On Wednesday March 5, Vineeta Maguire, right, vice president operations services for Encnaa was at the Royal Tyrrell Museum to deliver a cheque for $75,000, the most recent installment of its commitment to the Encana Science Camps. Jason Martin, director of operations and finance for the Tyrrell accepts the cheque.
The partnership between Encana and The Royal Tyrrell Museum in delivering Science Camp is moving into its ninth season.
Vice president, Operations Services for Encana Vineeta Maguire was at the Royal Tyrrell Museum on Wednesday, March 5, to present the museum with a $75,000 installment of its most recent three- year commitment, totaling $250,000.
“Our focus is on the community we operate in and making it real for all of us is part of Encana’s values,” said Maguire.
Of the 10 years the science camp has been in existence, Encana has been with them for nine of those seasons, and each summer about 250 youth participate in the possibly the only residential palaeontology camp. What makes the camp special is the hands on component.
Morgan Syvertsen, who operates the camps, says this year the students will be participating in real science from fieldwork to lab work.
“This year our older kids will be going to two quarries and actually work the quarry and assist collecting stuff and hauling it out. They will bring it back here and wash it and do everything from finding it in the ground, right to placing it on the scientist’s desk,” said Syvertsen.
“That is the biggest change in the science camp is the emphasis on participation on the work being done in the museum. So we are actually assisting researchers in the research they are doing.”
Jason Martin, director of operations and finance for the Tyrrell Museum says the sponsorship enhances the students’ experiences.
“We purchased a dozen microscopes this year so the kids get to sort through the matrix and figure out what is a fossil and where it came from,” said Martin. “They do measurement and data collection, they are really into it.”
Luigi Vescarelli, community Relations advisor for Encana adds there is a natural connection between Encana, the Tyrrell and science camps.
“The kids get a connection between oil and gas, fossil fuels and dinosaurs, so it is a good mix,” he said.