The new chief curator and vice president of research and collections at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science is Scott Sampson. And he has a lot of very serious credentials. He’s an evolutionary biologist and a paleontologist with a Ph.D. in zoology. He was a professor at the University of Utah. And he discovered an unknown species of dinosaur. But most people know him as Dr. Scott, host of the PBS kids' show, "Dinosaur Train." It airs in 150 countries --millions of kids and parents watch. The Emmy-nominated program reflects the vision Sampson is bringing to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. He says, it’s not enough for scientists to do research. If we’re going to save the planet, it's critical to get kids interested in the world around them. Sampson’s here to talk with host Ryan Warner about his new vision for the museum -- and for a new role that all natural history museums should play. [Photos: Scott Sampson/Jedrzej Borowczk; fossil/Elaine Grant]
Scott Sampson, chief curator at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, talks with Colorado Matters host Ryan Warner in our studios.
Fossil: This sycamore leaf fossil is 66 million years old. Dinosaurs roaming Colorado used to eat sycamore leaves; sycamores still grow here.
Image of the majungasaurus: courtesy Nobu Tamura, Wikimedia.
