"All about us stretched the interminable labyrinths of the badlands...a scene of desolation such as no pen can picture."

-Charles H. Sternberg

The Life of a Fossil Hunter

1876

Montana Dinosaur Dig Programs

Available July 15 - August 31, 2013!

When was the last time you found yourself in a landscape so quiet that the only sounds came from birds? Have you ever seen land so vast that the horizon stretched off for 100 miles? Eastern Montana is truly Big Sky Country and home to countless dinosaur specimens. Finding them, digging them up, and transporting them to the museum takes extraordinary time, energy, and funds. Without the physical help and financial aid of interested paying participants, these unique summer programs would not be possible. So, please join the Great Plains Dinosaur Museum's staff and paleontologist Dave Trexler for an authentic scientific experience as they continue to discover and uncover dinosaurs and other fossils. A native Montanan, Dave is a member of the family that discovered "Egg Mountain," the famous Montanan hillside covered with dinosaur eggs. He has a master's degree in vertebrate paleontology from University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada and is paleontologist at the Two Medicine Dinosaur Center in Bynum, MT.

The 2013 Dig Season promises to be very exciting! The team will explore new areas as well as excavate two unusual (hint: think BIG dinosaur) sites discovered last summer. Participants will learn basic local geology and surveying techniques, how to collect and record scientific data from a site, and how to safely collect and transport fossils. Participants must be age 11 or older and able to walk short distances. [NOTE: IS YOUR CHILD YOUNGER THAN 11? PLEASE REFER TO THE "Junior Paleontologist Program" ON EDUCATION PAGE] All minors must be accompanied by an adult. A 50% discount is offered to nonparticipating adults who accompany a participating minor. Recommended gear to bring: A small back pack or tote bag, refillable water bottle, sun hat, neck scarf, light weight clothing, good boots or hiking shoes (caution with canvas shoes: there is cactus), sunscreen, and bug spray. Supplied by Great Plains Dinosaur Museum: Sack lunch, water, transportation from museum to dig site and back, and all tools and instruction necessary.

Participation fee for non-members: $200/day, 5 days/$750

Participation fee for members: $150/day, 5 days/$650

Non-participating adult $100/day.

Come experience a real dinosaur dig for yourself!

“My wife and I spent a wonderful, memorable week in Malta, Montana where we participated in the Summer Dig Program at the Great Plains Dinosaur Museum. By signing up for 5 days, we were able to do many of the steps involved in removing fossils and felt like we saw the process from beginning to end. We explored different land formations, found fossils on the surface, helped excavate a large triceratops bone, and jacketed vertebrae in plaster to preserve them. We were even present when a significant find was made and we saw how the area was staked, marked by GPS, mapped into quadrants, and surface fossils were bagged. We spent part of each day in the museum and the lab. The museum is really wonderful and we amazed by the variety and quality of the fossils and how much we learned from the staff there. My fourth grade classroom now has a wall-to-wall dinosaur theme and I really believe I can energize my students by the fact that I speak with some authority on having actually been part of a real dinosaur dig!” - Ron….Summer 2011