Benjamin David Brooks

Diggin’ up Dino’s

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Benjamin Brooks
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Poster for the talk: 400 Million Years in 30 MinutesOnce again it’s been a while since I last posted, the talk that was the subject of my last post went very well, even if the staff only talk only had one attendee – the Chief Executive of the Craven District Council. The public talk fared much better with most of the volunteers turning up and one or two members of the public as well. Everyone seemed to enjoy the talk and the handling session held afterwards, though I don’t know that for certain!

I haven’t yet uploaded any video of the talk, mainly because the video is awful and I haven’t had time or a good enough computer recently (sadly my top spec’ laptop died a death out of warranty). However just as soon as I can I’ll get it on YouTube.

Moving on however, the three months I spent at Craven Museum were fantastic, I learned (and re-learned) a great deal and even got to handle some Geological enquiries. Museum Curation is definitely a career path for me to head down and I know I’ll enjoy it.

The Museum of the Rockies, Boozeman, Montana
The Museum of the Rockies, Boozeman, Montana. (c) Wayne Hsieh, 2010

Before I chase down a new job and the start of a new career, I’m heading stateside for three weeks. I’ve been lucky enough to be offered the chance to join the Museum of the Rockies field crew digging up Hadrosaur remains from the Cretaceous rocks near Rudyard, Montana! Which is what I’ll be doing for the first three weeks of June!

This should be an awesome experience, I’ll get to take part in a full-on palaeontological excavation (think the opening scenes of Jurassic Park – for all the errors it’ll still give you the idea). I’ll also have the chance to see part of the USA properly – albeit a very limited part – and meet some very clever people who’ll no doubt be far more awesome than me… shouldn’t be that hard to be fair.

I’ll also be taking my cameras and will be writing a diary while I’m out there, so I’ll be able to give you all a lovely looooong post about it all when I return at the end of June – possibly even while I’m out there?!

Ben D. Brooks

24.05.2012

Dig scene at "Snakewater, Montana" from Jurassic Park
Dig scene at “Snakewater, Montana” from Jurassic Park (c) Universal Studios, 1993

Comments

5 responses to “Diggin’ up Dino’s”

  1. B.D Avatar
    B.D

    “…who’ll no doubt be far more awesome than me… shouldn’t be that hard to be fair.”

    I’m going to call out all unnecessary self put-downs. It pains me to read them, not only because they’re completely false, but also because it makes it incredibly difficult for others to take your abilities seriously if you can’t recognise & celebrate them yourself. Take pride in your skills. You’ve been selected to join a dino dig… a friggin’ digging-up-a-dinosaur-in-the-middle-of-the-Montana-desert dino dig. That’s a pretty awesome thing, and it takes a pretty awesome person to do it… WHICH IS WHY YOU’VE BEEN SELECTED.

    “I’m going to be so radicoool at this dino dig that people will FOSSILISE themselves just to experience my paleontological prowess”. — I’d like a 100 lines of that, including a tattoo on your shoulder, and printed t-shirts that people can buy for $30.

    Reply
    1. Benjamin Brooks Avatar
      Benjamin Brooks

      Hullo B.D, sentiment appreciated, but my self deprication is my form of humour. Anywho, if you’ve been digging up dinosaurs for x years – for your job – you’re going to be more awesome than just a volunteer who’s coming into it for the first time. Though this all said, if I ever get into monetising this blog, I love the T-shirt idea…

      Reply
      1. B.D Avatar
        B.D

        The number of years digging up dinosaurs is independent of the level of awesomeness. The act is awesome, not the amount of experience (the amount of experience can be awesome too, but we’d be moving away from that point that what you will be doing will fanfriggingtastic).

        Humour or not, “…shouldn’t be that hard to be fair.” just kills it dead… and not the awesome digging up kind.

      2. Benjamin Brooks Avatar
        Benjamin Brooks

        Touche Sir, Touche.

  2. Sue Brooks Avatar
    Sue Brooks

    I am so excited for you Ben and I completely concur with BD, you should really desist from putting yourself down so.

    Reply

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