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Local Scout's Eagle project transforms Dino Ridge

Contributed by: Johnathan Osborn on 4/28/2008

The Dinosaur Ridge visitor center had a big need.

Their current 'working' aquatic diorama, which was designed to demostrate the process of fossil formation and sedimentary deposits, was no longer working. The drainage system dumped water into the road.

Visitors had no place to sit in order to watch the demonstrations. The 'lagoon' area of the diorama had sunk into the rest of the pond.

Enter Joseph Benzel, a member of Scout Troop 780 from Castle Rock. A dinosaur aficionado and an avid student of wildlife biology, Joseph had visited the Dinosaur Ridge site before, and was more than willing to help improve the visitor center.

Joseph spent over 100 man-hours in planning and preparation for this project, which would require approximately $1,000 in tools and materials to complete. The plan for the project was submitted to the Denver Area Council in January of 2008, and took three moths to approve.

Finally, in April, Joseph received the go-ahead from the council and began to gather the materials for the project and recruit volunteers from the troop.

At eight o' clock on Saturday, April 26th, the volunteers gathered in the parking lot at New Hope Presbyterian. As soon as everyone was there, the small convoy of vehicles began the 30-mile long trip to Dinosaur Ridge.

As soon as the first car arrived at the site, the Scouts realized that this was going to be a difficult project. Howling winds buffeted the visitor center and surrounding area with enough force to sting exposed skin and whip dust into the eyes of any unfortunate who wasn't wearing sunglasses.

During the eight hours it took to tear up the old diorama and install the new one, the weather changed from gusty winds to blowing snow to a calm, sunny afternoon with nary a cloud in the sky. In all, a typical Colorado day.

By the time the project was completed, the area on the side of the visitor center had been transformed from a weedy little patch of dirt to an aesthetically pleasing working diorama complete with storage shed and sitting area.

When visitors flock to Dinosaur Ridge again this summer, the diorama will be busy, a center of activity. Volunteers will use it to show visitors how water flows and carries sediment, and how conditions can lead to fossilization.

All because of eight hours one Saturday morning, and the months of work that led up to it.


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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Johnathan Osborn

Larkspur , CO

Johnathan Osborn has posted 2 stories and 2 comments since joining on 4/11/2008. Johnathan Osborn 's average story rating is 5.
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