Preparations continue for ETRW 2014

Preparations are continuing for the 2014 Field Season at Eric the Red West.
The crew list is close to being finalised.  We had more than 20 wonderful keen engaged applicants for new crew spots, and Lisa has succeed in squeezing in one or two more than we had decided we could possibly fit!
Dave and Lisa are heading out to Bimbi Park this week to finalise the accommodation.
The organisers are busy reviewing all of the paperwork we need to make this all official such as field guidelines and risk assessments.
Pip will once again be camp chef next year, and is busy planning all sorts of yummy, cheap and filling food for more than 20 people a day.
Dave and Lesley are reviewing equipment, making sure all the chisels are sharp machinery serviced.

... it's going to be fun.

Our footprints on Bush Telegraph

Dr Tony Martin talks about our amazing bird and dino footprints on ABC's Bush Telegraph:
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/bushtelegraph/ancient-bird-tracks/5102708.
Tony comes on just after the 28 minute mark.

Rookies Day

Gerry and Chloe

Joerg and Adam

John and Jeffrey

Victoria and Darren

Monique and Peggy

Tamara and Olivia

Nova and Fotini

Lisa, Mike, Amber and Chantelle

Mel and Sue

Maddy, Rohan, Lauren and Anant

Corrie and Jane

Bryan and Mary

Dave and John

Rookies Day bones

Mel finds a bone

Adam finds a bone

Mel finds another bone

Wendy finds a tooth

Chloe finds a bone

2014 Rookies

This weekend we will visit Flat Rocks with more than 20 new volunteer applicants for the 2014 dig season.  We'll put them through their paces, showing them how to tell the spot bone in the rock, carry equipment up and down the stairs, move rocks and bucket water.  I'm not sure whether we'll do the traditional dig-a-big-hole-in-the-sand or not; that skill is far more useful at Flat Rocks than Eric the Red West.  It will be a fun but full-on day. We may even find some good fossils.

Important Dates - 2014 Field Season

Rookies' training day - Sunday November 10th
Eric the Red West dig - Saturday February 1st to Saturday February 22nd
Friends' Day at Flat Rocks - Sunday March 23rd

Dinosaur Cove bird footprints.

A new paper on the footprints that Sean and Alan found at Dinosaur Cove has been published by Tony Martin et al in the journal Palaeontology.  Here are some links:
Tony's blog entry.
Tony is from Emory University in Atlanta - here's their press release.
And some technically minded will want to read the actual paper.