CELEBRATING OUR VOLUNTEERS
A Core of Dedicated Ambassadors Serving all 12 Sites
“I came to the museum because I wanted to learn some new skills in a new area of science. I’ve always had an interest in geology and paleontology, so it’s a learning experience because it’s a total different type of science than what I’m used to doing. And I am with a great group that gets along and works together to push the project forward.”
“I chose the state museum because when I saw what was here, it was mesmerizing, like a paleontologist’s dream. I don’t think I’ve even met a bad person here, and it’s just what I do for fun.”
In many ways, our volunteers represent our best ambassadors. The Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites feature a group of dedicated volunteers system-wide each year who give their time to further our mission. One exemplary group of advocates helps support the museum’s Paleontology Lab. This talented group comes from varied professional backgrounds: a paleontology graduate student, a retired physician, a retired scientific illustrator and others. Their backgrounds are as interesting as the work they provide daily.
This group features Susan Berkowitz, Zachary Burman, Daniel Glossinger, Deborah Patrick, and Randy Patrick, PhD. Perhaps Randy put it best when he said, “I chose the state museum because when I saw what was here, it was mesmerizing, like a paleontologist’s dream. I don’t think I’ve even met a bad person here, and it’s just what I do for fun.” ◆
“It’s all microscopic work. We have about 26 different categories that we are sorting things to. It’s really cool, and in a way all of these little things are like little pieces of art and that’s how I approach it … I chose to donate my time to the museum because I knew Ron Richards and my husband, Randy Patrick, had volunteered with Ron on different projects through the decades. So when I was thinking about what I would do when I retired, I was just very interested in coming here and learning about fossils.”
“I’m a graduate student in paleontology, and I actually grew up in Indianapolis. When I found a fossil a while back, I donated it to the museum, and asked if I could have a part in helping it grow.”
“I am doing scientific illustration for the museum. If they need anything like some bones, fossils, mammals, insects or plants, I just consult with them, figure out what they need and put it together for them. Volunteering here was actually by chance. I came here to listen to a lecture by Ron Richards on Ice Age creatures. I was just starting to get into scientific illustration, so I started out coming in once a month. Once I retired I decided to come in more frequently. I did some mammal illustrations for Good Night Forest and worked on the grown-up field guide, and that was a lot of animals and drawings.”
