KENNEWICK, Wash. – The Coyote Canyon Mammoth Site provides an exciting opportunity for those interested in ancient history to participate in an active paleontology dig. Located just south of Kennewick near the Horse Heaven Hills, the site allows visitors to explore where a Columbian mammoth is being unearthed.
Cooper Evans, who has volunteered at the site for nearly two years, shared his enthusiasm for the work.
“I’ve always been interested in dinosaurs and stuff like that. Not so much in ice age history, although that has always fascinated me,” Evans said. “I’ve always been interested in big, scaly things.”
The site operates as a non-profit educational organization, offering local students and teachers the chance to engage in laboratory and field-based research in paleontology, geology, and other natural sciences.
Gary Kleinknecht, the site’s education director, emphasized the hands-on experience available to interns and volunteers.
“We do the digging, and people that stay with us and show that they’re reliable and such and capable, will be trained to dig eventually. We have lab work. We have a picking lab where we sort through the material that has come from the soil, all the little forms of previous life,” Kleinknecht said.
Parts of the mammoth skeleton were first discovered about 25 years ago. Visitors can view the bones on display at the dig house and learn about how researchers believe massive floods shaped the region’s landscape thousands of years ago.
For Evans, the experience gained through volunteering is invaluable.
“This will always have a special place in my heart, and I will always think back on this with good memories,” Evans said.
Evans plans to study at Columbia Basin College this fall and aims to pursue a career in paleontology.
For more information about the Coyote Canyon Mammoth Site and how to get involved, visit their website.
