My work as a fossil preparator involves the cleaning and preservation of specimens, so that they form a valuable pool of data for research now and into the far future. This includes preparing new discoveries for research, developing methods for preparing fossils, and the repair and restoration of specimens in need of care. Notes, sketches, and photographs taken as work is performed become an important part of a specimen’s data record, forming part of a chain of information as a specimen progresses from the field, to the lab, to the curated collections.
