Let’s build the Currie Dinosaur Museum!
I’ve been pretty clear about my love of dinosaurs. I’ve also gone on and on and on (or at least it feels like it) about my favourite palaeontologist, Phil Currie.
Me and the Dude.
As you may know, Phil is building a museum, the Currie Museum, and it’s going to be pretty legit. Obviously it’s a dinosaur museum, and it’s focusing on the unique dinosaur history of the Pipestone Creek region it’s being built near. The Currie Museum will also focus on dinosaur education primarily with local schools in the pre school to grade 12 range.
Pachyrhinosaurus, one of the AMAZING dinosaurs found near Phil’s new museum. And to point out how awesome this dinosaur is, already has his own coin.
Much of my interest in palaeontology, and education comes from my frequent visits to the museum I now work at. Museums play an integral part in educating our youth about the past, and they play an intricate part in inspiring their future endeavours and ambitions. So a museum built RIGHT WHERE THEY FIND DINOSAURS, which focus is on showing off how palaeontology works, seems like the greatest idea. Ever.
The Currie Museum concept.
The Currie Museum is seeking funding from many different venues to support this dream and just recently, they’ve employed a strategy I’m really into, crowdfunding.
I love the idea of being able to support and become part of a project, even if my individual resources are limited. And if you don’t have the money, just adding your voice to the project is super helpful. Spread the word by tweeting about this great initiative, and reblogging your needed support.
Check out their funding plan and their mission statement, and get a look at their deep desire to build this special museum. If you’re in, spread the word!
The Currie Museum website, twitter, blog, facebook page and Indiegogo profile.
Crowdfunding the Currie Museum!
I’ve been pretty clear about my love of dinosaurs. I’ve also gone on and on and on (or at least it feels like it) about my favourite palaeontologist, Phil Currie.
Me and the Dude.
As you may know, Phil is building a museum, the Currie Museum, and it’s going to be pretty legit. Obviously it’s a dinosaur museum, and it’s focusing on the unique dinosaur history of the Pipestone Creek region it’s being built near. The Currie Museum will also focus on dinosaur education primarly with local schools in the pre school to grade 12 range.
Pachyrhinosaurus, one of the AMAZING dinosaurs found near Phil’s new museum. And to point out how awesome this dinosaur is, already has his own coin.
Much of my interest in palaeontology, and education comes from my frequent visits to the museum I now work at. Museums play an integral part in educating our youth about the past, and they play an intricate part in inspiring their future endeavours and ambitions. So a museum built RIGHT WHERE THEY FIND DINOSAURS, which focus is on showing off how palaeontology works, seems like the greatest idea. Ever.
The Currie Museum concept.
The Currie Museum is seeking funding from many different venues to support this dream and just recently, they’ve employed a strategy I’m really into, crowdfunding.
I love the idea of being able to support and become part of a project, even if my individual resources are limited. And if you don’t have the money, just adding your voice to the project is super helpful. Spread the word by tweeting about this great initiative, and reblogging your needed support.
Check out their funding plan and their mission statement, and get a look at their deep desire to build this special museum. If you’re in, spread the word!
The Currie Museum website, twitter, blog, facebook page and Indiegogo profile.
Phil Currie and I. #lifecomplete
Phil Currie, the legend, my hero, is coming to @ROMToronto.
One of the greatest experiences of my life occurred when I was just 7 years old. My mom took me for a week-long adventure to Alberta to visit Drumheller and the Badlands.
The Badlands and I. Notice that loose striped shirt, and Stegosaurus print shorts, examples of my hipster upbringing.
The legend, Phil Currie.
We spent a ton of time at the Royal Tyrell Museum, which is maybe the greatest dinosaur museum in the world. I went on digs and visited sites, and took endless walks into the Badlands. The greatest part of the trip, though, was meeting a hero of mine, Phil Currie. Phil Currie, for the uninitiated, is one of the world’s LEADING palaeontologists. He’s worked greatly in the Drumheller region and with the Royal Tyrell Museum. Some of his greatest work has been with the Argentina-Canada Dinosaur Project and the Canada-China Dinosaur Project. His research has been widespread, covering multiple subjects such as theropods, the origin of birds and the movement of dinosaurs across continents. He even has a museum being built and named after him - The Phillip J. Currie Museum - opening next summer. Phil Currie is all sorts of incredible.
Albertasaurus. One of the dinosaurs Phil Currie has done wondrous research on.
It’s such on honour to say that we have Phil Currie coming to the ROM this Sunday for our latest Dino Day. I’m really excited to give kids the same experience to meet such a legend, just like I did. We have the Phil Currie Meet and Greet from 1 to 2 pm in the Currelly Gallery (where many of the other Dino Day family activities are), and then at 2 pm is his lecture, Mega Claws and Teeth: The Argentina-Canada Dinosaur Project (a few tickets still left!) in the theatre.
Considering how well the Paul Sereno and Catherine Forster Meet and Greets went, the kids (and the MANY adults, too) will have no problem going up to this hero to ask questions. When the event wraps, I hope to give another go at introducing myself to Phil Currie; this time, without the help of my mom!
DINOSAUR DAYS: Catherine Forster is coming to @ROMToronto!
We’re doing these pretty awesome Dinosaur Days this fall, all in honour of our new special exhibit, #ultimatedinos, and the fact that dinosaurs are just about the greatest thing EVER.
