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If You Dig Dinosaurs, Dig Dinosaurs
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Most kids are fascinated by dinosaurs, but how many have ever helped uncover a dinosaur bone that's been buried beneath the ground for millions of years? Probably more than you think! Many programs offer budding paleontologists (and their parents) the opportunity to participate in genuine dinosaur digs as part of a truly unique family vacation experience.
An Adventure for All Ages
Unlike many dinosaur dig programs, PaleoWorld Research Foundation near Jordan, Montana, welcomes participants of all ages. "We find that children have a lot of respect for the bones and we allow children to our digs," says Judy Lervick, PaleoWorld's Montana Field Facilities Manager. "There's no age limit on either end," she adds.
PaleoWorld dig participants are welcome to dig for as long as they want, from one day to a week or more. "Three days is nice to really get the feel of what we're doing," says Lervick. "You can really see the progress."
Lodging is available on the ranch where the resident paleontologist and student interns stay, allowing families even more time to mingle with the scientists. "They sit and talk about science," says Lervick, "and the questions these kids come up with, I'll tell you, there are some very intelligent 8- and 10-year-old children. It's amazing."
Families often combine the dig trip with other adventures in the area including visits to Yellowstone and Glacier national parks.
A Trip for Teens and Adults
Perhaps more typical of the dig programs offered in dinosaur country, the Judith River Dinosaur Institute's weeklong field study program is geared toward older students, with a minimum age of 14 years. Other than that, says Educational Outreach Coordinator Elena Victory, all that's required is "a passionate interest in fossil collecting."
Judith River participants camp for a week about 100 miles northeast of Billings, Montana, with excavations during the day and educational but entertaining presentations each night. Many of the participants come back year after year. "They're so hooked," says Victory, "it's like they can't bear not to know what's going on the next summer."
Gaining a Sense of the Science
While most dig trip coordinators do all they can to make participants as comfortable as possible, it's important to remember these are working vacations. You'll be digging alongside paleontologists and students in the heat of summer without many of the modern conveniences to which your family is accustomed. Still, it's sure to be an experience you and your children will never forget.
At the Judith River Dinosaur Institute, for example, recent participants have joined in the excavation of four relatively complete stegosaur skeletons. Last year, says Victory, "a couple of plates and some of these tail spikes came out of the ground. It was a couple of our young people that found them. Then this year we uncovered number two and number three and just before we left and wrapped things up we found number four." The skeletons appear to be a family unit, with one adult, two older juveniles, and a youngster, which "kind of blows the whole theory of these being dumb, solitary creatures all to heck," Victory notes. The discovery of these four relatively complete stegosaurs, she adds, nearly doubles the total found in the world from six to ten.
In 2005, Judith River participants uncovered what's believed to be a new species of longneck dinosaur. "This is an area of Montana that hasn't been typically dug into before and researched before," says Victory, "so everything that's coming out of it is pretty much new."
PaleoWorld is also in what's considered "one of the dinosaur capitals of the world," says Lervick. The Hell Creek Formation is "where the very first T-Rex was ever found in 1908," she adds, "so we're always on the hunt for the elusive T-Rex." In fact, one 8-year-old participant found a huge T-Rex tooth sticking out of the hills just a few years back. Participants also have helped uncover triceratops bones as well as fossils from theropods, duckbills and many other prehistoric creatures.
A dinosaur dig trip offers a unique glimpse into real world paleontology, Lervick notes. "They get to see how we discover a site, what we look for. They see that first we're using larger tools and then the tools get smaller and smaller. They see the actual jacketing of the bones. They see the reverence for the science that our paleontologists have. Basically it's introducing children to science."
A Truly Unique Vacation
While the focus is always on science, and each program strives to offer a truly remarkable educational experience, they also strive to make the trips enjoyable.
"We've noticed that a lot of family bonding goes on," says Lervick. With no television or cell phone service at the PaleoWorld ranch, families tend to slow down and talk, play games, and just plain relax. "Parents consider it a real vacation," she says. "It's very quiet and very kick back and it's very restful for the adults."
The Judith River camp is "set up very posh as far as camping goes," adds Victory, with a full kitchen, hot showers and clean bathrooms. Each evening participants enjoy a multimedia presentation on a laptop hooked up to a generator, such as a recent trip's in-depth critique of the movie Jurassic Park. "We really try to teach and yet there's good food, a campfire, music," says Victory. "We just try to make it fun for everybody."
At DiscoverThis.com, we encourage families to get out and explore the world of science together, and we're happy to help you prepare for your dinosaur dig adventure with our vast array of dinosaur and fossil science kits for every age and interest.
Contact Information for selected dinosaur dig vacations (check websites for details including locations, dates, programs costs and age restrictions):
- Judith River Dinosaur Institute, montanadinosaurdigs.com
- PaleoWorld Research Foundation, www.paleoworld.org
- Museum of Western Colorado, www.dinodigs.org
- Paleo Adventures, www.paleoadventures.com
- Pioneer Trails Regional Museum, www.ptrm.org/paleofield.html
- Timescale Adventures, www.timescale.org/main.html
- Wyoming Dinosaur Center, www.wyodino.org
Home > Resources for our Science Kits > Articles on Science Learning and Science Kits > If You Dig Dinosaurs, Dig Dinosaurs
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