Though a molecular virologist by training, Dr Frese has been hunting for fossils for years, and has made some exciting discoveries! He is particularly interested in soft tissue preservation and by applying advanced imaging techniques, Dr Frese has been able to uncover many unexpected details in both historic and new fossil finds. He also recounted the story of how he spotted the first jumping spider fossil found in the Southern Hemisphere. Surprisingly, despite being 15 million years old, it was remarkably like the jumping spiders we see today, although it probably didn’t dance to the tune of “Stayin’ Alive”!

After the engaging presentation, Dr Frese brought out a special orange box. Each child closed their eyes and selected a rock from inside the box, and to their delight, each rock contained a fossil! The children were then tasked with carefully drawing their fossils, using magnifying glasses and microscopes to examine the fine details. The plant and fish fossils came to life again on paper, and the children were thrilled to learn that the fossils were theirs to keep. The day concluded with a word search featuring key terms and ideas discussed during the workshop. Both children and adults left feeling inspired and with a new perspective on palaeontology—there’s much more to it than dinosaurs, and you don’t have to be a palaeontologist to make amazing discoveries!

Many thanks to Dr Frese and the University of Canberra for an incredible afternoon! This event was part of Gunning District Landcare’s School Holiday Program, which has involved a wide range of fun and educational activities during most school holidays since 2017. If you would like to join the email list for future activities, please get in touch with Leah on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 0488 027 653.