Wednesday, March 18, 2009

More on the McAbee fossil site

by Dr. Bruce Archibald

The McAbee fossil site is a world-class treasure that we can be proud of—it has been discussed at scientific meetings around the world and in prominent scientific journals. But, it is being rapidly degraded through ongoing mismanagement. Charlie’s absolutely right in pointing toward what they’re doing at Eastend, Saskatchewan with the T. rex Centre as a model of what we could do here (http://www.dinocountry.com/ click on “T. rex Centre” in the top right box). Rather than destroy the heritage jewel of the McAbee as is being done now, such proper management would be a long-term benefit to all people, locally, regionally, and provincially, not only in preserving our heritage in a manner that benefits us all by its educational values, but also in providing a sustainable income source, attracting visitors from around the world to visit the region. This is a wonderful thing that we could show the world with pride; but it needs care. Once this treasure is gone, it’s gone forever.