Jump to Summer Camps and K-12 Experiences
Field Opportunities
The Dinosaur Research Institute’s Dinotour
Dinotour is a unique opportunity to discover Alberta’s palaeontological treasures with world-renowned scientists. Proceeds generated from this tour support the work of the Dinosaur Research Institute, a non-profit charitable organization that finances dinosaur research in western Canada. View the 2018 Dinotour brochure, or visit the DRI website for more information.
Fossil collecting on Dinotour 2017
Museum of the Rockies Field Camp
This research-oriented program accepts volunteers during the summers. Volunteers dedicate at least three weeks of fieldwork, working in the Two Medicine, Morrison, and/or Hell Creek Formations of Montana. There is no fee for the program, although volunteers must provide their own transportation, camping gear and other relevant supplies. Food and tools are provided. Research at the field sites are led by museum staff and graduate students. Check this site for more information.
Bighorn Basin Paleontological Institute Field Teams
Join the BBPI, which is a new nonprofit organization dedicated to paleontology and earth science research and education, in the field! It is our mission to “collaboratively study, actively preserve, and dynamically interpret the paleontological treasures of the Bighorn Basin and the surrounding region, as well as to promote paleontology and the natural sciences to life-long learners, wherever they may be.” We offer people of all ages, backgrounds, and interest levels, the opportunity to work with us in the field, contributing to decades-long research projects, in one of the most rugged and beautiful parts of the world. Participants will find, collect, and document fossils such as: dinosaurs, crocodiles, turtles, fish, mammals, invertebrates, and plants from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Work alongside paleontologists and be a part of real research endeavors. For details, please contact Jason Schein at [email protected].
The Discoveries in Geosciences (DIG) Field School connects K-12 teachers with real scientists from the University of Washington and the Burke Museum. Teachers and paleontologists work side by side to investigate the extinction of dinosaurs and the rise of mammals at an active research site in Montana. After the Field School, the DIG helps teachers translate their experiences and bring real science into their classrooms. Teachers also have access to ongoing professional development and teaching resources as well as the DIG Box, a traveling “mini museum” that includes fossils and lesson plans.
Apply – applications are due by the end of March each year! If you miss the deadline, you can sign up here to receive an announcement of when next year’s application period begins.
The Marmarth Research Foundation Dinosaur Field Expeditions
The Marmarth Research Foundation (MRF) is conducting field research and accepts applications from volunteers to assist with the project. MRF is unique in that it provides the opportunity to learn both field and preparation techniques. Visit the MRF website for more information.
The Tate Geological Museum at Casper College in Casper, WY, offers summer dinosaur dig experiences each year. These paleontology trips offer fun, educational experiences to the public while building up the museum’s collections for display and/or research. Most years, expeditions are led to the Meadow Ranch in eastern Wyoming, digging in the late Cretaceous Lance Formation. We have been collecting on this ranch for twelve years and still have a lot to do there. The trips are run by the Tate’s field operations and prep lab manager, JP Cavigelli. JP’s expertise has led to his participation in numerous paleontological expeditions throughout the West as well as in Niger, Mongolia, and Tanzania. For more information and to register, visit the Tate Dinosaur Dig website.
Study basic geology (including rocks and minerals, stratigraphy, earth history, and mapping skills), evolutionary biology (including comparative skeletal anatomy of fishes and other freshwater animals, large-scale evolutionary patterns of these animals, and how the 50-million-year-old ecosystem of the Fossil Lake Range was established and functioned), and methods of specimen-based research. This course provides the fundamental scientific background needed to discover and understand the meaning of fossils as they are preserved, as well as gain actual field experience in Wyoming. Students go “behind the scenes” at the Field Museum to examine previously collected fossils and learn how to prepare, conserve, and analyze specimens. The textbook-Grande, L. 2013. The Lost World of Fossil Lake: Snapshots from Deep Time. University of Chicago Press, 440 pp., is available on Amazon. Find out more here!
Summer Camps & K-12 Experiences
Study basic geology (including rocks and minerals, stratigraphy, earth history, and mapping skills), evolutionary biology (including comparative skeletal anatomy of fishes and other freshwater animals, large-scale evolutionary patterns of these animals, and how the 50-million-year-old ecosystem of the Fossil Lake Range was established and functioned), and methods of specimen-based research. This course provides the fundamental scientific background needed to discover and understand the meaning of fossils as they are preserved, as well as gain actual field experience in Wyoming. Students go “behind the scenes” at the Field Museum to examine previously collected fossils and learn how to prepare, conserve, and analyze specimens.