Each Dinosaur Day we’ll have a whole bunch of activities for the kids, from dinosaur headdresses, to making fossil moulds, to dinosaur digs as well as fossil touch tables and other other cool stuff. We’ll also have our @ROMPalaeo staff on the floor showing off some of their latest finds, and preparing specimens for display and study.
Guys, I’m not done. I’m all on #TeamFeatheredDino.
But maybe most AWESOME of all, we have a world leading palaeontologist coming in to do a talk and meet and greet. Yes, you’ll be able to meet a LEGENDARY palaeontologist like Phil Currie, or Scott Sampson, or Paul Sereno, and even the closet hipster, super ULTIMATE, David Evans! I know. Too legit. Can’t deal. *breathes into paper bag*
So let me break this down for you here. Each Dinosaur Day, a WORLD LEADING palaeontologist is going to do a meet and greet, question and answer period with the public in our Currelly Gallery at 1PM. You can ask any and all of your deepest dinosaur questions. THEN after they’re doing a lecture on their work and latest discoveries in our theater from 2PM until 3PM. The lecture is separately ticketed but super worth it and affordable. Wow, that’s awesome. ALL THE PALAEONTOLOGY! *breathes into paper bag* *again*
_____
THIS WEEK (Sunday September 9th) Catherine Forster is coming in!
Palaeontologists are obligated to take their jacket photos in the field. #truestory
She’s been behind some super awesome discoveries with iguanodonts, baby dinosaurs, and you know, helped discover THIS mischievous sauropod.
Forster’s Rapetosaurus in a fierce battle with Majungasaurus!
More on Forster HERE as well as SWEET interview we did with her here. More on our Dinosaur activities HERE and more on how the lecture series HERE! Wow, so much more. Probably because this is going to be MORE awesome than any previous set of Dinosaur Weekends!
Dinosaur Weekend is finally here!
I feel like my whole life has been leading up to THIS moment.
Reenacting the Tyrannosaurus Rex/Jeep chase scene from Jurassic Park (also having WAYYY too much fun).
My mom says my first love in life was dinosaurs (but don’t tell my wife that). Ever since I was the littlest of kids, I’ve loved dinosaurs. LOVED THEM.
I wanted to be a palaeontologist for most of my life. In between visiting the ROM (always seeing the dinosaurs before anything else) and reading books about dinosaurs, I played with dinosaur action figures, watched Jurassic Park every week and lived for the idea of eventually going searching, digging, and studying dinosaurs when I grew up.
Me clearly doing something I shouldn’t be doing..
I remember meeting Robert T. Bakker and Phil Currie when I was a kid and feeling like I’d met rock stars. (Ok, forget about being a kid, when I met Dave Evans a few years back I’m pretty sure I peed my pants a bit). I remember the best vacation of my LIFE was being a seven year old in the Badlands of Drumheller Alberta, spending a week seeing actual dig sites and exploring the Royal Tyrrell Museum (a museum all about dinosaurs).
So in short, dinosaurs mean a lot to me.
As I grew up, though my passion for dinosaurs never waned, my dreams of becoming a palaeontologist quickly changed when I realized math was not one of my strong points. (Who knew palaeontologists use a lot of math!?) HOWEVER, this story has a happy ending. I realized I could infuse my love of dinosaurs in a new capacity that was even more awesome – working with kids. So, education and children’s programming became my career focus.
Where I’m going with this…
Remember I said I feel like my whole life’s been leading up to this moment? I get to help organize a dinosaur-centred weekend at the very museum I was astonished by as a kid! (Holy wow – amazing stuff.) And I’m so excited that I have the opportunity to share this stuff with kids who are just like I was!
Showing off some very awesome South American theropod teeth!
We’ve spent a bunch of time with the great folks in the ROM Palaeontology department to bring out some truly awe-inspiring stuff for Dinosaur Weekend:
- We’ve got casts and real fossils for you to see and explore – some that you can even touch!
- Real-life palaeontologists will greet you on the floor (#museumheroes) who will talk to you about their work and answer all your dinosaur-related questions. They will also be offering a special look at a mini fossil preparation lab – you’ll be able to see how palaeontologists prepare fossils and mould and cast them for display.
- We’re also giving y’all a sneak peek of our upcoming Ultimate Dinosaurs exhibit. From the skeleton of an Eoraptor (the most primitive known dinosaur) to a Elosuchus skull (a Cretaceous crocodile), to what may even be the femur of a Spinosaurus, you’ll see some dinosaurs, and other Mesozoic beasts, before they go on display this Summer!
- Of course, we’ll be bringing the dinosaur dig out for all the young fossil hunters.
- Super fun: we’re setting up a station where you can make Hadrosaur headdresses that will ensure you won’t look out of a place in a herd of duckbilled dinosaurs!
- We’ll even have some dinosaur foot prints out in dinosaurs where you can measure the size of your sneakers to the claws of a Carnotaurus. Toooooooo legit.
So come out! Join us! Let’s talk about dinosaurs!
Upcoming Family Fun Weekends 2012 to watch for…
April 28-29: Dinosaur Weekend
May 5-6: Space Weekend
May 12-13: Ancient Egypt Weekend
May 19-21: Awesome Animals Weekend
June 9-10: Ancient Rome and Greece Weekend
Follow ROMkids on twitter and tumblr for the latest news from the studio!
Thoughts on our children's programming at the Royal Ontario Museum, as well as science, natural history, art and more! Commentary and photos (unless otherwise noted) by our Coordinator, Kiron Mukherjee.
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