The Two Medicine Dinosaur Center is very proud to be the recipient of a Montana 2011-2012 Tourism Infrastructure Investment Program (TIIP) Grant for $50,000! This grant provides $2 for every $1 raised. Fundraising efforts to meet the necessary match have been underway with great success! The second floor expansion - planned since 2000 - will begin in early 2012. Finalizing plans and hiring additional staff is underway so the project is completed by May.
The Two Medicine Dinosaur Center building will have its new "Learning Center," offices, library area, and utility spaces above the existing gift shop, bathroom, and storage areas. The second floor will free up first floor space for new exhibits, a larger laboratory and collections area.
Book signings and presentations:
At the end of the 2011 dig season, a small theropod dinosaur discovered a year ago was finally excavated and brought into the facility. It is very exciting to have one of these rare animals in the Center! Its preparation should take approximately 2 years.
In 2011 the Medusaceratops site continued to produce amazing specimens including the organization's first ankylosaur. The remoteness of this site makes it difficult to bring program participants; however, for returning participants who are interested in "roughing it," helping at this site is possible. Please contact the Two Medicine Dinosaur Center to sign up or for more information.
The Two Medicine Dinosaur Center is continuing work this winter on the replication of the Old Trail Museum's (Choteau, MT) Maiasaura skull in its orginal configuration. Each skull bone will be cast separately, thereby allowing the cast bones to be used as an excellent teaching tool for comparative anatomy labs as well as other museums. TMDC's paleontologist Dave Trexler will use both the original and reconstructed forms to re-illustrate his graduate work on the specimen and submit it for publication.
This winter the Two Medicine Dinosaur Center is also reconstructing a baby Brachylophosaurus skull from the Great Plains Dinosaur Museum (Malta, MT). The skull is one of the smallest articulated duckbill dinosaur skulls known. Its size provides a nice intermediate between that of the baby and adult Maiasaura skulls currently on display.