The Dinosaur on your Doorstep: raising awareness of Hastings’ dinosaur heritage

Historic sites of palaeontological heritage are all too often off the radar of the local communities which reside alongside them. Local museums that hold related collections, along with curators with the remit to champion this heritage, can address deficits in local knowledge and improve relationships between museums and communities through outreach and working with community partners. The benefits of heritage outreach in communities include the generation of greater community spirit, a greater sense of place, and an ambition for communal spaces. The Royal Society’s Places of Science scheme funded a community outreach project to celebrate and raise awareness of the story of Hastings’ dinosaurs. Through outreach events over the summer of 2022, The Dinosaur on your Doorstep project engaged residents in Hollington with their local palaeontological heritage. The focus of the project was the creation of a permanent outdoor artwork telling the story of a locally found Cretaceous dinosaur named Iguanodon hollingtoniensis. The project also provided an opportunity to work with an under-engaged local community and the involvement of local charities and a social housing provider were key components. The project aimed to engage the community with their paleontological heritage, promote museum participation, and foster interest in geological sciences, while cultivating pride and ambition for communal spaces and local heritage.