The Foundation for the Study of Dinosaurs in Castile and León celebrates its twentieth anniversary in 2024, with the important challenge of “maintaining year after year” and “continuing to grow”. This is explained to Ical by the director of the Foundation, Fidel Torcida, who emphasizes that one of the main objectives of the Foundation is to recruit new patrons, who allow them to “grow in the projects” and thus to achieve “strengthening the Foundation”.
This non-profit entity, whose objectives are oriented towards the management, promotion and dissemination of the Dinosaur Museum of Salas de los Infantes (Burgos), was born in 2004, as a necessity for the management of archaeological and paleontological heritage of the autonomous region. community. As Torcida recalls, its creation was promoted by the Archaeological Collective of Salas (CAS) itself, with the City Hall of Salas de los Infantes as the main promoter, although during these two decades it also benefited from the support and the participation of other public and private institutions. .
Even if the beginnings were “little by little”, the Foundation is proud of the challenges it has overcome over these twenty years, as Torcida recalls. Shortly after their launch, they had to face the serious economic crisis that hit Spain in 2008 and which led to the loss of some of the patrons who supported the project in its beginnings. However, they managed to recover from this failure and maintain both their projects and the excavations.
At this point, they recall that the main support for the work and the continuity of the projects comes precisely of the Burgos Provincial Delegationwhile the weight of scientific activity rests on the Archaeological and Paleontological Collective of Salas, as well as on the Friends of the Foundation, who support its activity through annual donations and volunteering.
Upcoming performances and projects
During these twenty years of history, there are several projects and actions that the Foundation has been able to launch, first and foremost the paleontological excavations carried out by the CAS, the development of which has been supported by the Dinosaurs Foundation since the beginning. of the year. its activity.
Torcida also highlights the international scientific illustration competition on dinosaursof which this 2024 celebrates its XVI edition. Throughout these years, professional paleoartists from Europe, North and South America, Asia and Africa have participated, and it is also notable for being “the only competition in Europe”, as Torcida recalls, which highlights the exhibitions generated in different regions. of the country.
Another point to emphasize is that known as Dinosaur Journalthe “unique of its kind in the dissemination of dinosaur paleontology”, as the Foundation emphasizes. It is informative and communicates the work of the Foundation, and benefits from the collaboration of prestigious national and international paleontologists.
Looking back, Fidel Torcida also highlights the “Meeting of the Titans” exhibition. Dinosaurs in Castilla y León’, which took place at the end of 2006 and beginning of 2007 in Burgos, then traveled to Valladolid in 2008. “It made us very visible, and although it was a challenge to put together this exhibition, I I think it is one of the best achievements of the Foundation,” says Torcida.
Currently, the Foundation is preparing to host another of its major projects, this time European, and with funding from the Next Generation Funds, which will allow it to develop a project to disseminate and create a network of paleontological museums in rural areas. The Foundation for the Study of Dinosaurs of Castilla y León will be responsible for coordinating this 2024-2025 project, which includes, in addition to the Salas de los Infantes Dinosaur Museum, the Town Hall of Igea (La Rioja), the municipalities of Coll de Nargó, Isona i Conca Deliá and Villanova de Meià (Lleida), the Town Hall of Alpuente (Valencia), the Town Hall of Loarre and the region of Ribagorza (Huesca) and the Fundació Jardí Botànic-Museu Balear de Ciènces Naturals de Sóller (Islands Balearic Islands).
Today, the Foundation has as employers at the Town Hall of Salas de los Infantes, at the Provincial Delegation of Burgos, at the Dinosaur Museum of Salas de los Infantes (Burgos) and at the Archaeological and Paleontological Collective of Salas (CAS). Patrons grateful for their help and collaboration, even if the Foundation also highlights the importance of being able to have more patrons who allow them to continue to grow.
“We are not capable of growing, and it is important to do so and not stay in some fixed projects, which although they are very good, must be renewed and offer more things to society”, says Torcida, who regrets the situation in which the dinosaurs find themselves at the regional level. “On the regional scale , we are bad”, he indicates, in reference to the new law on cultural heritage of the Junta de Castilla y León. The Foundation has repeatedly expressed its opposition to this new regulation and considers that it must be “corrected” for “the protection of dinosaur fossils throughout the Community”.
Torcida thus explains that support for paleontological heritage represents an “investment”, and highlights the potential of this province and what could be achieved with more support. Thus, he gives as an example the Dinópolis theme park, in Teruel, which benefits from the support of the Government of Aragon. “The excavations and research are sustained and the results are very good. Teruel can be home to a great wealth of dinosaurs and we have them too,” he emphasizes.
So remember the importance of Torrelara site, who have in recent years excavated a “fantastic” site which, if they had more support, could have been excavated in less time. “Not having sufficient financial support forces us to go slower and obtain fewer results than we can achieve, because here the paleontological wealth is immense,” he concludes.
