The main purpose of this Symposium-Workshop is to emphasize all those concepts related to protect... more The main purpose of this Symposium-Workshop is to emphasize all those concepts related to protection and conservation of Natural History Collections. Listening, discussing and learning with other natural science conservators and preparator-restorers is a great and unique opportunity that we offer for all professionals working in this field, so that our natural heritage gets managed in the best way possible. In this edition, we plan to cover: • Conferences by international professionals. • Attendees' communications. • Poster presentations. • Practical classes and experience exchanges. We would like to avoid all those theoretical lectures that are useful only for a few professionals working in this field. Our aim is to focus towards a practical point of view, which will achieve a better learning and gain international importance. For this reason, we will combine conferences given by an interdisciplinary team of conservators from world renowned collections. There will be time for ...
In many cases, vertebrate fossils lying on storage shelves are in danger of falling to pieceswhet... more In many cases, vertebrate fossils lying on storage shelves are in danger of falling to pieceswhether it is from ancient glues and hardeners, ambient vibration, or handling. Many methods have been tried to reduce the wear and tear on specimens, though few seem to fully protect them. The Smithsonian Institution has developed a multi-step process of protecting fossil vertebrates with foam-padded, plaster jackets made of hydrocal gypsum cement, surmat fiberglass cloth, and ethafoam padding. Custom-fit, two-piece jackets with handles and feet on both sides that bolt together are created to fully encase the specimens. These enable a person to lift off a side, fully examine one side of even the most delicate specimen, and then flip it over to examine the other side. This eliminates excessive handling, and reduces the chances for breakage. An active program has been implemented to jacket all of the Smithsonian's vertebrate paleo specimens. So far, many of the titanothere skulls, toothed and baleen whale skulls, Plesippus skulls, Teleoceros skulls, turtle shells and sauropod bones have been jacketed. Many jacketed bones have already been safely shipped to our Museum Support Center storage facility in Suitland, Maryland, with more of the collections targeted for jacketing and relocation. RESUMO Em muitos casos os fósseis de vertebrados armazenados encontram-se em perigo de deterioração, quer seja devido a antigas colagens e restauros, manuseamento, ou à vibração ambiental. Existem muitas formas de tentar reduzir a utilização e a danificação de espécimes, no entanto, são poucos os métodos que os conseguem proteger totalmente. O Smithsonian Institution desenvolveu um processo de protecção de fósseis de vertebrados com casacos feitos de gesso, tela de fibra de vidro e reforçado com espuma de poliuretano. O revestimento é composto por duas peças com pegas em ambos os lados que, quando aparafusadas, envolvem totalmente o espécimen. Isto permite que se possa virá-lo e examinar de ambos os lados, mesmo nos espécimes mais delicados. Assim, elimina-se o manuseamento excessivo e reduzem-se quaisquer outros riscos. Foi implementado um programa de forma a revestir todos os espécimes de vertebrados do Smithsonian Institution. Até agora muitos dos crânios de titanothere, cetáceos, Plesippus, Teleoceros, carapaças de tartarugas e ossos de sauropodes encontram-se protegidos. Muitos ossos revestidos foram enviados para o nosso armazém (Museum Support Center) em Suitland, Maryland, juntamente com outras peças das colecções destinadas a serem revestidas e recolocadas.
In November and December of 2008, the National Museum of Natural History
hosted a training course... more In November and December of 2008, the National Museum of Natural History hosted a training course for instruction of paleontological preparation methods in order to build a large pool of volunteers for the FossiLab public exhibition. Through a grant from the Smithsonian Women's Committee, the Department of Paleobiology funded four weeks of intensive, hands-on training for a group of 29 volunteers in moulding, casting and fossil preparation methods. Contracted instructors worked with institutional staff to create a curriculum for training specific tasks, as well as to create general knowledge of preparation methods. Classes consisted of lecture, demonstration, and hands-on components. Instructors monitored the students throughout the instruction period, and concluded the programme with written and practical examinations. The instructors provided written evaluations for each student and presented recommendations for placement with specific tasks within the department. After the conclusion of the programme students retained much of their instruction and have gone on to successfully keep the preparation laboratory staffed while preparing fossils for the visiting public.