With four different camps, children discover the natural sciences through hands-on activities, outdoor investigations, and team building projects. For additional information contact Director of Education Dr. Holly Schreiber at: (716) 627-4560 or using the online form. Campers must register at least one week prior to the first day of camp.
Children ages 7-12 are invited for an exploration into Earth’s deep past at Edelman Fossil Park’s first GEO Explorers Summer Day Camp. Embark on a voyage of discovery with Rowan scientists to discover how the fossil quarry in Mantua Township may hold clues to the mysteries of dinosaur extinction. Examine fossils discovered at the research site, including 65-million-year-old marine crocodiles, sea turtles, sharks and mosasaurs. Receive an authentic Field Guide where you will log your field experiences daily. Engage in workshops to learn about fossils, rocks, sediments and plant life native to this region. Descend into the fossil quarry where you will dig for (and take home!) your own fossil specimens alongside Rowan paleontologists in an adventure of a lifetime.
Do you have a dinosaur or rock enthusiast at home? Would they like to explore over 300 dinosaur footprints and dozens of other fossils from Colorado this summer? Or would they rather identify, collect, and label rocks and minerals for their collections while learning how Colorado was built layer by layer? This year the Friends of Dinosaur Ridge are offering 8 camps designed for your kids to learn about Colorado’s history and prehistory. Filled with activities ranging from measuring REAL dinosaur footprints to collecting rocks from local formations, Dinosaur Ridge Summer Camps can’t be beat!
From dinosaurs to trees and sharks to shells, fossils come in all shapes and sizes! Discover how they are formed and why they are a window to the past!
The Kids’ Dig Program provides a unique opportunity for youth, age 8 to 12, to experience paleontology first hand. Our goal is to foster their enthusiasm and engage them in the wonders of our natural world, and the thrill of science and discovery!
Adventure for kids ages 10 and up – Dig For Dinosaurs in the Badlands! PaleoAdventures works with private landowners in the Wyoming, Montana, and South Dakota badlands though fossil leases. All tools and training are provided and, unlike other trips, you will actually be able to keep some of the common fossils that you find!
Campers will experience a week-long program dedicated entirely to fossils. We will investigate fossils from Precambrian times all the way through the last ice age. Among the many exciting activities planned, campers will make fossil casts, visit some of our laboratories, and go on a day-long fossil collecting adventure. This is the perfect camp for your junior paleontologist.
Fun-filled, behind-the-scenes adventures for children entering grades K–7! For an experience your kids won’t forget, check out the Burke’s exciting camps held each year during mid-winter, spring and summer breaks. Campers participate in hands-on investigations, behind-the-scenes tours, and visits with real scientists—all while having fun at the museum and on the beautiful University of Washington campus. Burke Members receive a discount on camp registration.
Questions? Please visit our Camp Frequently Asked Questions page.
Dinosaur Adventure Camp is a summer day camp for children ages 5-11 who love dinosaurs, fossils, science, arts, crafts, crazy games, adventure, and the great outdoors!
Ages 2–3, with caregiver. Activities for toddlers and caregivers are inspired by dinosaurs and our permanent exhibition, Geology and Fossil History of Tennessee.
June 13–15, 9–11 a.m. each day; Cost: $35 per child (caregiver free)
Our longest running and most popular camp! We’ve put together an incredible week for our youngest age group focusing on dinosaurs and other cool prehistoric creatures. Through introduction to actual fossils from our paleontology collection, hands-on activities, arts and crafts, games, and explorations of the Museum and beyond, children will discover why dinosaurs are so captivating, and why birds are now considered to be living dinosaurs!
Only at the Gray Fossil Site and Museum can you dig for fossils, wet-screen micro-fossils, get a behind the scenes tour of the fossil site, make casts of bones, and examine rocks and minerals. Additional activities include dissecting an owl pellet, science experiments, science-based art projects, t-shirt tie-dying, and so much more! Children ages 5 to 12 can explore and discover the sciences, arts, and more in our week-long summer camps that are sure to make memories to last a lifetime. Museum staff ensures a fun, safe, and healthy environment with museum exploration, theme-related activities, experiments, and art projects, along with friendship building opportunities.
Prehistoric Kansas may not be what you imagined. Kansas in past times has been vastly different from its current state ranging from shallow, seaways, to forests, glaciers, and grasslands. This four-day camp will teach you have to investigate the history of Kansas and learn the basics of geological and paleontological investigations. Let’s get digging!