A Field Tech's Reflections on the 2023 Season

Staff and crew members working at the M&M site

In the blink of an eye, another field season has passed. I can hardly believe that this was my second summer with Elevation Science, digging up dinosaurs like I’ve dreamed since I was small. With another year of experience under my belt, I can’t help but reflect on my time in the field with this amazing organization so far. Each field season has been full of excitement, productivity, new friends, and a sense of achievement. 2023 was no different!

One of the best parts about our expeditions is the people we get to meet. Folks come from all over the world to dig up dinosaurs with us and it’s incredible to me that we all come together for the same thing; dinosaurs and that surreal feeling of discovery. Our eyes witness the exact moment someone discovers their first dinosaur bone, the first living thing to see that bone in 150 million years. We, as staff members, get to watch and take part in the friendships that are formed over each week with our crew members - friendships that keep coming back every single year. My second year was especially unique, as I got to reunite with friends I made last year and experience the happiness of working with them again.

With the help of our incredible crew, we were able to open and run all of our active dig sites…plus two more we were lucky to explore! I had the privilege of “floating” between sites this year, documenting the processes of field work and lending a hand where needed. It was because of this that I was able to work on my very first theropod at our M&M site (a currently speculated Allosaurus quarry) and the newly opened Skyewalker site (a possible sauropod and theropod!). Stay tuned for more info to come on these amazing sites and more!

Each year, we go our separate ways with a sense of accomplishment that we made an impact in more ways than one. Not only is our focus on the fossils; it’s also on our crew members. I take pride every year in the fact that I helped make a difference to at least one person; helping them better understand the prehistoric past, teaching them the skills it takes to work in the field, and playing a part in their childhood dreams come to life. And with each fossil discovered and excavated, we have done our part to preserve and protect these natural resources.

Field technician, Skye Walker, getting ready to film a video at LZ Blue

The end of the season always comes faster than we would like. While I know that we will indeed return, it’s a very emotional goodbye every time. We spend months of our lives in those quarries; furiously taking notes and measurements, mapping every fossil’s position, hammering relentlessly at the sandstone, answering the vital questions, relishing our team’s company. It’s a difficult thing to leave behind that dynamic and go back to our regular lives.

While the end has to come sometime, the sadness of leaving is outweighed by the joy I feel when I’m out in the field. Every single day, I’m covered in dirt, sweat, and plaster. At the end of those days, I’m exhausted beyond comprehension but I’m happy to have a career that fulfills my life in such a way. Suffice to say that working in and looking forward to these gorgeous, rugged places with so much natural history is a true gift. The countdown to next year is on… so, here’s to the next field season and many more!