On May 10, Tumbler
Ridge resident and amateur palaeontologist Larry White will
begin an intensive six-week training session with the renowned
scientists and technicians at Alberta’s "Royal
Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology" in Drumheller.
Dr. Charles Helm, Vice
President of the TRMF, and Rich McCrea, Canada’s leading
authority on dinosaur footprints, initiated discussions with
the Tyrell staff, prompting the museum’s generous offer
to provide field and lab training to an amateur with an interest
in palaeontology.
Larry White and his
wife Crys have been members of the TRMF since its incorporation
and, when the opportunity arose for someone to work alongside
the technical minds of Canada’s most prestigious Dinosaur
museum, Larry volunteered. With degrees in Physics and Oceanography
and experience in Applied Mechanical Engineering through
his Naval training in the Canadian Armed Forces, Larry was
endorsed by the TRMF as a candidate for training. In addition
to his personal interest in palaeontology, having himself
discovered an as-yet unidentified dinosaur bone in a rock
very close to the site of the skeletal material scheduled
for excavation this summer, Larry plans to live in Tumbler
Ridge for many years and apply his knowledge to the community’s
ongoing scientific projects.
Under the tutelage
of palaeontologist Kevin Kruger, Larry will begin with a
rotation of ten days in the field, primarily in the area
around Drumheller, followed by 4 days in the lab, for up
to six weeks. During this time he will study the collection,
cataloguing, preparation and display of fossils and bones.
The Tyrrell is providing his training at no cost, and Larry
will live in his own camper in nearby RV park to keep living
costs low. He said he is anxious to learn the internal processes
of the Tyrell and rekindle his own passion for research and
data collection.
For Tumbler Ridge,
it means having a "resident amateur/expert" to
assist with excavations, expeditions and serve as an interpreter
for guided tours and a liaison for visiting scientists and
students. He has been appointed a technical advisor to the
TRMF and describes his role as "the Board’s information
guy." It also means that the link between the Tyrell
and the TRMF is firmly established and will continue to strengthen…a
relationship that bodes well for the future of Tumbler Ridge.
As Larry states, "The fact that the Royal Tyrrell Museum
is willing to make this offer indicates the significance
of our find. They wouldn’t commit the time and effort
to teach me if it weren’t for good cause. That tells
a lot about what we’ve got up here."
