This week's cell phone wallpaper commemorates Pops' move to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science! On Friday, October 16, 2020, the team from the Denver Museum of Nature & Science came to Weld County to prep the fossil for transport to Denver. The process took about six hours and included making a plaster cast for the fossil to support it during the hour-long drive back to the museum (You can watch the process by clicking here). The day was made even more special as the family of Mr. and Mrs. Roland "Sonny" Mapelli (who donated the fossil to the county) was able to watch the process in person.

Today, Weld County Commissioners proclaimed both National Fossil Day and "Pops" the Triceratops Day! Dr. Joe Sertich, Curator of Dinosaurs for the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, joined in the county celebration by attending the meeting and speaking briefly about this exciting project.

Click here to download this week's wallpaper, which includes a never-before-published photo of Pops when he was found in 1982 (thanks to Dr. Emmett Evanoff for providing this photo!), Pops now, and an image of Pops' lower jaw, which was found in one of the "mystery" boxes under the display case late last month.

Click here and save this photo to your phone and through your phone's setting select the image as your wallpaper and enjoy a bit of prehistoric history.

Paleontology is the study of fossil animals and plants. Take a look at what our favorite paleontologist has to say about new dino discoveries found in the American West, including here in Colorado. Click here to watch. 

Click here and save this photo to your phone and through your phone's setting select the image as your wallpaper and enjoy a bit of prehistoric history.

Here's what you'll find in this wallpaper:

Display photos: When the county was first contacted by Dr. Joe Sertich, Curator of Dinosaurs for the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, we sent several photos of the fossil in its current display case.





Resolution: When the Weld County Commissioners accepted the donation of the fossil by Mr. and Mrs. Roland Mapelli, they did so by Resolution, which included the condition that the fossil be on display at a county facility.





Newspaper Articles: News of the fossil's discovery made headlines near and far. The county files include copies of newspaper articles documenting the historic find.






Don Warden's Collection: Weld County Finance Director Don Warden became a default repository of all things Triceratops after the county named the dinosaur the county's official fossil in 1985. His collection includes note pads, buttons, posters, and much more.




Ancient Denvers: Following an initial visit with Dr. Sertich at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, a quick stop in the gift store resulted in the purchase of a great book that explains the geologic history of the Front Range. Ancient Denvers: Scenes from the Past 300 Million Years of the Colorado Front Range by Kirk Johnson.




County Collateral: Weld County is a great place, and we like to let the world know! The folder is used to welcome new volunteer members to one of our many boards and commissions, and the business card contains information about our Discover Weld sites.





Historical Society Brochure: During a discussion with the Poudre Learning Center about working together on educational projects highlighting Weld County's history, a copy of a 1986 brochure published by the Weld County Historical society was shared with county staff. We'll share it with you as well!




Diagram: When the team from the Denver Museum of Nature & Science visited the county building on September 25, 2020, to take measurements of the fossil (to build a crate in Denver for transporting back to the museum), they also looked through a few boxes that were housed under the display. The boxes contained more fossilized bones from the site and a diagram showing how some of the bones fit together.


North Weld Herald: When the boxes of fossils were pulled out from under the display, some of them were carefully wrapped in pages of the August 28, 1986, North Weld Herald. The headline for that edition: Highland school board hears update on readiness for new year. There was also a grocery ad touting pork spareribs for $1.28 a pound and whole lobster for $1.99.