GPDM celebrates 10th

The Annual Great Plains Dinosaur Museum & Field Station's (GPDM) Wine & Dino event celebrated the exhibition's tenth year last Friday, June 8, with food, drink, music and a brand-new dinosaur exhibit.

The event featured free admission to both the GPDM and Phillips County Museum and H.G. Robinson House & Gardens.

"We don't see ourselves as separate but equal," GPDM Director of Paleontology Cary Woodruff said about the two museums. "We see ourselves as the Phillips County Historical Complex. You can learn everything from the pre to the modern history right here. It's your definitive source for learning everything (about the area). Not just Malta or Phillips County but this whole region of Northeastern Montana."

The event, which included local companies was catered by Ray J's BBQ and Blue Ridge Brewing. The Stonebroke String Band, a bluegrass group from Chinook, entertained attendees of the event.

Blue Ridge Brewing, a company set to open this month, provided samples of their locally made beers during the event. During the unveiling of the unnamed dinosaur, the company also revealed that their unnamed IPA served at the event was named after the dinosaur.

"It's a Pale Ale and the name will be themed after the new dinosaur and dedicated to the town of Malta," said Brianna Shores of Blue Ridge Brewing. "It has hints of toasty malt, but is dominated with citrus flavors, giving it a very hoppy taste."

The brewery made a special exception to the naming process, after being asked by GPDM about naming a beer after this very special dinosaur.

"We normally let our Founders name the beer," Shores said. "But made an exception with our Pale Ale to help celebrate this new species of dinosaur and we felt this was a great opportunity to work with the museum, in hopes that when we open, tourists passing through town will want to pay visits to both the museum and our brewery."

The dinosaur, which appears to be a cousin of the three-horned triceratops, was found at the Hammond family ranch, located north of Malta.

"This is the first new dinosaur, that we have had here at the Great Plains Dinosaur Museum," Woodruff said.

The horned dinosaur will remain unnamed until later this summer. According to Woodruff, the species are being researched by a group of paleontologists, but the name of the species will be named after the Hammond family.

The Hammond Ranch has been the site for a couple of other species of dinosaurs, including GPDM's most popular Brachylophosaurus, Leonardo, who is the most studied and most complete "mummified" dinosaur, according to GPDM's website and the Guinness Book of World Records.

"In fact, it's not just Leonardo that came from the Hammond's land, most of the material that is in our collection came from the Hammond Ranch," Woodruff said. "They have been amazing supporters of paleontology."