Triceratops Gulch Project
Learn to Dig for Dinosaurs!
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That way to fossils!
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Triceratops Gulch
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Exploring
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You know you're in Glenrock when...
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Tiny theropod teeth
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Digging into Cretaceous Country
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You will get dirty!
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Successful dig crew!
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Prospecting for fossils.
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Digging in...
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We eat sandwiches in the rain.
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Working in collections
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Identifying discoveries
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Field orientation
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Happy faces finding fossils
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Progress is slow...
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Opening a dig site.
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Another great crew
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Triceratops was feeding here!
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Newly exposed dinosaur bone
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Bert Quarry
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The walk out.
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One happy dig crew!
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Wyoming sunset
Learn to dig dinosaurs with us!
If you're tired of sitting in an armchair, reading about the adventures of others and ready to get your hands dirty the Triceratops Gulch Project is for you. Morrison Natural History Museum has partnered with the Glenrock Paleon Museum in Glenrock, Wyoming to offer the fossil expedition experience of a lifetime. Our programs are operated like an informal field school, where participants are introduced to project-based paleontological field work that supports current research projects.
Work with museum crews as they explore fossil sites of the Upper Cretaceous Lance Formation of Wyoming. Learn basic geological concepts to put fossils into context of time. Develop the eye for recognizing rock from bone as we teach you how to prospect for fossils. Collect at fossil microsites, containing dinosaur teeth, turtles and crocodilians, which will help to better understand the life of Late Cretaceous Wyoming. When appropriate, learn mapping and field jacketing techniques for the safe recovery of fossils bones. Assist in prospecting for new fossil sites, and maybe just make a huge discovery of your own.
The fossils you recover will be curated in the permanent collection of the Glenrock Paleon Museum. We will get you to the dig sites, provide you with excavation equipment and a hearty field-lunch, snacks, beverages, dinner in Glenrock, and provide instruction and guidance every step of the way. The rest of the experience is up to you.
Families are encouraged to join. We strongly recommend that participants be at least fourteen years old and accompanied by a parent/guardian. The nature of fossil collection and excavation requires participants to be physically independent, with the ability to carry a backpack with a water bottle, and sit, kneel, crouch, and lay on the ground for extended periods of time in hot outdoor conditions. The activity will also include standing and walking for extended periods of time in primitive outdoor conditions.
- Roughing It: Be prepared to be in the Wyoming wilderness. Weather can be unpredictable, but typically hot, dry, and windy. Embrace the conditions! It's part of the adventure.
- Supper: Crew dinners will be now offered as a part of the program, Thursday to Saturday only.
- Enhanced Program balances time in the museum and fieldwork area with optional activities after supper. If you haven’t dug for fossils with us, are exploring paleontology as a future career, or want a more fully-fleshed experience this program is right for you.
- The Field Program is intended for those who have worked with us in the past and emphasizes time in the field over foundational programming. If you wish to plant yourself at a site or focus solely on prospecting, this experience is right for you.
- Pandemic Safety: Health and safety are a priority for our program. We assume that by the first day of your program, you have either been inoculated or have been responsibly quarantining. Groups will be kept small again this season, less than half of regular enrollment. Face masks should be worn when in close proximity with others while in a quarry or riding in the pickup to the field area.
- Deposit & Tuition: For 2022, you may pay online through the MNHM ticket portal. Log on the reservation portal to make payment. This will allow you to either pay for your dig in full or make a deposit. If you would prefer we have also initiated a payment plan for this season. If you wish to take advantage of the payment plan, with the final payment being due two weeks before your dig program date, please coordinate with Sarah Miller at tours@mnhm.org or call the museum at 303-697-1873. All major credit or debit cards are accepted.
- Cancellation: Participants may cancel their reservation up to six weeks in advance of the start date will result in full refund sans deposit. Exceptions will be made for those impacted by the pandemic. In the event of program cancellation participants will receive a full refund within thirty days of the cancellation. @(Model.BulletStyle == CivicPlus.Entities.Modules.Layout.Enums.BulletStyle.Decimal ? "ol" : "ul")>
2022 Triceratops Gulch Project Schedule
Type of Dig | Dates | Registration Status | Availability |
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Enhanced Program | June 23 - 26, 2022 | Closed | Full |
Enhanced Program | July 7 - 10, 2022 | Closed | Full |
Field Program | July 14-17, 2022 | Private Program | Reserved |
Enhanced Program | July 28 -31, 2022 | Closed | Full |
Enhanced Program | August 4 -7, 2022 | Closed | Full |
Field Program, 18+ | August 18 -21, 2022 | Closed | Full |
Enhanced Program, 18+ | August 25 -28, 2022 | Closed | Full |
Field Program | September 8 - 11 | Open | 1 Available |
Triceratops Gulch Project Forms
General Information & Draft Itineraries
Tuition
Triceratops Gulch Project | Fee |
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Total Program Expense: | $690 per person |
Triceratops Gulch Project Forms
Registration & Payment - Download and remit these documents
ENROLLMENT NOW OPEN. Reach out to Matthew T. Mossbrucker director@mnhm.org for questions about the program or to begin the enrollment process. Submit all forms to: Sarah Miller at tours@mnhm.org.
Is this program right for me?
In the field, romance of expedition quickly turns to the reality of excavation. It will be hot. Or cold. Or wet. There will be little to no shade from the summer sun. It will be windy and grit will stick to your sweaty skin. You will suffer for your science. But, you will also contribute to paleontology by making your own discoveries and placing them in a public collection for all to marvel. These comments are not sardonic, but insight into the reality of the adventure.