If you didn't know that you can hunt, find, and keep fossils in Maryland, then there's a woman from Baltimore County that wants to educate you.
For Felicia Ludwig, the founder of Maryland Fossil Finders, fossil hunting is up to the whim of the tides.
"It just depends on the day what time low tide is," Ludwig said.
The sun isn't up, but she has already hiked a mile to her destination and to buried treasure—fossils that are tens of millions of years old.
As Ludwig steps onto a frozen beach near Nanjemoy, she immediately spots the first of many fossils.
"Definitely a shark tooth," Ludwig said. "It's between 30 and 65 million years old."
And while a love of adventure, learning, and being the first person to touch an object that is millions of years old drives her. It isn't her only motivation for starting Maryland Fossil Finders in September.
She also wants to help others the way other fossil hunters helped her.
"There's nothing about fossils in Maryland, and so I grew up not knowing what this was," Ludwig said.
Her hope is to eventually become an official non-profit, with a goal of accessibility for all.
"I've got two ASL volunteers, I've got a Spanish translator, and I've got two people who are willing to help with mobility challenges," Ludwig said.
And with semi-regular monthly guided hikes and discovery kits, everyone can have the opportunity to train as a fossil hunter.
And you never know, you may just get lucky and find a Megalodon tooth like Ludwig did.
Ludwig says the first guided fossil hunt of 2025 is scheduled for March 15.
"If you don't want to start alone, because it's kind of hard to figure it all out by yourself, you're welcome to come with us," Ludwig said.
And if you're interested in applying for a board member position at Maryland Fossil Finders or volunteering with the group, Ludwig says a history with fossil hunting is great but not necessary.
She would also love to have people on the board who are in touch with accessibility needs, like physical and language barriers.
"Everyone should be able to know about this; everyone should be able to do it, and it should be a choice, not an obligation to not do it and not knowing about it," Ludwig said.
For people with mobility issues, Ludwig has free fossil hunting kits after the cost of shipping.