The Smithsonian Institution, through a grant from the Smithsonian Women's
Committee, implemented ... more The Smithsonian Institution, through a grant from the Smithsonian Women's Committee, implemented a programme during the fall and winter of 2008 to teach the basics of mechanical fossil preparation, moulding and casting to individuals seeking to work as volunteer preparators in the National Museum of Natural History's exhibit preparation lab, called FossiLab. Four outside preparators were contracted to conduct the instruction; two instructors taught two five-day sessions on molding and casting and two other instructors taught two six-day sessions on preparation. The Department of Paleobiology's (Paleobiology) curatorial staff instructed the groups in paleobotanical preparation and microfossil processing and picking. All instruction took place in FossiLab during public hours. Registration for the programme was conducted via the department's web page where a detailed description of the work and the lab familiarized prospective students with the type of work they would be performing. They were also asked a series of selfevaluative questions in an attempt to filter out those who might not have the innate motor skills or temperament needed for the job. Those who were confident in their decision to volunteer were interviewed in FossiLab, and the majority of those then registered for the programme. Twenty nine people, some new and some experienced, were trained. FossiLab is now staffed each day by as many as six volunteer preparators who perform a variety of tasks for Paleobiology. The number of weekly person-hours has tripled since the training. Continued, focused training on individual projects is carried on by the Vertebrate Paleontology Preparation Laboratory staff. Eighteen hours of videotape was recorded during the training and will be edited and made available via DVD and the internet.
The main purpose of this Symposium-Workshop is to emphasize all those concepts related to protect... more The main purpose of this Symposium-Workshop is to emphasize all those concepts related to protection and conservation of Natural History Collections. Listening, discussing and learning with other natural science conservators and preparator-restorers is a great and unique opportunity that we offer for all professionals working in this field, so that our natural heritage gets managed in the best way possible. In this edition, we plan to cover: • Conferences by international professionals. • Attendees' communications. • Poster presentations. • Practical classes and experience exchanges. We would like to avoid all those theoretical lectures that are useful only for a few professionals working in this field. Our aim is to focus towards a practical point of view, which will achieve a better learning and gain international importance. For this reason, we will combine conferences given by an interdisciplinary team of conservators from world renowned collections. There will be time for ...
In many cases, vertebrate fossils lying on storage shelves are in danger of falling to pieceswhet... more In many cases, vertebrate fossils lying on storage shelves are in danger of falling to pieceswhether it is from ancient glues and hardeners, ambient vibration, or handling. Many methods have been tried to reduce the wear and tear on specimens, though few seem to fully protect them. The Smithsonian Institution has developed a multi-step process of protecting fossil vertebrates with foam-padded, plaster jackets made of hydrocal gypsum cement, surmat fiberglass cloth, and ethafoam padding. Custom-fit, two-piece jackets with handles and feet on both sides that bolt together are created to fully encase the specimens. These enable a person to lift off a side, fully examine one side of even the most delicate specimen, and then flip it over to examine the other side. This eliminates excessive handling, and reduces the chances for breakage. An active program has been implemented to jacket all of the Smithsonian's vertebrate paleo specimens. So far, many of the titanothere skulls, toothed and baleen whale skulls, Plesippus skulls, Teleoceros skulls, turtle shells and sauropod bones have been jacketed. Many jacketed bones have already been safely shipped to our Museum Support Center storage facility in Suitland, Maryland, with more of the collections targeted for jacketing and relocation. RESUMO Em muitos casos os fósseis de vertebrados armazenados encontram-se em perigo de deterioração, quer seja devido a antigas colagens e restauros, manuseamento, ou à vibração ambiental. Existem muitas formas de tentar reduzir a utilização e a danificação de espécimes, no entanto, são poucos os métodos que os conseguem proteger totalmente. O Smithsonian Institution desenvolveu um processo de protecção de fósseis de vertebrados com casacos feitos de gesso, tela de fibra de vidro e reforçado com espuma de poliuretano. O revestimento é composto por duas peças com pegas em ambos os lados que, quando aparafusadas, envolvem totalmente o espécimen. Isto permite que se possa virá-lo e examinar de ambos os lados, mesmo nos espécimes mais delicados. Assim, elimina-se o manuseamento excessivo e reduzem-se quaisquer outros riscos. Foi implementado um programa de forma a revestir todos os espécimes de vertebrados do Smithsonian Institution. Até agora muitos dos crânios de titanothere, cetáceos, Plesippus, Teleoceros, carapaças de tartarugas e ossos de sauropodes encontram-se protegidos. Muitos ossos revestidos foram enviados para o nosso armazém (Museum Support Center) em Suitland, Maryland, juntamente com outras peças das colecções destinadas a serem revestidas e recolocadas.
