Dino-Mite Story Time in Pinedale

On a June morning at the Sublette County Public Library in Pinedale, Wyoming, about 150 kids settled in for story time. What they did not know was that the story that day would reach back millions of years into prehistoric time. 

Stephen Dadio, archaeologist and paleontology coordinator for the Bureau of Land Management’s Pinedale Field Office, had been invited by the library to lead the session. Dadio already spends personal time there, showing up for game nights and community events, so when the call came, he said yes without hesitation. He came prepared with three prehistoric animals, each one chosen to push the boundaries of what the kids expected paleontology to be. 

First was the Apatosaurus, the long-necked giant whose remains have been pulled from Wyoming soil for more than a century. Then the Mosasaurus, a massive underwater predator that prowled the ancient seas that once covered the region. The third was the Miohippus, a prehistoric horse whose story carries a twist most people never learn: horses did not come from Europe. They originated in the Americas, died out, and were reintroduced centuries later by the Spanish. Threading through all three was a bigger idea: that Wyoming’s landscape has transformed beyond recognition over millions of years and that paleontology is not just about dinosaurs. It is about time itself and the land beneath our feet. 

After the presentation, Dadio opened the cases. Fossils from his personal collection and from the BLM, including a cast of a crocodile, made their way into small, curious hands. “They really loved being able to handle real fossils and casts,” he said. One hundred and fifty kids, it turns out, can go remarkably quiet when holding something that once walked the earth millions of years ago. 

For Dadio the morning was about something larger than fossils. “The fossils and landscapes managed by the BLM are not just scientific resources,” he said. “They are part of everyone’s shared history. When people understand why these resources are important, they are more likely to help protect them and feel connected to the public lands around them.” 

He is equally direct about what happens when that connection is never made. “We become the mysterious agency,” he said, “when in reality everything we do is for the American public. Outreach is what makes us a part of the community, and we should be doing more of it.”  

Dadio plans to go back. “I love doing extension work,” he said, “especially with kids who are eager and ready to learn.” On a June morning in Pinedale, there were plenty of those.