Paleotrip 2009: treasures from the south of France

And how did our protagonists experience their weeks? One thing’s for sure: the weather was hot, the work enriching and the atmosphere could not be better!

“We worked hard, laughed a lot and made some very interesting discoveries.” Dimitri Brosens, 31 years old

“A lot hotter and harder than in Russia… but a lot more pleasant because of the beautiful area in which we resided.” Willy Bernimolin, 67 years old

“It was fun and there was a good atmosphere within our group. Especially the visit to the local mini-museum was very instructive.” Thomas Beauprez, 23 years old

“To me, this paleontological experience was the perfect cross-pollination between amateurs and professionals. By that I mean that professional paleontologists and amateurs finally got a chance to meet, co-operate and share their knowledge/experiences.” Sven Van Uytfanghe, 32 years old

“This has been a great experience, especially because of our discoveries. I would definitely go again!” Elody Andrés, 18 years old

“The journey, the food, the homecoming journey… Everything was more than perfect! I learned a lot and we got along very well as a group. A great paleotrip!” Victor Calle, 56 years old

“I started with mixed feelings, but the journey was wonderful, truly above all expectations!” Dirk Cieters, 47 years old

“Very hot, great discoveries and a perfect atmosphere.” Sophie Mélin, 24 years old

“This was my second paleotrip. I learned a lot in France compared to Russia (edition of 2006): new technologies, a different foundation to dig into. Too bad we stayed in different locations (hotel and camping site), but that doesn’t detract from the fact that we were a tight group from the very first day!” Dirk De Winter, 30 years old

“The paleotrip was a very interesting and enriching experience, although the heat made our work a lot heavier. Somewhat to my surprise, we could start digging right away by trial and error and without much explanation. I regretted the fact that the volunteers stayed in a hotel and the staff members of the Museum on a camping site. It wouldn’t have bothered me if we had all stayed on the camping site. Still, the group was a lot of fun to work with and the atmosphere was no more than excellent.” Karl Vancoppenolle, 40 years old