This is Throwback Thursday #332. In these, we look back into the past at ESCONI specifically and Earth Science in general. If you have any contributions, (science, pictures, stories, etc …), please send them to esconi.info@gmail.com. Thanks!

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Some Don Auler art was on display at the recent ESCONI Rock Swap. Rick Rock had this painting of an owl on black shale up for sale. Long-time contributors B.J. and Mike Kukulka purchased it and graciously let us post it here.

Don and his wife Dorothy were very active with ESCONI from when they joined in 1967 until 2002, when Don passed away at the age of 84. Both of them served on the board of ESCONI in various capacities. They were a fixture at the annual ESCONI shows.

Don and Andy Hay were instrumental in the publishing of the ESCONI “Keys” and the “Creature Corner” books. Don did the artwork and Andy did the text.

From Mazon Monday #49

The 1980’s and 1990’s saw ESCONI publish three books to help identify Mazon Creek fossils, both fauna and flora… “Keys To Identify Pennsylvanian Fossil Plants of the Mazon Creek Area” in 1986 (updated in 1990), “Keys To Identify Pennsylvanian Fossil Animals of the Mazon Creek Area” in 1989 (republished in 1999), and “Creature Corner” in 2001.  Those books had many ESCONI contributors over the years.  The “Keys” books grew out of notes from the Paleontology Study Group in the 1960’s, 1970’s, and 1980’s, while “Creature Corner” saw its origins in a regular feature in ESCONI newsletters.  All three books feature the breathtaking artwork of Don Auler, with much of the text by Andy Hay.

We’ve posted a few other of these beauties. I’ve been told Don would crank these out fairly regularily. Have a look at Throwback Thursday #211 and Throwback Thursday #296 for more examples.