We have the honour of having Kirk Johnson, Sant Director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History where he oversees the world's largest natural history collection as our Keynote Speaker and artist Ray Troll as our dinner speaker.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: KIRK JOHNSON
Kirk became the Sant Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in 2012, hot on the heels of his stint as a paleontologist at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. During his time there he led expeditions in eighteen US states and eleven countries — including Ellesmere Island in the Arctic to the far reaches of the Amur-Heilongjiang region of China on the Chinese-Russian border and back again to find some of the first fossil plants in the badlands near Drumheller.
Kirk is often asked why he studies plants and not something more spectacular. It is important that you know that plants are THE MOST SPECTACULAR fossils and his fossil plants would throw any theropod remains to the mat. He's found many exciting fossil finds (including some spectacular very un-plant-ish) Canadian fossils.
DINNER SPEAKER: RAY TROLL
Ray Troll is an American artist based in Ketchikan, Alaska. Ray Troll, draws inspiration from the fossil record and pays homage to the familiar and bizarre in stunning portrayals of lost worlds. He is best known for his scientifically accurate and often humorous artwork. His most well-known design, "Spawn Till You Die," pops up in the most unexpected places—including the film Superbad worn by actor Daniel Radcliffe.
BCPA SYMPOSIUM SOCIAL MEET & GREET
- Friday, August 22nd at the Courtenay and District Museum and Paleontological Centre, 207 - 4th Street, Courtenay, British Columbia including a Museum Tour with Pat Trask
BCPA SYMPOSIUM PALEO-BANQUET
- Saturday, August 23rd, 6 PM - 9:30 PM at the Florence Filberg Centre featuring Ray Troll as the Dinner Speaker
BCPA SYMPOSIUM PRESENTATIONS
- Saturday, August 23rd, 9 AM - 4:30 PM
- Sunday, August 24th, 9 AM to 12:30 PM
- All presentations and poster sessions are at the Florence Filberg Centre at 411 Anderton Avenue in downtown Courtenay, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The Florence Filberg Centre is 1/2 block from the Courtenay Museum, close to shops and restaurants
BCPA SYMPOSIUM FOSSIL FIELD TRIPS
- Friday, August 22nd: Shelter Point
- Sunday, August 24th: Trent River
- Monday, August 25th: Hornby Island, Collishaw Point
FOSSIL PREPARATION WORKSHOP
- Sunday, August 25, 2025, 1:30 PM - 4:00 PM: Fossil Preparation Workshop with James Wood, Jay Hawley and Dan Bowen
BCPA SYMPOSIUM REGISTRATION
Registration is open. To register, head to www.fossiltalksandfieldtrips.com. There is a registration link there for ease of access. Early Bird pricing ends May 30, 2025 so register early to save!
