Pioneer Trails Regional Museum

The Pioneer Trails Regional Museum will mitigate environmental issues associated with its fossil collection caused by limited ventilation and rehouse specimens collected early in the museum’s history into archival materials for long-term preservation. Project activities will include assessing which fossils are emitting radioactivity using a radon survey meter; developing protocols and strategies for handling radon-releasing specimens during fossil cleaning, exhibition, education, and research; and rehousing specimens as needed to contain radon gas and dust. The project will involve hiring a curatorial assistant intern for the summers of 2027 and 2028 to help identify which specimens need to be rehoused to prevent radon gas from accumulating in the collection space. The outcome of the project will be completion of a necessary step toward the museum’s broader goal of becoming an approved federal repository for fossils from federal lands.