JURASSIC COAST TRUST INVOLVEMENT
I was proudly an ambassador for the Jurassic Coast Trust (JCT) for over 3 years and I can honestly say, was an amazing experience. The JCT primarily focuses on the preservation of the world heritage site which is the Jurassic Coast but more recently, improving the employability of young people in specialised fields via their volunteering network.
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The work I did with the JCT primarily consisted of educational talks about the local paleontology of Dorset and even paleontology further afield, like that of North America. My talks aimed to give the audience an insight into what this part of England would have been like during the Mesozoic and what sort of creatures lived during this time which can be found as fossils along the coast today.
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The JCT gave me total creative freedom on the content of my talks and the way I chose to present it, which provided me invaluable experience in creating, organising and presenting talks at my own events under the name of the JCT.
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As a result of my hard work and unwavering dedication, I was offered the opportunity to produce paid content for the Jurassic coast trust and although it was temporary, it was a step in the right direction.
PALEONTOLOGY
OF THE JURASSIC COAST
This was the first official talk I planned, advertised and conducted under the name of the JCT. Held at the Plymouth Guild hall in November 2018, it was my first taste of life as a science communicator.
MASS EXTINCTIONS TALK
On Wednesday the 27th of February 2019 I presented my next talk on behalf of the JCT. This time, a topic specifically requested by the venue to fit in with their ongoing themes. I recall being very surprised at the audience this talk attracted, as the majority seemed to be individuals in their mid to late 40's/50's
BIG JURASSIC SUMMER SLEEPOUT
In the summer of 2019, the Jurassic Coast Trust hosted a weekend of fun filled activities, consisting of various dinosaur related arts and crafts, sporting events and a movie night.
On the Saturday, a circuit system was implemented so everyone had a chance to rotate and experience all the JCT had on offer. My role was to present a 30 minute workshop about Dinosaurs of Great Britain.
Due to it being an outdoor event with limited electric access, I gave a talk solely with large poster sized print outs of a presentation I had designed for a young audience along with fossils and props to pass around.
DINO NEWS ARTICLES
Every few months the Jurassic coast trust release their subscribers magazine which features information about the latest projects the JCT are involved in as well as stories from local businesses and residents of Dorset. This magazine also includes an additional section called "Jurassic Rangers" aimed at younger subscribers. In this section, I was put in charge of writing up the "Dino news" which is an exciting account of the most recent discoveries in paleontology.
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Although the article is written to accommodate a younger audience, I tried to make sure I don't underestimate my audience's abilities. If I have learnt anything from giving talks to children, it's that they love to be challenged when it comes to learning about dinosaurs and shouldn't be underestimated!
CAMP CRETACEOUS AND THE JURASSIC COAST TRUST
In 2020 prior to the official release, the amazing folks at NETFLIX approached the Jurassic Coast Trust to propose a promotional blog. The Jurassic Coast has been the forefront of many dinosaur discoveries in the UK and therefore, an opportunity had arisen to compare these dinosaurs with those featured in NETFLIX's new show; Camp Cretaceous.
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The JCT therefore approached me and asked if I would like the opportunity to be in charge of writing the blog. I was provided an early access code to watch the show and write up the blog to publish on the JCT website
DINOSAUR FOOTPRINTS AT KEATES QUARRY
During the first week of March 2021, I visited Keates Quarry to record a video about dinosaur footprints. The video was recorded with the intentions of having it available on the JCT's website as an educational learning resource. The video also features American Paleontologist Ashley Hall whom I had invited to feature in my video. This was my first collaborative video with another Scientist
SCELIDOSAURUS AND DINOMANIA
In April, before their Britain's Got Talent debut, I organised on behalf of the Jurassic Coast Trust, a collaboration with Dinomania. Dinomania were due to be attending Plymouth at the Honicknowle YMCA to perform one of their shows, so I took this opportunity to arrange with ranger Chris a collaboration with the Jurassic Coast Trust.
