Unearthing Changing Environments
Date
January 27, 2024 | 9 am–12 pm
Location
Tickets
Join this educator workshop to learn more about the active research being conducted at La Brea Tar Pits. You will hear from two scientists, Dr. Regan Dunn and Dr. Jessie George, as they have helped uncover more answers about how the environment has changed over time in Los Angeles through the use of paleobotany. We will then go behind the scenes and meet with excavators at Project 23 and preparators at the Fossil Lab to see the collaboration required to find out this information. Educators will have the chance to connect over breakfast, participate in discussion around classroom application of the topic, and receive teaching resources.
Dr. Jessie George is a postdoctoral researcher at La Brea Tar Pits. She recently received her PhD from the Department of Geography at UCLA and has an MSc in Environmental Archaeology from University College London. Her research interests and work in biogeography, paleobotany, and archaeology are focused on the interactions of plant life, climate, and fauna (including humans) across time. She currently works with Dr. Regan Dunn reconstructing vegetation change in Los Angeles across the last 55 ka with asphalt preserved plant macrofossils, charcoal, and phytoliths.
Dr. Regan Dunn is an Assistant Curator at La Brea Tar Pits and Museum. She is a paleobotanist whose research seeks to understand the interplay between climate, plants and animal evolution through time. She studies phytoliths, pollen, leaf fossils and wood to reconstruct ancient vegetation structure and composition. She has a PhD in Biology from the University of Washington, a M.S. in Botany from the University of Wyoming, and a B.S. in Biological Sciences from Colorado State University. Her work at La Brea Tar Pits focuses on understanding vegetation and vegetation change over the last 50,000 years in the Los Angeles Basin.
Important Workshop Information
- Our workshops fill up incredibly fast! Please only sign up if you are sure you can make it–and if plans change, email us ASAP to give your spot to someone on the waitlist.
- While we love welcoming your families to our museums, this specific program is intended for formal and informal educators (18+)
- In-person workshops are subject to cancellation due to low registration, inclement weather, or changes in safety measures.
- Participants MUST register prior to the event. There will not be registration at the door.
- We aim to make La Brea Tar Pits an exciting, educational, and enjoyable experience for everyone. If you have any questions about accommodation services we offer, contact our Call Center at 213.763.3466 or info@tarpits.org at least 48 hours in advance.