This month’s topic is a fun one – let’s dig right in!

My kids are really into fossils. Are there any fossil digs or attractions that would let them look for fossils?

What a great question! Although I couldn’t find any local fossil digs that were open to the public, there are some area adventure companies and museums that might be of interest to all you fossil hunters out there.

• Scottsdale is home to a number of off-road tour companies, many of which specialize in Arizona archaeology and geology. I couldn’t pinpoint one that focuses specifically on paleontology, but most of the local guides are great resources of information pertaining to Arizona’s natural history. Two eco-tour companies that you might try are Windwalker Expeditions and My Arizona Guide.
  
• In terms of museums, the Arizona Science Center has an exhibit called “Dinosaurs” that will open in spring 2008. And in nearby Mesa, the Mesa Southwest Museum (becoming the Arizona Museum of Natural History in October 2007) bills itself as “your place for dinosaurs that roar!”
• If you like your fossils served up with a side of campfire s’mores, check out the Carefree Resort & Villas. Here you’ll find Lance Polingyouma, the resort’s cultural interpreter. Lance is a member of the Hopi tribe and knows a thing or two about local paleontology (and area archaeology, cultural history, flora and fauna, Hopi astronomy – well, you get the picture). Lance hosts the resort’s campfire talks most nights of the week and loves to talk with guests about anything pertaining to Arizona, including fossils!
• From now through December 31, 2007, visitors to the Pueblo Grande Museum and Archeological Park can take part in their “Dig It! Explore Archaeology” exhibit. This hands-on exhibit features a life-size replica of an excavated trench wall where hands-on elements demonstrate the science of archaeology. Kids of all ages can learn how clues found during digs are used to identify artifacts, and can even build their own miniature Hohokam village. Granted, this isn’t fossil-related, but it will definitely give kids a chance to stretch their excavating muscles!
• Finally, if you want to plan a day trip from Scottsdale, the Petrified Forest in northern Arizona has one of the best geologic and fossil records of the Late Triassic in the world, along with some pretty amazing examples of petrified wood. Visit www.nps.gov/pefo for more information.

Happy fossil hunting!

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