In November and December of 2008, the National Museum of Natural History
hosted a training course... more In November and December of 2008, the National Museum of Natural History hosted a training course for instruction of paleontological preparation methods in order to build a large pool of volunteers for the FossiLab public exhibition. Through a grant from the Smithsonian Women's Committee, the Department of Paleobiology funded four weeks of intensive, hands-on training for a group of 29 volunteers in moulding, casting and fossil preparation methods. Contracted instructors worked with institutional staff to create a curriculum for training specific tasks, as well as to create general knowledge of preparation methods. Classes consisted of lecture, demonstration, and hands-on components. Instructors monitored the students throughout the instruction period, and concluded the programme with written and practical examinations. The instructors provided written evaluations for each student and presented recommendations for placement with specific tasks within the department. After the conclusion of the programme students retained much of their instruction and have gone on to successfully keep the preparation laboratory staffed while preparing fossils for the visiting public.
The Smithsonian Institution, through a grant from the Smithsonian Women's
Committee, implemented ... more The Smithsonian Institution, through a grant from the Smithsonian Women's Committee, implemented a programme during the fall and winter of 2008 to teach the basics of mechanical fossil preparation, moulding and casting to individuals seeking to work as volunteer preparators in the National Museum of Natural History's exhibit preparation lab, called FossiLab. Four outside preparators were contracted to conduct the instruction; two instructors taught two five-day sessions on molding and casting and two other instructors taught two six-day sessions on preparation. The Department of Paleobiology's (Paleobiology) curatorial staff instructed the groups in paleobotanical preparation and microfossil processing and picking. All instruction took place in FossiLab during public hours. Registration for the programme was conducted via the department's web page where a detailed description of the work and the lab familiarized prospective students with the type of work they would be performing. They were also asked a series of selfevaluative questions in an attempt to filter out those who might not have the innate motor skills or temperament needed for the job. Those who were confident in their decision to volunteer were interviewed in FossiLab, and the majority of those then registered for the programme. Twenty nine people, some new and some experienced, were trained. FossiLab is now staffed each day by as many as six volunteer preparators who perform a variety of tasks for Paleobiology. The number of weekly person-hours has tripled since the training. Continued, focused training on individual projects is carried on by the Vertebrate Paleontology Preparation Laboratory staff. Eighteen hours of videotape was recorded during the training and will be edited and made available via DVD and the internet.
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hosted a training course for instruction of paleontological preparation methods in
order to build a large pool of volunteers for the FossiLab public exhibition.
