Ranger Greg Francek discovered a petrified tree that's million of years old in northern California.
East Bay Municipal Utility District
The rock wasn't a rock at all, but a petrified tree that was millions of years old.
"One end of the tree was partially exposed, and — to my surprise — I could see the tree rings," Francek said.
The land Francek was patrolling is east of the San Francisco Bay — he has monitored watershed land for California's East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) as a naturalist for more than a decade. Francek knew he'd come across something special, so he called paleontologist Russell Shapiro at California State University, Chico.