This is Aswatha Biju, a young Paleontologist of India. I'm leading young minds and others towards a rare field: Paleontology. I'm a zealous field worker, who has collected 136 specimens of fossils of Vertebrates, Invertebrates, Chordates, Micro fossil and flora. I have worked in three fossil beds of India namely; Cauvery river basin, Godavari river basin and Palar river basin.
Paleontology is the study of Earth's history with the help of fossil evidences. This field belongs to both geological and biological sciences. This particular field is endangered in India; knowing this I started creating an awareness regarding conservation and preservation of fossils and the field Paleontology by conducting seminars, fossil displays, Quiz, Games, Story narration, Puppetry, Chart, Map and model display. So far I have educated nearly 6,757 students of schools, colleges, research institutes and others in India. I receive good number of visitors too to my self-arranged Tiny museum. I maintain two different compartments in my tiny museum; one for Zoology for living fossils and the other for Paleontology for fossils. I have displayed all my fossil collections and linked evolution of organisms through mass extinction theory in it.
I have been maintaining a Digital Repository where people all around the world could access and view my fossil collection with the description of Phylum, Class, Age, Stage, Period, Location and Size.
www.facebook.com/Aswatha-Biju-Young-Paleontologist-of-India-112518510432416/
I also maintain a blog where people all around the globe who are interested could learn proven facts about each organism in specific. I draft comic stories and poems related to fossils, Geological time line periods and Evolution of Earth with comic strips so that; young children could learn a lot and gain knowledge about Paleontology and fossils in an easier and interesting way.
www.facebook.com/aswathabiju/videos/772896089906242/
As a Paleontologist, I started celebrating International fossil day each year consecutively, So far I have celebrated 3 such events. On the year 2018 at Sri Prakash Niketan school, Vizag; In the year 2019 I conducted International fossil day at St. Louis school for deaf and dumb at Tamil Nadu and on the year 2020 I celebrated International fossil day at National Fossil wood park, Sattanur; a location that retains fossil resources in it.
Since; Paleontology is a dry and untouched subject it turned to an Endangered field. When I came to know about this endangered field at the age of 11 by following my curiosity from age 5; I took an initiative to popularize the field.Now knowing the true value of the field and hearing the proven and interesting facts, nearly 24 students from around the world are following my interest and passion to pursue Paleontology course in their future.
Through my awareness campaign neighbourhood people around fossil sites started to conserve fossil resources and fossil specimens around their locality. To enrich the awareness among common people; field Paleontology should be rewarded a recognition to enable that "Fossil contain geological record and history in it". It is not only fossils that are finding their in people's minds; but also, prehistoric life and its habitat are being explored. Henceforth; to invite more people to explore the field of Paleontology I would like to tag myself as 'leading the field of Paleontology in young minds'.
As a recognition of my efforts towards the field of Paleontology, I represented India and won 2nd place in an International video contest project hosted by ENGIE, Encouraging Girls to Study Geosciences and Engineering organized by University of Miskolc, Hungary. www.engieproject.eu/2020/12/21/result-announcement-for-video-contest/.
Secondly, represented India and won 5th place in “Palaeovision - 2020” contest hosted by Palaeontological association, UK. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=971022113426971&id=100015575736680
