First WDC Jurassic Fest hosts returning volunteers

The Wyoming Dinosaur Center (WDC) hosted an exhilarating experience for dinosaur fans with the first-ever Jurassic Fest - Passion for the Past event.

Attendees had the opportunity to dig dinosaurs, see a screening of the "Why Dinosaurs?" Movie, listen to a variety of speakers and enjoy the museum.

Three of the speakers at the event, all returning volunteers, shared their stories and told the IR how the WDC has influenced their lives and careers.

One of the special guests participants had the opportunity to dig dinosaurs with was multi-award-winning British paleontologist, celebrated author and TV host, Dr. Dean Lomax from the UK.

Lomax returned to Wyoming after first visiting in 2008, then just an 18-year-old teenager straight out of high school. Growing up in the town of Doncaster in Yorkshire, England, Lomax did not have the grades or finances to initially go to university and even failed science in high school. When the WDC offered Dean the chance of a lifetime to volunteer and follow his dreams, he jumped at this opportunity and even sold his possessions (including his childhood Star Wars collection!) to fund the trip.

Fifteen years later, Lomax is a renowned paleontologist who has discovered and named multiple new species, written best-selling books and hosted TV shows. He is also an affiliated scientist at the University of Manchester, England. His unconventional journey into science began in Wyoming and highlights the importance of following your passion and never giving up on your dreams.

"I wouldn't be the person I am today if it wasn't for the opportunity I was given to come to Wyoming and volunteer at the WDC in 2008. The WDC provided me with the vital experience I needed to get my foot on the ladder and work out how to make it in such a competitive field," said Dr. Lomax.

He explains that he was one of those children who absolutely loved dinosaurs. "I was that annoying kid telling everybody dinosaur facts and correcting them on their pronunciations - I still do this," said Dr. Lomax.

According to Dr. Lomax's biography, he always knew what he wanted to do, but figuring out how to get here was the hardest part, especially having been told he would never become a paleontologist.

"As a youngster, to gain what experience and knowledge I could, at every opportunity I collected and identified fossils, visited museums, attended fossil-related events and read countless books," states Dr. Lomax.

To keep his dreams alive, he worked several jobs that he did not like and had to make numerous sacrifices to make ends meet. After raising enough funds, he travelled to Wyoming to hunt for dinosaurs and further his professional experience in paleontology.

"This was part of an almost four-month trip working with paleontologists at the WDC. That trip formed the backbone of my career. It helped me to realize my future goals and aspirations to succeed in paleontology. In short, it changed my life," states Dr. Lomax.

He adds, "Remember, we are all different. It's important to find your own way in life and discover what works for you, not somebody else. Never let anybody tell you that you cannot achieve your dreams. I hope that my journey inspires you to continue pursuing yours."

Passion in the bones

"The Wyoming Dinosaur Center invited me to be a guest speaker at the event because, in a nutshell, dinosaurs helped rescue me from a negative mindset and turn my life into an exciting adventure and the WDC played an important role in that transformation," said Elaine Howard about her journey to attend Jurassic Fest.

Howard graduated from law school in 1994, but felt like something was missing from her life. "I should have felt on top of the world, but instead I was in a dark place mentally. Although I had earned the credentials to be a Florida attorney, I wasn't sure if or how I would fit into the legal profession, and I obsessed over what I felt was missing in my life. Instead of celebrating how much I had achieved in my first 25 years, I was consumed with worry, doubt, and fear," said Howard.

She eventually found gainful employment as a lawyer although her gloomy mindset hung on for more than a decade. But in 2005 she wandered into a rock shop and bought a fateful souvenir, a dinosaur tooth, and that little fossil began to awaken her passion for dinosaurs and paleontology. "That led me to join my local fossil club, where I met a young paleontologist named Jimmy Waldron, who encouraged me to volunteer in the Orlando Science Center's dinosaur hall," said Howard.

Determined to get hands-on experience digging for dinosaur bones, she scoured the internet until she found the one place where she could learn to not only dig for dinosaur bones in the field, but also prepare them in the laboratory. That place was the Wyoming Dinosaur Center, a one-stop shop for learning all aspects of paleontology.

"In 2007, I began making trips to WDC, and I encouraged Jimmy to do the same. I returned to WDC year after year and, in the process, met individuals from all walks of life, from college interns to retired volunteers all connected by a common passion for the prehistoric. One of those individuals was a teenager from England named Dean Lomax with whom I formed an instant friendship based on our shared love of paleontology," said Howard.

