Held throughout February 2024, Megalosaurus Month celebrated the 200th anniversary of the first scientific description of a dinosaur by the Geological Society’s former president, William Buckland. The Royal Commission’s funding was fundamental in enabling this significant public engagement initiative, which exceeded our initial expectations in both reach and impact.

Megalosaurus Month was a month long festival celebration of geoscience, combining history, education and art to engage diverse audiences. The centrepiece was a life sized replica of a Megalosaurus skeleton (image right), prominently displayed in the Geological Society’s Upper Library at Burlington House in Piccadilly, London. Over 3,200 visitors, ranging from families and school groups to university students and the general public, participated in a variety of activities held across February 2024 designed to inspire, engage and educate. The activities included practical experiments, schools workshops, interactive quizzes, a dinosaur puppet show, education resources, archival material, drawing classes, lino printing, historical re-enactments and a free public lecture.

The Geological Society Impact Report Megalosaurus 2023 24

Public Engagement: Dino Discovery Zone
– Over February half term, we welcomed over 500 children and their families to our premises at Burlington House for free dino themed activities. Children received "Dinosaur Passports" and took part in fun tasks, including fossil digging, learning about dinosaur teeth and creating their own dinosaurs.

School Workshops
– Our education team hosted 3 schools workshops where 72 primary school children learned about fossils and the fascinating history of dinosaurs, with a focus on science communication and hands on learning.

Artistic Engagement: Life Drawing and Lino Print Workshops
– Participants explored creative interpretations of the Megalosaurus skeleton in life drawing sessions and learned about the history of printing in our lino print workshops. These activities were well received by novice and
experienced artists alike.

Historical Re-enactment: Buckland’s Teaching Room
– Dr. Susan Newell recreated William Buckland's 1823 lecture in an immersive experience for attendees, blending historical narrative with modern reflections on geology's early days.

Student Networking Evening
– Geoscience students were invited to network and engage with our Megalosaurus exhibit, enjoying a creative
session making dinosaur themed crafts (and eating pizza).

Public Lecture: "Dinosaurs: Changing Views in the Last 200 Years"
– Professor Michael Benton OBE delivered an immensely popular, free lecture , drawing over 500 people (in person and online). His talk highlighted the evolution of paleontological research, making it the most successful lecture of our public series to date.

The support of the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 was critical to the success of Megalosaurus Month. The generous grant enabled us to deliver a month long celebration of geoscience that engaged over 3,200 individuals, sparking curiosity and deepening public understanding of our natural world.

We are delighted to share that all projected outcomes were not only met but exceeded, and the positive feedback from participants has confirmed the lasting impact of this initiative.