Cruinniú na nÓg Dragons and Dinosaurs

‘Dragons and Dinosaurs’ promotes collaboration, creativity and cultural engagement as the core element of this multidisciplinary and cross-community initiative, rooted in local heritage.

The project is funded by the Kilkenny Creative Ireland Programme 2022 and brings together Calmast STEM Engagement Centre, South East Technical University (coordinators), Castlecomer Discovery Park, artist Órla Bates, Castlecomer Library and pupils from Presentation Convent Castlecomer and Castlecomer Boys National school.

Taking place over four weeks, the project began with each school embarking on an educational tour of Castlecomer Discover Park. Students learned about the history of the park, biodiversity, climate change, extinction and the fossils discovered there in a hands-on, open and outdoor setting. The fossils, which include crocodiles, snakes and dragonflies, were some of the early animals to walk on land. Today they are creatures that still inspire awe, especially in young people who are exploring the centre.

Following on from the tour, I facilitated a series of workshops with students from Comer Boys N.S and Presentation Convent Castlecomer, using the natural heritage of the Discovery park as a focus. Topics of climate change, biodiversity, fossils and extinction were explored through a range of art making activities.

The collective prints from each school came together to form a public exhibition which was held In Castlecomer library.

Imagining Creatures

Fossils show us how animals changed over time and how they are related to one another.  But fossils can’t tell us everything.  While fossils reveal what ancient living things looked like, they keep us guessing about their colour, skin, sounds, and most of their behaviour.

We imagined what fossil creatures might have looked look like by thinking about the possibilities of the missing pieces.

Future Fossils

Fossils help scientists better understand the creatures that lived in other times. We explored how trace fossils are made by using found objects, both natural and man-made to create imprints in plasticine, which we printed from.  We thought about what kind of traces will we leave to be found in the distant future.

Can you guess what left the imprint?

Future Creatures

Imagine what life will look like in the future? What creatures could develop in, say, 50 million years, given what we know about changing conditions on Earth and evolution?  We explored animal evolution and considered how endangered animals might evolve.  Using printmaking techniques explored in previous lesson, we created an imprint of an imaginary future animal with traits needed to survive