Through the efforts of Shawna Creamer, a group of young paleontologist have been inspired and will be able to carry on for a lifetime. Whether for the interests of the teacher or the students, five young children from Four Oaks School by Aladdin, WY. were given the opportunity to experience a real dinosaur dig. The students from the last country school in Crook County have always shown an interest in rocks and the environment. At recess they love to take walks to look for interesting things or just dig in the schoolyard. Shawna provided the school with a very extensive kit for fossil study. Although the kids are young (5-9) you could see their true interest. Taking these kids on a three day field trip across the state seemed like too much but with Shawna's financial assistance I loaded them up and headed out. They had the most incredible experience. After an interesting tour of The Wyoming Dinosaur Center the students worked in the lab preparing fossils. They also were taught how to make fossil casts. After lunch we traveled to the dig site. Two students actually found bones of the dinosaur The Wyoming Dinosaur Center is putting together and one chip of a tooth. What a thrill to be able to say they helped put Morris together. Thanks Shawna and all those involved!

Four Oaks Fossil Club

Nancy McFarland, Teacher

The Southeast Rock Hounds from Yoder, WY brought 49 rock club members and 16 sponsors and parents to the Warm Springs Ranch for a special dig. The fossil club participated in the following activities during their special dig: making and painting fossil casts (replicas), dinosaur bone preparation (cleaning away matrix), tours of The Wyoming Dinosaur Center and the Warm Springs Ranch Dinosaur Quarries, and digging for 150 million year old dinosaur bones and plant fossils. It was an exciting opportunity for the group. Here are a few comments from the club members.

"I found a dinosaur bone. A big dinosaur bone. I liked dig[g]ing."

"We had a blast. We learned a lot of stuff."

"I found like one hundred plant fossils."

"In the lab it seems like you are a dentist because you use a toothbrush, a som[e]thing that looks like a hook [a dental pick], and water with a rag."

"When we were cleaning bones we had to put on glasses we had to clean the bones with a pick then after we were done we got to take a[n] ele[c]tric pick [air tool]."

"My very favorite [part] is finding the bones and plants."

"I like casting and brushing off dirt looking for fossils."

"I liked the part when the cast dried. The really ex[c]iting part of the dig was when Megan House found that bone! Thanks for letting us come!"

"I liked when we got to paint the cast."

"Your dinosaur dig was so good that if I could I'm going to go next year."

"The tour around the museum was great. I moved a lot of di[r]t but that was hard work. With the brush I found a lot of plants and falses. Thank you f[rom] Southeast Rock Hounds, we all had fun."

Southeast Rock Hounds

Sponsors: Judy Lissmon, Sharon Notman, 

Tim Eisenbarth, Virginia Watson, Jo Meininger