snakebite6769 Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 Okay, say you are in a special area and in that area there are numerous fossils. The local museum and collectors have numerous specimens in their collections but you are visiting and find something awesome! You contact the local museum, let them know you had found something and let the property owner know. You allow the museum to know you are more than willing to help if they will allow you to assist them in their retrieval efforts. What is the likelihood they will contact the finder, and what is the likelihood they will allow you to help? They do need volunteers ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Praefectus Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 It would depend on what the fossil is and where it was found. There are a whole bunch of laws and rules surrounding fossils that make it very hard to predict how people will react. It also depends on which museum was contacted. Some are receptive to volunteer help but others only want professionals. The value of whatever specimen was found will also play a role in determining if the museum contacts the finder. If the museum needs volunteers, I think they would allow you to help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gizmo Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 1 hour ago, snakebite6769 said: Okay, say you are in a special area and in that area there are numerous fossils. The local museum and collectors have numerous specimens in their collections but you are visiting and find something awesome! You contact the local museum, let them know you had found something and let the property owner know. You allow the museum to know you are more than willing to help if they will allow you to assist them in their retrieval efforts. What is the likelihood they will contact the finder, and what is the likelihood they will allow you to help? They do need volunteers ... If it involves the Calvert Marine Museum 100%. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 If it involves the Tate Museum 100% We do this all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snakebite6769 Posted March 11, 2019 Author Share Posted March 11, 2019 It is Calvert Marine museum, and I found a baleen Whale fossil yesterday morning. I’m sure they have many of them and I had permission from the land owner to remove it. But it’s too much for me so I contacted the museum about it. It has been a dream of mine since childhood to be into paleontology and go on a dig. I hope they call me back and nobody destroys the specimen before we can make arrangements to have it excavated. There is also a sea turtle sticking out near by. Was an exceptional day for me! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 That is definitely an exceptional day! Congratulations on making some incredible finds, and planning to go about their extraction "by the book." It does look favourable that you'll get to live that dream of being part of a dig. Hopefully you'll take us along, at least virtually. ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snakebite6769 Posted March 11, 2019 Author Share Posted March 11, 2019 As long as they return my call then I will surely add to the forum the full dig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erose Posted March 13, 2019 Share Posted March 13, 2019 As a museum professional (exhibit design and management) I would say money, which also equals time, as the number one factor. Even having a boat load of volunteers you still have to manage the effort and then you need supplies and lastly a place to put it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted March 13, 2019 Share Posted March 13, 2019 I hope they are interested.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted March 13, 2019 Share Posted March 13, 2019 On 3/11/2019 at 3:47 PM, snakebite6769 said: As long as they return my call then I will surely add to the forum the full dig 19 minutes ago, jpc said: I hope they are interested.... If they are not interested then perhaps @Boesse will be. Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys." Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough." My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection My favorite thread on TFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boesse Posted March 14, 2019 Share Posted March 14, 2019 Oh man, if a collector tips us off to a scientifically significant find we want to excavate, we invite the collector to help out every time - and each time we've done that they always come along. They get to have a blast, we nickname the individual specimen after them, and we get some help excavating. It's very symbiotic here. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted March 14, 2019 Share Posted March 14, 2019 This is very exciting. Every once in a while you make an overwhelming find, then logistics and timing overtake every waking moment for a while. It’s a delightful problem to have, and a story the grandkids will hear for decades. Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snakebite6769 Posted March 15, 2019 Author Share Posted March 15, 2019 21 hours ago, Boesse said: Oh man, if a collector tips us off to a scientifically significant find we want to excavate, we invite the collector to help out every time - and each time we've done that they always come along. They get to have a blast, we nickname the individual specimen after them, and we get some help excavating. It's very symbiotic here. Where do you collect your specimens? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boesse Posted March 16, 2019 Share Posted March 16, 2019 Mostly around Charleston, SC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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