An unforgettable weekend made possible by an incredible team of volunteers. From welcoming visitors to supporting talks, walks, and hands-on activities across every venue, their energy and dedication brought the whole festival to life. I was lucky to be part of coordinating things behind the scenes, but it was everyone’s effort that made this such a special event. Can’t wait to do it again.

More from the Festival

Team leader at the Cerny Wick mammoth excavation - one of the largest Ice Age digs in Britain - helping lead over 180 volunteers in uncovering, recording, and preserving remarkable Pleistocene fauna across a vast, multi-layered site.

Clay pipe originating from the 17/18th century. Exceptional design. A unique discovery of a more intact clay pipe.

Amoeboceras bauhini is an extremely rare ammonite. This specimen featured in the book 'A FIELD GUIDE TO THE FOSSILS OF THE FLEET LAGOON'

This fossil played a pivotal role for me. One of the rare pieces I sold while broke, investing everything in equipment and absolutely helping me toward what I do now.

This serves as an example of previous discoveries. These areas remain off-limits until late autumn

You can't beat good company. Finding a lovely echinoid is the cherry on top, and when that’s followed by a big crocodile tooth, it’s the full sundae. Spent the day with a good friend Colin and he found a silly little vert.

These roman coins originate from a field spanning over a 100-meter area. It is unfortunate that they have been scattered so extensively.

Notidanus is an extinct genus of cow shark known for its distinctive serrated, multi-cusped teeth. This deep-water predator is represented in the Oxford Clay by isolated teeth, as full skeletons are rarely preserved. The specimen pictured was collected by me from Fleet Lagoon, Weymouth, and shows excellent detail and definition.

Metriorhynchids were marine crocodiles adapted to open-sea life, with streamlined bodies and paddle-like limbs. Their teeth are typically conical chunky with two carinae, ideal for catching slippery prey like fish and squid. This well-preserved example was collected by me from the Kimmeridge Clay at Smallmouth Sands, near Fleet Lagoon, Weymouth.