FOSSILS IN FOCUS: SHARING PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES OF CHACO CULTURE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK THROUGH SURVEYS, OUTREACH, AND EDUCATION

Within the cliff walls that surround the monumental structures of Chaco Culture National Historical Park (CHCU) lie the remains of an ancient world that predates the Ancestral Puebloans by tens of millions of years. A complete paleontological survey of CHCU was published in 2018, and in the fall of 2019, we worked with the paleontology report to create educational and outreach materials that spread the word about Chaco’s little known paleontological resources. Using data from the paleontological survey, we selected 11 fossil specimens in situ for 3D photography and educational interpretation. We published interactive 3D models of these specimens accompanied by educational descriptions on the National Parks Geologic Resources web page. In conjunction with this project, we made social media posts on the CHCU Facebook page and created a landing page for the CHCU web page to highlight the park’s paleontological resources. A geology portfolio was compiled as a resource for future park staff and interpreters when designing programs for Fossil Day and other outreach events related to paleontology. The published survey report and subsequent outreach efforts made new information accessible and engaged a variety of visitors, from novices to professional paleontologists. The most popular Facebook post reached over 22,000 people. Our 3D models preserve data related to the park’s paleontology and provide teachers resources for remote learning and exploration. While surveys provide a roadmap to resource preservation, interpretation and outreach spark curiosity and motivate visitors to take part in the stewardship and protection of fossils at CHCU and other public lands.