STUDENT Fossil Forest Excavation Experience 2025 (Block seven: 4-8th Aug)

A Bit of Background….

Stori Brymbo is a lottery funded project that aims to preserve and communicate the value of the local social, industrial & natural history of the area, combining a rich history of metallurgy with an in-situ carboniferous forest to tell a 300-million-year story that cannot be told anywhere else in the world. The fossil forest was discovered by chance during reclamation of the old steelworks site in the early 2000’s and contains beautifully preserved in-situ plant fossils such as giant lycopod trees, thickets of calamatian horsetails and a plethora of smaller plants. Along with an aerially exposed coal seam and dynamic geology representative of a changing terrestrial wetland environment, the location provides a uniquely accessible example of late carboniferous coal-forming forests.

The Opportunity:

Become part of a unique excavation team! Over the next few years we will be excavating a portion of the fossil forest site in an endeavour to reveal all the fossil material contained within, leaving larger in-situ fossils in place and removing smaller samples for study. Our overarching goal is to create both a world class natural history attraction and a renowned centre for palaeontological research. Work within the fossil forest area will be publicly accessible and livestreamed to maximize our outreach and educational value. You will learn a lot and we hope you share a lot! This is a unique opportunity to get hands on experience and learn about lots of possible career paths that may interest you.

The Experience:

You will be supervised by our resident Paleobiologist, Dr Tim Astrop and the rest of the Stori Brymbo team during your visit. The fossil forest project is an ongoing effort to excavate, identify, conserve, catalogue and interpret the fossil material of the site and as such you will be involved in all these activities. Some areas of work require physical labour and may not be suitable for all people. We will do our best to make sure your experience with us is as comfortable as possible so please be sure to let us know of any considerations we should make for you.

Accommodation:

Chirk Bunkhouse is located in the village of Chirk which is a 15 minute drive from the site, we will provide a minibus to ferry you to and from the site daily and will be providing food for you. The Bunkhouse is a clean and well-kept scouts hall with a full kitchen, bunkbeds and small communal area. It is within walking distance of several pubs, restaurants and convenience stores. It is expected that you are considerate of your colleagues and accommodation during your stay (clean up after yourselves, be polite). You are of course welcome to arrange your own accommodation at your own expense.

Getting Here:

If you are travelling via train, please plan both your arrival and return via Wrexham General Railway Station. From Wrexham general you can either catch a taxi or take a four-minute walk down the road to the Station Approach bus stop to get the number 12 or 14 bus to Brymbo Enterprise Centre which runs every 30 mins. When you arrive at the enterprise centre you should see signage directing you on a down-hill five-minute walk to the site.

First Day:

You are required to be at the Brymbo Fossil Forest by 12pm the day you are due to start. Please make sure your proposed travel takes this into consideration before confirming any ticket purchases (if this is not possible, please let us know in advance). At the end of the day, you will be ferried to your accommodation (Chirk Bunkhouse) for the evening. The afternoon of this first day will be dedicated to orientation, health and safety considerations and a general introduction.

A Typical Day (After the First) Will Look Like:

9:30am – pick up from Chirk Bunkhouse

10-10.15 - On site for coffee & catch up

10.15-12pm – Site Work

12-1pm – Lunch + Social/Talks

1-4pm – Site Work

4-4.30pm – Clear up

4.30pm – pick up from Stori Brymbo site

5pm – Social media activity

Final Day:

On the final day of your visit, you may make your own arrangements for travel home from midday onwards. Buses are regular into town for train access.

Required kit:

• Outdoor footwear with ankle support

• Waterproof jacket and trousers (it’s North Wales, its often wet regardless of season)

• Any required medication

• Notebook + Pen

• Sleeping bag

• Pillow

Required Information:

It is essential for your safety and comfort that you provide the following information to the best of your ability (we follow GDPR protocols):

• What is your preferred email address?

• What is your preferred contact number (cell phone)?

• Do you have any medical or other issues we should know about?

• Please provide an emergency name and contact

• Please provide details of your travel arrangements including mode of transport & dates of travel

• Do you have any dietary requirements?

• What are your preferred pronouns?

• The sleeping accommodation provides same sex bunk rooms i.e. male dorm, female dorm – please indicate which you require.

• We will set up a whatsapp group closer to your visit so that you can communicate with us and your colleagues easily during your time at the Fossil Forest, please indicate if you would rather not be included in this group.

What We Will Provide:

• Food & Drink @ Chirk Bunkhouse

• Food & Drink on site

• Transport to and from site to Chirk Bunkhouse (for larger groups we may ask people to car share if possible)

• All tools and equipment

• WiFi available on site but not at Chirk Bunkhouse (although good cell signal)

Additional Information:

• Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions before, during or after your visit

• Chirk Castle and & Aqueduct are walking distance from the accommodation, we suggest you take the opportunity to visit them!

• It is tradition that groups volunteering for the Fossil Forest at Stori Brymbo enter (and win) the local Chirk pub quiz during their stay