St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site raising funds for more storage space
Mar 5, 2024, 6:00 PM
FILE - The St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site includes dozens of Grallator tracks, a meat-eater that lived about 200 million years ago. (Nancy Perkins/Deseret News)
(Nancy Perkins/Deseret News)
ST. GEORGE, Utah – The St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site has been raising funds to expand its storage space.
You don’t need to be a paleontologist to know about Southern Utah’s fossil game. The red rocks have served as a backdrop for countless digs, revealing fossilized remains of a different time.
Museums such as the St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site play a role in the cleaning of discovered fossils.
According to Diana Call, the Site’s executive director, the St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site specializes in ichnology, the study of fossilized footprints.
“A lot of what we do is prepare the specimens, and then they go somewhere else to stay,” said Diana Call, the Site’s executive director. However, demand is starting to stretch the museum’s storage space.
According to Call, the prep time is an issue. “It does take a lot of work to remove all the rock around the fossils,” Call said. “It takes hours and hours and hours…”
The site has begun hosting fundraisers for expanded storage space.
The Jams through the Jurassic fundraising concert was held on the Feb. 29. Their goal is to raise $10,000 to expand the museum.
“There’s land across the street from us owned by the city,” Call said as she pointed to a potential excavation site. “Eventually we’d like to excavate there and build on that site… and then hopefully be able to expand into the geology and biology of the area.”
St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site investing in outreach
The Site doesn’t only help with the cleaning of fossils. It also provides education to curious patrons about Earth’s history. The museum is investing in its educational outreach, especially after the pandemic.
“Every Wednesday, we have activities in the museum that kids can participate in, and oftentimes they can make something to take home,” said Call.
Call hopes the funding will upgrade their weekly and seasonal programs. Those interested in helping or donating can visit the museum’s website.
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