Description

Welcome to DinoSoc!

We are a student-led society focused on palaeontology, fossils, and everything prehistoric. Whether you are an academic palaeontologist, a seasoned fossil hunter, or just looking for a new outdoor hobby, we are open to everyone. We aim to inspire and support all who wish to engage in palaeontology, especially in Bristol. We had a fantastic range of events last year and will be doing even more in the 2026/27 academic year. From fossil hunts to socials, academic talks to film screenings, workshops to museum visits, and our annual residential trip: DinoSoc will have something for everyone this year! Please find more details below.

 

                                                   

(Here’s a pic of some of us ready to hunt for some fossils at Penarth)

 

== Fossil Hunting Trips ==

One of our main activities are our fossil hunting trips, where we will bring you to several productive fossil sites throughout the UK with a range of different finds. Whether you have been fossil hunting for years or have never held a hammer before in your life, we can guarantee that you'll come home with real fossils, with most being millions of years old. Remember, every fossil you find on a trips is yours to keep and show off! We aim to conduct one fossil hunting trips per month, although this schedule is subject to weather conditions and driver availability. We will also provide detailed information before each hunt on the types of fossils that can be found at the site, their age, and the best techniques for locating them. Most field equipment will be provided, including hammers, chisels, and PPE such as hard hats and goggles. Any equipment you would need to bring will be mentioned clearly beforehand, with help available if the equipment can’t be easily obtained. Fossil hunting is a really fun and very rewarding activity, and even if you're not that interested in the fossils themselves, it is still a great excuse to spend some time in beautiful outdoor areas with friends, whacking rocks with hammers. Last year, we achieved brilliant success at sites such as Aust Cliff, Penarth, Writhlington, Hock Cliff, and Watchet. We'll be returning to some of those productive sites this year, but we'll also try to bring you some new ones, so stay tuned!

 

                                           

(Some of us fossil hunting in Dorset and Jasper, a previous member of committee, with a fish jaw)

 

== Socials ==

We will, of course, also be organising lots of great social events, such as regular pub nights, pub quizzes, presentation nights, bowling, and movie nights. These are perfect opportunities to meet other DinoSoc members and make new friends from different years and departments from you. Some of these socials will be held in collaboration with other student societies at Bristol, such as BUGGS, BirdSoc, and more, meaning they will also be great opportunities to meet new people and potentially discover new interests! We also host lots of more accessible & inclusive events this year, including alcohol-free socials as well as arts and craft events such as dinorigmi, shrinky dinks, fossil jewellery making and more, for those wanting a relaxing and low-pressure social.

 

                                         

(Some pictures from our bowling and arts events)

 

== Residential ==

Our most exciting events over the last years were weekend-long residential trips. In 2025 DinoSoc visited the Isle of Wight, staying in a large youth hostel only 10 minutes from the beach. During the day, extensive fossil hunting took place at sites such as Bouldnor and Colwell Bay. We also visited the fantastic local museum and zoo. Last year we visited the world-famous Jurassic Coast of Dorset. Here, members stayed in a beautiful country mansion and spent the day fossil hunting at sites, such as Kimmeridge Bay and Tidmoor, while also exploring museums and shops. Evenings were spent relaxing in our very own mansion, socialising, comparing and cleaning fossil finds. This year we hope to return to the Isle of Wight with a great line up of fossil-finding sites!

 

                                            

(Our Dorset residential, the mansion we stayed in with Max, an ex-president, and some fossil hunting)

 

== Academic Events ==

We also have some very interesting academic socials planned this year! These include museum visits (including backstage tours of the collections), palaeoart workshops with real fossils, lectures by renowned paleontologists in the university and beyond (some notable names from the last couple of years include vertebrate paleontologist Mike Benton, Phil Currie and TV presenter Nigel Marven). These events are a great way to learn more about paleontology and talk directly to people working in the field. Even if you’re not an academic, these talks will provide a good level of knowledge accessible to all.

 

 

(Talks from both Nigel Marven and Mike Benton)

== SAPS ==

We are proud to announce that SAPS (The Student Association of Palaeontological Societies) was formed in 2025, being a union of student-run university palaeontological societies across the UK. Members include palaeontological societies from Bristol, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Portsmouth, Sheffield, Durham, and St Andrews. An annual conference is hosted by members, celebrating and acknowledging student-led research, with last year’s conference hosted by us! We are proud to have hosted the second ever SAPS conference, and ran events including museum and department tours, resarch presentations, poster sessions, and fossil hunts, and are looking forward to what the next host committee has in store.

 

                                               

(A group of us from from the first SAPS hosted in Edinburgh)

 

== Other Announcements ==

DRIVERS - We are always in need of drivers, as this is our main method of transport to sites. If you can drive or know someone who can, not only is the trip free, but you will be paid, on top of fuel money. Being paid to hunt for fossils, it’s a no brainer! Get in contact with us now using our details below.

Last but not least, let’s give a warm welcome to Dromeo, our mascot. Dromeo will appear in most posts on our socials as a friendly face, but typically up to no good, so keep an eye out!

                                         

(Dromeo posing dramatically for the camera)

 

To make sure you don't miss out on some great events, go get yourself a DinoSoc 2026/27 membership on the Bristol SU website for only £8.50! We promise you won't regret it!

As you can see, we are very ambitious for this coming year, with many returning classic events that everyone loved, as well as many new events based on feedback. With that being said, none of this could be possible without your support, so we thank everyone for being a part of our DinoSoc community.

For any further information or just a chat, email us at dinosoc.uob@gmail.com

Make sure to follow us on Instagram & check out our Merch!

Join now!

~The DinoSoc committee