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It’s Valentine’s Day!
We don’t really do a whole lot to celebrate this day. The hubs and I usually get each other something last minute and the kids make cards. We rarely go out on dates alone. It’s hard to find someone willing to tackle all three kids and the chaos.
This is our first year homeschooling for this holiday too. This year, a field trip to the Division of Fossil Primates at the Duke Lemur Center happened to fall on this day. I think it was one of my favorite ways that I’ve ever spent this holiday. I’m kicking myself for not taking pictures and although I’ve hear of the Duke Lemur Center, I’ve never heard of the fossil division. These are the perks of joining a homeschool co-op.
It was just us and another family with two kids that went. The kids got to have in-depth talks with the researchers about primates, reptiles, fossils, and how scientists determine so much from something as small as a tooth. They have thousands of fossils housed here. The kids were able to see the process of cleaning and preserving bones and the equipment that takes. We also got to see a lab where they make casts so that they might send the casts out for study without further risking damage to the original bones.
We were also told how they scan the fossils into a database now that is free to anyone to view. That’s located at MorphoSource.
I’m proud to say that my two year old nearly made it through the extensive talk before getting tired and cranky. I’m hoping as he gets older we are able to take part in more field trips like these.
I’m hoping to schedule a tour for the Duke Lemur Center soon. I’ve heard a lot of great things and I think the kids will be even more interested in these little creatures after hearing so much about their bones and evolution.
A Hen and Her Chicks 