Discovering the treasures that lay beneath the surface

KateLynn Slaamot
NLJ Correspondent
 
Not everyone is aware of the extraordinary treasure that lies beneath Weston County. However, Steve Nicklas has been collecting fossils in Weston County and abroad for many years. Nicklas, a vocational paleontologist living in Georgia, said that collecting those relics is the only way to truly preserve them. 
Nicklas, who has a degree in archeology, participated in his first archeological dig in 1972. He developed an interest in paleontology and began working in that field 25 years ago when he founded Paleo Prospectors, he said. Through the organization, he takes people on expeditions to find dinosaur bones in Newcastle and in other places. 
“We take families out on adventure vacations,” Nicklas said. 
Nicklas’ main goal has been to educate people on the demise of fossils and bones, he said. A series of laws passed in the early 1900s prohibits excavating on public lands, Nicklas said. While these laws protect archeological artifacts, paleontological relics suffer from being left in the ground due to the differences in the geological conditions between the two types of sites. 
The preservation of public lands is causing the loss of many fossils and bones, according to Nicklas. When these relics are not collected, they break down and disintegrate. 
“The only way to save a fossil is to collect it,” Nicklas said. 
Nicklas also said that he hopes that increased public knowledge of the consequences of the prohibitions will stimulate a change in laws surrounding public lands. 
“I want to get as many people interested in fossil collecting as possible,” Nicklas said. “It’s a wonderful lifestyle.” 
Nicklas said that he also hopes to foster a love for the thrill of discovering objects from the past. Those who take part in the excavations are allowed to keep what they find if it is not significant to science. If a discovery is important, it is donated to an academic institution. 
Nicklas has been excavating in Weston County for about 20 years. The Lance Creek Formation, where Nicklas conducts his digs, is near the Cheyenne River and along Lance Creek south of Newcastle. Paleo Prospectors only collects on privately owned ranches with the permission of the landowners. 
Several hundred “medium- to large-size specimens” have been found in this area, according to Nicklas. Collected fossils go through a preservation process in which they are glued, coated with polyvinyl acetate, foil, burlap and plaster to develop a hard casing to protect the specimen during transit. 
“It (Lance Creek Formation) is pretty famous for triceratops, and there are, indeed, a lot of them,” Nicklas said. 
People from all over the world come to experience the digs offered by Nicklas and his organization, he said. The digs are very popular, and reservations may need to be made two years ahead in the near future. Many of the participants are repeat clients who come back year after year for many years, according to Nicklas. He enjoys seeing the same people come back and watching their children grow up. 
“It’s like having a giant family,” Nicklas said. 
Because of the number of people that the digs bring into Newcastle, the impact is felt by local businesses such as Isabella’s and the Sage Motel. Hattie Conley, owner of Isabella’s, said that the restaurant has been catering the diggers for about four years. 
“It’s good exposure for Newcastle,” Conley said. 
She added that Paleo Prospectors and its diggers bring in revenue to the community. The organization compensates ranchers for allowing them to dig and collect on their land, and visitors stimulate local business. Conley said that all the revenue stays in the local community, and she is grateful for that. 
Conley also mentioned Nicklas’ kindness and generosity, and she said that he and his group are a joy to have and work with. 
“They’re just a really good group to have,” Conley said. 
Nicklas’ next session in Newcastle starts in June 2020. He has multiple sessions in Weston County, but slots fill up fast. Interested parties can visit paleoprospectors.com for more information and to register for digs. 
Each year brings wonderful experiences, Nicklas said, and he greatly appreciates “sharing discovery” with people and the joy that that brings to those who find fossils and bones for the first time.