Rediscovering the Ecology & Environment Gallery and Fossil Prep Lab.
During the pandemic, we’re always looking for new and safe ways to bring you closer to science. Last year and continuing into this year, our Fossil Prep Lab operations in the Ecology & Environment Gallery have looked a little bit different to keep physical distancing in mind. Instead of “dino chats” our resident Fossil Prep Lab Volunteer Gene “Woody” Woodford spends Thursdays in the Fossil Prep Lab working on fossils and finding creative ways to engage our visitors from a safe distance.
If you stop by and give him a wave, you will get to see a Hadrosaur jaw, a Triceratops horn and so much more up close—all while Woody pretends to be a dinosaur with some very real props!
You can also stop by the Ecology & Environment Gallery and ask an educator to view these fossils a bit closer. Our team brings them out daily so you can see them firsthand and ask your most curious questions. Learn about the process of finding fossils in the field, putting them together in the prep lab and what happens to them after they leave the Science Center.
We hope to see you soon.
Check out the Ecology & Environment Gallery 30 years ago!
Even though you’re not likely to find a T.rex, Triceratops or even Hadrosaur fossil in your backyard, you CAN find lots of crinoid, trilobite, gastropod and bivalve fossils in the area surrounding St. Louis. This is because the layer of exposed rock in our area was deposited by an ancient sea. To find these fossils, grab an adult, hunt for yellowish-brown layered rock and search for formations that look like small clam shells, sea stars, insects, screws with no point and snail shells.
To confirm what you have found, search online for Missouri fossils and compare.