The Harold Hamm School of Geology & Geological Engineering invites students, faculty, and staff from the University of North Dakota and the greater Grand Forks community to assist in cleaning and stabilizing dinosaur fossils almost every Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the North Dakota Geological Survey Wilson M. Laird Core and Sample Library. 

After discovering the bones of an edmontosaurus’ vertebrae, a duck-billed dinosaur that weighs 20 tons and is 45 feet long, eroding out of the hills near Brusett, Montana in 2019, Paul Ullmann, assistant professor of geology and geological engineering at UND, helped bring the fossils of an edmontosaurus and triceratops to Grand Forks in 2023. 

“We had to wait [over the] pandemic to come back in 2021, and that’s when we figured out that we had a lot here at this site,” Ullmann said. 

After hosting several fossil-prep sessions, beginning in February of 2024, Ullmann expects fossil-prep sessions to continue for years. 

“We’re eight months in, but we are more or less on the expected pace. We have two tail vertebrae that are virtually done, and we are halfway through all the rest of the vertebrae,” Ullmann said. “We’re concentrating on them because we knew it would be a more fragile portion of the jacket, and it’s just kind of a fun, cool part to start with.” 

From 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday afternoons, volunteers are invited in two-hour shifts, although they can volunteer for four hours, to clean and stabilize fossils using an array of tools. Currently, only five volunteers can participate at one time, but Ullmann looks to increase that number and organize sessions on Wednesday, as well as Friday, afternoons after the new year. 

“We’re trying to take away the sediment that’s adhered to the surface, scrape off any built-up iron that’s on the surface, or trying to get out [salt deposits] of the cracks,” Ullmann said. “It’s a concurrent process of both cleaning and three-dimensional puzzling.” 

Over 125 volunteers from differing communities have already participated in fossil prep sessions. 

“This is a big project. To do it on our own would be a massive undertaking. For us, as professors, graduate students, [and] undergrad students, we’ve all got other things going on that we’re trying to do,” Ullmann said. “We are grateful for all the help to get this done.” 

To volunteer, register at calendar.und.edu/event/fossil_prep_sessions_edmontosaurus_triceratops_fossils_at_und to reserve a shift.  

“This is a special opportunity. We’re excited to bring it to you and Grand Forks,” Ullmann said. “Especially for students, when you have a break between classes, come join us.” 

Dylan Campbell is a Dakota Student General Reporter. He can be reached at [email protected].