A 210 million year old Plateosaurus named Ben after its discoverer Dr. Ben Papst from the SaurierMuseum Frick in Switzerland is to be mounted and displayed in the Dinosaur Gallery of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences.
It has been over 100 years since a new original dinosaur fossil has been displayed in this museum. To achieve this work, the Museum is launching a crowdfunding campaign asking for support for this unique project and inviting the public to join the Museum’s Plateoteam!
Watch the video - in Dutch or French (both have English subtitles).
The story
For the first time in over a century, the Dinosaur Gallery of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences will add a new, original dinosaur fossil to its collection.
Ben was entrusted to the museum’s care by the town of Frick in Switzerland. The museum has received it as a gigantic 200-piece dinosaur puzzle. It is now up to the palaeontologists of the museum to release it from its repository of sediment and plaster so it can be presented to the public from this December on.
The palaeontological work, which is a painstaking process, started in May 2016.
Ben is gradually revealing some of its secrets to us. What is very unusual for an original fossil is that its excellent constitution will allow us to exhibit it outside a display case.
But we need your help so that thousands of visitors will soon be able to admire Ben. We are looking for 25,000 euros to fund the cost of exhibiting Ben: the assembly and installation on a tailor-made metallic structure, the construction of a podium and development of educative support.
Support the campaign
Lend your support for this project: by sharing information about it on social media, talking about it to family and friends, in your children’s class, at work!
And above all... Join the Plateoteam!
All the participants will receive a certificate and a unique souvenir of their encounter with Ben the Plateosaurus.
See the various possibilities to contribute:
- Plateofriend - €10 -
You like dinosaurs and want to welcome the arrival of Ben to the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences.
Receive a €1 discount voucher (max 4 pers.)
- Plateofan - €50 -
You are mad about dinosaurs
Receive a unique pro digital photo on Photo fan day (16/12) ! - Plateogeek - €100 -
Be the first to meet Ben!
Join us for the VIP viewing (14/12 x2 pers.).
- Plateophile - €250
Dinosaurs hold absolutely no secrets whatsoever for you!
Enjoy a kid’s animation (16 or 23/09 x5 pers.) or a visit behind the scenes (10/06 x2 pers.) and attend our VIP event.
- Plateologist - €500
If you cannot be a palaeontologist, why not become a plateologist!
Enjoy a kid’s animation (16 or 23/09 x5 pers.) or receive 2 year passes to the Museum or a visit behind the scenes (x 15 pers.) or a school formula for your children’s class and also receive an invitation to our VIP event. - Plateo(wo)man - €1,500 -
You are the Plateo team’s super hero!
Celebrate this with 14 of your friends or co-workers in a palaeontological lab. Cocktails are on us (date to be determined). You will also receive an invitation to our VIP event and 2 year passes to the Museum.
- Ambassador - €2,400 and more -
Contact us by e-mail so we can develop a tailor-made offer with you (private event in our museum or other option).
And follow us on Facebook and/or subscribe to our newsletter so you won't miss a thing!
Thank you and see you soon!
Ben and the Plateo team
The members of the Plateo team
The Belgian palaeontologists Pascal Godefroit (Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences) and Koen Stein (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) have the support of an entire team of passionate assistants who take care of Ben’s well-being. Stéphane Berton and Aldo Impens, however, have the most important task of all: to release Ben from his gangue of sediment.