A SERIES of talks and demonstrations will take place at Stroud’s Museum in the Park on Saturday, telling the fascinating stories of new dinosaurs and one of the country’s oldest working mines.

Visiting experts, including artist-geologist Adam White will be joined by Cindy Howells, palaeontology curator from the National Museum of Wales, Tom Cotterell, senior curator of mineralogy from the National Museum Wales, and the Museum in the Park’s geologist and visitor services officer, Hellen O’Connor, will be at the museum for the day.

“We’re delighted to offer visitors a chance to find out more about palaeontology, geology and mineralogy” said Ann Taylor, the museum’s learning programmes officer. “It’s not widely known just how internationally important Stroud’s geology collection is, and the 2014 discovery of a totally new type of meat-eating dinosaur in Wales reminds us just how much is yet to be unearthed.”

Cindy Howells will talk about the incredible discovery of ‘dragon thief’, the new welsh dinosaur, the earliest Jurassic dinosaur fossil to have been found.

He said: “Not many people realise that between 220 and 201 million years ago, we had a thriving population of dinosaurs in Wales.

“The recent, incredibly exciting find of a totally new type of early dinosaur in 2014, has helped us learn more about the evolution and diversification of the meat-eating theropods that ultimately gave rise to birds.”

In the afternoon, Tom Cotterell will talk about the history of mineral mining in the Forest of Dean aided by the historic collection of Dr John Woodward (1665-1728) who put together one of the very earliest collections of geological specimens in the country.

Between talks Adam will show visitors his exhibition where art meets science and real dinosaur footprints from Gloucestershire can be seen alongside the largest and most intricate watercolour paintings ever seen at the museum.

For further details and to book places call the museum on 01453 763394.