds of prey that have been rescued by the Eugene animal shelter. She hopes that someday–perhaps during this ID day–a local citizen will bring her a merlin feather, or even an orphaned merlin chick, to prove that the small pigeon hawk does breed here, at the far southern end of its range.

Jim "Nelson the Rocky Feller" would love to see an Alexandrite weighing 3/4 of a pound or more.

"It’s one of the rarest crystals used for gem purposes," he says. "It couldn’t be found in Oregon, because we are too geologically new. You might find it in Russia or Brazil, but it’s probably impossible to find such a big Alexandrite."

Bert and Lori Dotson, who own Dotson’s Coburg Antiques, will be on hand to look at attic treasures. John McWade, from the Lane County Historical Society, also will identify items from Oregon’s past.

Hattie Mae Nixon, an expert in textiles from around the world, will examine fabrics and clothing.

Herb Wisner, a retired UO biology instructor and longtime museum tour leader and bird expert, will advise visitors on the lives and times of Willamette Valley birds.

Three UO archaeologists will examine artifacts and help the owners determine their age and origin. They are Tom Connolly, a prehistoric basketry expert and museum research director; Guy Tasa, a human and animal bone expert; and Madonna Moss, an expert on the archaeology of Alaska and the Northwest coast.

The UO Museum of Natural History and its gift store are open six days a week, from noon to
5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Suggested admission to the exhibits is $2. Current UO students and museum members are admitted free.

For information, browse the museum web site at http://natural-history.uoregon.edu, send e-mail to mnh@oregon.uoregon.edu or call (541) 346-3024.

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