Through a grant from the Smithsonian Women's Committee, the Department of
Paleobiology funded four weeks of intensive, hands-on training for a group of 29
volunteers in moulding, casting and fossil preparation methods. Contracted instructors
worked with institutional staff to create a curriculum for training specific tasks,
as well as to create general knowledge of preparation methods. Classes consisted
of lecture, demonstration, and hands-on components. Instructors monitored the students
throughout the instruction period, and concluded the programme with written
and practical examinations. The instructors provided written evaluations for each
student and presented recommendations for placement with specific tasks within
the department. After the conclusion of the programme students retained much of
their instruction and have gone on to successfully keep the preparation laboratory
staffed while preparing fossils for the visiting public.
Committee, implemented a programme during the fall and winter of 2008 to teach
the basics of mechanical fossil preparation, moulding and casting to individuals
seeking to work as volunteer preparators in the National Museum of Natural
History's exhibit preparation lab, called FossiLab. Four outside preparators were
contracted to conduct the instruction; two instructors taught two five-day sessions
on molding and casting and two other instructors taught two six-day sessions on
preparation. The Department of Paleobiology's (Paleobiology) curatorial staff
instructed the groups in paleobotanical preparation and microfossil processing and
picking. All instruction took place in FossiLab during public hours.
Registration for the programme was conducted via the department's web page where
a detailed description of the work and the lab familiarized prospective students with
the type of work they would be performing. They were also asked a series of selfevaluative
questions in an attempt to filter out those who might not have the innate
motor skills or temperament needed for the job. Those who were confident in their
decision to volunteer were interviewed in FossiLab, and the majority of those then
registered for the programme.
Twenty nine people, some new and some experienced, were trained. FossiLab is
now staffed each day by as many as six volunteer preparators who perform a variety
of tasks for Paleobiology. The number of weekly person-hours has tripled since
the training. Continued, focused training on individual projects is carried on by the
Vertebrate Paleontology Preparation Laboratory staff. Eighteen hours of videotape
was recorded during the training and will be edited and made available via DVD and
the internet.
hosted a training course for instruction of paleontological preparation methods in
order to build a large pool of volunteers for the FossiLab public exhibition.
Through a grant from the Smithsonian Women's Committee, the Department of
Paleobiology funded four weeks of intensive, hands-on training for a group of 29
volunteers in moulding, casting and fossil preparation methods. Contracted instructors
worked with institutional staff to create a curriculum for training specific tasks,
as well as to create general knowledge of preparation methods. Classes consisted
of lecture, demonstration, and hands-on components. Instructors monitored the students
throughout the instruction period, and concluded the programme with written
and practical examinations. The instructors provided written evaluations for each
student and presented recommendations for placement with specific tasks within
the department. After the conclusion of the programme students retained much of
their instruction and have gone on to successfully keep the preparation laboratory
staffed while preparing fossils for the visiting public.
Committee, implemented a programme during the fall and winter of 2008 to teach
the basics of mechanical fossil preparation, moulding and casting to individuals
seeking to work as volunteer preparators in the National Museum of Natural
History's exhibit preparation lab, called FossiLab. Four outside preparators were
contracted to conduct the instruction; two instructors taught two five-day sessions
on molding and casting and two other instructors taught two six-day sessions on
preparation. The Department of Paleobiology's (Paleobiology) curatorial staff
instructed the groups in paleobotanical preparation and microfossil processing and
picking. All instruction took place in FossiLab during public hours.
Registration for the programme was conducted via the department's web page where
a detailed description of the work and the lab familiarized prospective students with
the type of work they would be performing. They were also asked a series of selfevaluative
questions in an attempt to filter out those who might not have the innate
motor skills or temperament needed for the job. Those who were confident in their
decision to volunteer were interviewed in FossiLab, and the majority of those then
registered for the programme.
Twenty nine people, some new and some experienced, were trained. FossiLab is
now staffed each day by as many as six volunteer preparators who perform a variety
of tasks for Paleobiology. The number of weekly person-hours has tripled since
the training. Continued, focused training on individual projects is carried on by the
Vertebrate Paleontology Preparation Laboratory staff. Eighteen hours of videotape
was recorded during the training and will be edited and made available via DVD and
the internet.