At the beginning of the week, Jurassic Adventure campers received a visit from University of Texas paleontology graduate student Lauren English. She explained that paleontologists study not only dinosaurs, but also all prehistoric life. She shared facts about the current prehistoric crocodiles she studies. Lauren also brought a tooth from a megalodon, a prehistoric shark, which the girls examined eagerly.
The campers had an energetic dialogue with Lauren as they shared stories and questions. By the end, most of the girls raised their hands when Lauren asked who was interested in becoming a paleontologist.
The campers also learned from returning guest speaker Stacy Drake of the Texas Archeological Research Lab. Stacy again brought a variety of fossils and artifacts that the girls loved to look at as she explained different aspects of paleontology as well as archeology. Stacy spoke about fossils dating back to the beginnings of life on Earth and about more recent human artifacts. She shared that archeologists work not only on land, but some also do underwater excavations by scuba diving.
Overall, campers learned that although Jurassic creatures may be extinct, the study of them is very much alive.