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Ireland’s Biggest Fossil Preparation Programme Launched in Cork

15 Mar 2024

A new community of citizen palaeontologists are uncovering lessons for our future from Earth’s deep past.

People from across Ireland gathered in Cork recently for Ireland’s largest-ever gathering of fossil workers. The “Fossils for our Future” (FF) citizen science programme based at UCC offers adults of all ages the opportunity to literally get their hands dirty preparing real fossils and help answer some of the biggest questions in palaeontology.

 “The level of interest has been extraordinary”, says Dr Chris Mays, Programme Coordinator of FF, “I think this speaks to the passion for the natural world we have in Ireland.”

 Over thirty palaeo-passionate people from diverse backgrounds—students, professionals and lifelong fossil-lovers—have all joined the Fossils for our Future team.

 “We have adult volunteers coming from a range of educational backgrounds, ages, and experience levels. There’s room for everyone to learn something new in this programme and we are very excited to offer this collaborative outlet to the community”, says Programme Manager Dr Aidan Sweeney.

Programme participants are solving a puzzle that began 250 million years ago, before the age of the dinosaurs. The fossils the team are uncovering are from one of the hottest times in Earth’s history: the ‘end-Permian mass extinction event’.

“These fossils hold clues as to how plants and animals might adapt to a warmer world,” says Dr Mays.

For more on this story contact:

If you are interested in participating email: fossilfuture@ucc.ie

The “Fossils for our Future” programme in funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), and supported by partner organisations Ireland Research Centre in Applied Geosciences (iCRAG), the Cork Geological Association, Age Action, and University College Cork’s Adult Continuing Education (ACE) and Environment Research Institute (ERI).