Jurassic Coast Trust delivers training programme for museums

 

The Jurassic Coast Trust has delivered a training programme for Dorset and Devon museums as part of their Jurassic Coast Collection project. Thanks to funding support from the John Ellerman Foundation, JCT staff members provided museums with a new perspective on their collections, highlighting how their work contributes to the ongoing efforts to protect the Jurassic Coast’s palaeontological heritage.

 

The training programme is broken down into 3 sessions. Session 1 is Coast to Cabinet, which explores the deep time origins of Jurassic Coast fossils and why they should be protected. Session 2 is A crucial piece of the puzzle, an investigation into the significance of museums’ fossil collections and how they fit within the wider context of the World Heritage Site. Session 3 is A fossil with many faces, looking at engagement and museum collections to life.

 

Sessions have so far been delivered to volunteers at Dorset Museum and Bridport Museum, with sessions planned for volunteers at Portland Museum and Sidmouth Museum in the next few months, as well as a session for Jurassic Coast Ambassadors at Highlands End Holiday Park on 7 April.

 

Feedback from volunteers from the first two sessions includes:

 

“Excellently paced day which invited us to explore further and learn more.”

 

“Inspiration to think about the context and relevance of collections, and their place in the ‘scientific’ record, their significance and what they might mean to different people.”

 

The Jurassic Coast Trust’s Lauren Sewell said of the training sessions:

 

“At the Jurassic Coast Trust, we are keen to promote and support the work of local museums, many of which rely on the hard work and dedication of volunteers to engage visitors, impart knowledge and generate excitement for the fossil collections and stories they tell.

 

We believe that with a little knowledge and the ability to find what sparks someone’s enthusiasm, these collections can be transformed into something captivating and informative, and we hope this enthusiasm will be passed on to visitors and audiences beyond the museum’s walls.”

 

Anyone interested in attending the training session on 7 April at Highlands End Holiday Park is invited to email the JCT for more details.