Sabercat Trail and Fossil Museum Projects
Consultation has concluded.
The City of Fremont is working in partnership with other agencies to expand trails and to celebrate Fremont’s fascinating history. Two projects are underway:
- Sabercat Trail Extension Project: This project will extend and improve the existing trail within Sabercat Historical Park located in the Mission San Jose area. The project will extend the trail to the west over Interstate 680 to connect with the Irvington community at Osgood Road. The existing trail will be widened, improved, and extended easterly along Pine Street to connect with Mission Boulevard and Ohlone College. A new interpretive area along the trail, inside Sabercat Historical Park, will inform the community about the unique paleontological history of the area from 1.9 million years ago.
- Irvingtonian Fossil Museum Project: Under the leadership of the Math Science Nucleus, a new museum in Fremont is being planned to create a world-class facility that educates and celebrates the natural history of the Irvingtonian period, dating back 1.9 million years ago when sabercats roamed the land. Fossils from this period were uncovered starting in the 1940s by local teacher Wes Gordon and his team of boy paleontologists. Their efforts brought international recognition to this era of natural history, which was officially designated as the Irvingtonian period, named after the location of the discovered fossils. The museum will house fossil collections held by UC Berkeley and Fremont’s Children’s Natural History Museum (located at 4074 Eggers Drive). The museum is envisioned to be an educational resource for natural sciences, similar to the Page Museum and La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles.
A Coloring Contest featuring species from the Irvingtonian period was announced in March and received over 100 entries. One winner was chosen from each age category (Ages 0-5, Ages 6-10, and 11-15) in May and each were given tickets to Aqua Adventure Waterpark!