Fossil collecting is a great experience. It gives you the opportunity to get out into the field to collect things of great wonder and beauty. It’s a chance to look back into the distant past.
Once collected, fossils shouldn’t be left to lie around. They are part of the history of the Earth and each one is unique. Responsibility for preparing fossils to extract the maximum amount of information, and the care of that information, is the role of the palaeontologist and curator.
In this section you will be able to look at some tips for where and how to get started on fossil collecting and see some of the techniques used in fossil study and curation. Each link below opens in a new window.
Hunting for fossils
Collecting fossils
Fieldsafety
Curating fossils
Acid etching
Microfossil extraction