Dinosaur enthusiasts were given a rare treat at the Science Discovery Dinosaur Festival with hands-on exploration of dinosaurs, fossils, and ancient ecosystems. The two-day workshop was held on January 29th and 30th at the Chautauqua Community House in Boulder. Over 1,100 visitors, ages one to 80, examined ancient dino tracks, compared different dinosaur skeletons, made soap casts of a T-Rex teeth and duckbill vertebrates, and built a life-sized dinosaur. The pop-up museum featured dinosaurs and fossils of the Hankla Collection from the Lance formation in eastern Wyoming. Paleontologist John Hankla, Polly Dana and Laura Cecil from Science Discovery, and Director of Science Explorers Kristi Dahl were on site to answer questions and guide visitors through their dinosaur adventures.
The event was based on Science Discovery’s Science Explorers 2011 PaleoExplorers program that provides statewide professional development for K-12 teachers. For more information about Science Discovery visit the program page at http://outreach.colorado.edu/programs/details/id/108