"Through my years of volunteering with the WDC and sharing my passion with others, I began to realize just how much my life had changed for the better," she added.

Her experience led her to write a dinosaur-themed motivational book called Passion in the Bones (with foreword by world-renowned paleontologist Dr. Dean Lomax) and to also join as an executive producer of the film Why Dinosaurs? (a celebration of dinosaurs and the people who love them).

Howard said, "By sharing my passion through social media, I have become a popular Instagram paleo content creator with over 25,000 followers and use my platform to spotlight others around the world who are pursuing their passion for paleontology."

"Thanks to the Wyoming Dinosaur Center, I not only found my passion, but I'm on a mission to encourage others to follow theirs," said Howard.

Dinosaurs will always be awesome

Jimmy Waldron, MA.Ed, believes dinosaurs are so awesome he founded a company and named it Dinosaurs Will Always Be Awesome (DWABA).

Founded in 2018, the mission of DWABA is to advance appreciation and understanding of earth's natural history and evolutionary forces; with an emphasis on dinosaurs and STEM education. The non-profit, mobile museum brings real and replica dinosaur fossils to low-income communities. The Orlando, Florida based organization presents, as Waldron says, "unique experiences with heart, accessibly engaging science and a life-sized robot dinosaur named Poe".

A former WDC volunteer, Waldron was excited to return to share the incredible impact the center creates for paleoentrepreneurs.

His first visit to WDC was in 2008, at the suggestion of Elaine Howard, who had already made wonderful memories at WDC. "At the time I was a program developer and paleontology content lead for the Orlando Science Center. Our DinoDigs exhibit featured seventeen skeletons and fossil cases of famous dinosaurs like T. rex and Triceratops, and massive marine reptiles, like a mosasaur," said Walton. 

He added, "My family always knew me as a dino-kid who never grew out of the phase. But my experiences had always been limited to what I could learn in museums, movies and books, or which neighbors I could annoy stomping and roaring in my backyard."

He said the reason for his travel to WDC was to establish a new Paleo lab in Orlando, using the world renowned techniques and tools of the WDC prep lab. "So many research papers and new discoveries that have taken place were in that room, and there's no place else in the world just like it.  I made instant, lifelong friends there, including Dean, and Bill, Levi, and Angie-the paleontologists, collections manager and museum director," said Waldron.

"During my experience, which was something of a prototype for the now-annual internship program, I helped to prospect for new dig sites, clean and repair dinosaur bones for study, and even add a few pieces to the collections," added Waldron.

At the end of his first adventure, he had become certified in lab and field preparation, and returned home with actual certifications as a paleontologist. He also brought back several sauropod bones to prepare on the exhibit floor in Orlando. 

In 2015, he was a science teacher in a school for at-risk students. "That summer, I came back again, for the next of several visits to expand upon my certifications, and get more time in the dirt, making good on the promise to my six-year-old self. On this trip, I helped to mount part of the skeleton of the Camarasaurus, which stands over the WDC gift shop. I also learned how to replicate delicate fossils for display and public use," said Waldron.

"Beyond my classroom experiences, it was becoming increasingly apparent that the public still had much to learn about Earth's natural history," he added. 

He started a podcast and YouTube channel with Dr. Dean Lomax called "Dinosaurs Will Always Be Awesome" where they connected the latest scientific discoveries with working adults wanting to go back to their childhood sandbox. Two years ago, DWABA became a 501(c)3 natural history museum, and now brings real and replica fossils to disadvantaged communities and people who don't have access to museums like WDC.  

"In my city, we are well known for theme parks making experiences that seem just like the real thing. During those weeks when I was here in Thermopolis, putting in the work and learning the authentic tools of the trade, I made memories that will stay with me happily ever after," said Waldron of his time at WDC. 

Successful event

WDC director Angie Guyon said the digging for dinosaur bones with Dr. Dean Lomax class was full with 30 people each day. "The prospecting was also a success as we found numerous new dig sites and the bone quality is exceptional. Overall, our first Jurassic Fest was a huge success, and our goal is to make this a recurring event and involve the entire community," she said. 

The speaker series and movie showing were also well attended, and the museum saw an additional 584 visitors over the two-day event.