HELP SAVE DINOSAUR RIDGE!

Dinosaur track marks (i.e. footprints)

I have written previously about the awesome dinosaur park in Denver's backyard, called Dinosaur Ridge.
The world's FIRST stegosaurus fossils were found in this area.
Along with dinosaur bone quarries (now covered), exposed fossilized bones, dinosaur track sites, and well-preserved slabs of where the ocean once made Denver prime beachfront property (thanks to the Western Interior Seaway)---all of these sites you can see at Dinosaur Ridge.


Dinosaur Ridge is situated on a hogback between I-70 and Hwy-285. The west side of the foothill faces Red Rocks Park and Ampitheatre, while the eastside faces Denver. Most of this ridge is open space, a precious commodity with the continued growth and expansion of the Denver Metro area.

Jefferson County, who owns the surrounding land around Dinosaur Ridge, has made it clear that their only concern is money. Therefore, they are soon to partner with several developers to put in car dealerships and commercial space on what is vastly becoming limited green space in this area (notice the new residential neighborhoods popping up at Alameda and C470?). My concern is two fold: 1) This ridge is a valuable paleontological area. Why not protect the surrounding area for continued research? Not to mention, the degredation that will inevitably take place if zoned for commercial use. 2) The urban sprawl is real. And we are in the midst of it. If we do not put a halt on some of our scenic vistas and landscapes, we will regret it come twenty years from now when literally everything east of Morrison will be a concrete jungle (well, at least until you get to the eastern plains).



Fossilized Dinosaur Bone


Supporters, volunteers, scientists, and local neighbors are rallying together to try to stop this development. How can you help? 1) sign the petition 2) call Jefferson County and tell them your concerns 3) call anyone you know with connections
 4) call anyone you know who might be interested in purchasing the land and giving it to dinosaur ridge or putting it into a land easement.

Here is the link to sign the petition: SAVE DINO RIDGE

Save Dino Ridge: WHAT'S AT STAKE

Here is their GOFUNDME page

Here is the Save Dinosaur Ridge facebook page


PLEASE CONSIDER HELPING TO SAVE DINOSAUR RIDGE
 



Lamb Spring Archaeological Preserve

Replica of a Colombian Mammoth skull found at
Lamb Spring Archaeological Preserve

 

I continue to be enthralled and fascinated by the prehistory of Colorado.

I recently visited the Lamb Spring Archaeological Preserve in Littleton, Colorado. My friend and I met up with the tour guide at the Douglas County Library in Roxborough. After a thirty-minute slide presentation regarding the history of the site, as well as, a short spiel on prehistoric landscapes we then drove to the site.

 

We soon found ourselves standing where Charles Lamb stood in 1960, when he stumbled across bones of some very large prehistoric animals. Who knew that Colorado was once home to not only the Wooly Mammoth but also the Colombian Mammoth? And to date, this site holds title to the largest cache of Colombian Mammoth fossils in Colorado.

 

Other prehistoric fossils such as the Ground Sloth, Mastodon, North American species of camel and a distinctly North American species of horse have also been discovered.

 (Yes, you read that correctly).

   

 

Interpretive signs describing the site history



Wannabe historian (and this writer) holding a collection of projectile points

An issue of contention and topic of archaeological debate, is whether or not paleo-Indians inhabited this site at the same time as such mega fauna. According to our guide, evidence suggests that paleo-Indians may have used this site as a meat processing area (many of the fossils were discovered in piles). However, without the discovery of stone tools some scholars are reluctant to draw such conclusions.

 

Lamb Spring Archaeological Preserve is clearly a significant educational and archaeological site. However, despite the significance of the area, the Lamb Spring Archaeological Preserve has not been able to raise the funds necessary to be able to exhibit their findings.

 

I hope the educational and historic significance of this site can one day be displayed for all to see.

 

 

 

**FREE tours offered seasonally.