NEW: DinoTracks Exhibit Offers Blast from the Past at EcoTarium

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Wednesday, January 02, 2013

GoLocalWorcester Lifestyle Team

Ecotarium/Facebook

DinoTracks, the newest exhibit at the EcoTarium, is the next best thing to traveling back in time.

Using fossils as clues for learning about New England dinosaurs, this interactive exhibit invites visitors to walk on prehistoric footprints, hear and feel dinosaur footsteps, and come face-to-face with some of the dinosaurs that made them. DinoTracks engages adults and kids alike in a fun exploration of the fossils found right under our feet, how these footprints came to be, and what they tell us about dinosaurs.

An opening celebration will be held in conjunction with DinoTracks filled with dinosaur-themed activities the weekend of January 19th and 20th. In addition, Super-Saurus Saturdays, filled with dinosaur-related interactive science activities, will be being held every Saturday from January 5th through February 16th.

"Dinosaur footprints tell scientists more about dinosaur behavior than their skeletons do," explained Alexander Goldowsky, director of exhibits and programs at the EcoTarium.

"From their footprints, we can learn if the dinosaur was walking, running, whether it was part of a family group, being pursued, even crouching to get out of the rain. This exhibit lets us be amateur paleontologists and discover things about the dinosaurs who lived right here in our backyards."

The exhibit will include three life-size dinosaurs. In addition, you can practice tracking skills with a15x20 foot photo reproduction of a real trackway discovered in Connecticut, hear and feel the reproduced footprints of a dinosaur on the Jurassic Park Bench, step onto life-size dinosaur prints and find a real one discovered in Holyoke, discover how to read fossil tracks to find out important information about a dinosaur's speed, size and activity, and much more.

DinoTracks was produced by the Environmental Exhibit Collaborative, a group of mid-sized natural science and children's museums organized by the EcoTarium. It is made possible by grants from Jane's Trust and the Cabot Family Charitable Trust.

For information please visit www.ecotarium.org.