Dr Steve Etches, MBE
Museum Founder Steve Etches started his fossil collecting journey at the age of just five years. What began as a hobby, quickly became his life’s work, Steve finally realised his dream in the autumn of 2016, when he gave his fossil collection to the nation and the museum opened its doors. Steve, who is a plumber by trade became a world renowned and celebrated expert on fossils from the Kimmeridgian, he was awarded the MBE for services to Palaeontology in 2014.
Richard Edmonds
Richard studied Geology at the University of Hull, having first been introduced to fossils on Charmouth beach as a boy. After briefly working in the North Sea oil industry, he became a countryside interpretation volunteer with the National Trust for Scotland on the Isle of Arran. In 1986 he returned to Dorset as warden of the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre. During the next 11 years he led countless numbers of people onto the local beaches of West Dorset in search of fossils. In 1997 Richard took up a new post as Jurassic Coast Project Officer with Dorset County Council, a role which has gradually evolved into Earth Science Manager with the dual task of monitoring, managing, and protecting the core interests of the World Heritage Site along with inputting geological expertise into the work undertaken by the team as a whole.
Nick Meacham
As the Museum Outreach Manager for The Etches Collection – Museum of Jurassic Marine Life, Nick is responsible for all facets of outreach. Working with new and continuing partners on fundraising, grant writing and promotion of the museum across the nation and the globe. Nick is an accomplished career professional with over 25 years’ senior leadership experience within marketing, communications, outreach, policy development, public relations, human resources, strategic planning, article writing, speech/sermon writing, and editorial duties within regional, state and national governments, life science, healthcare, and chaplaincy settings.
Professor John Marshall
John Marshall is a Professor of Earth Science within Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton at the University of Southampton. He is currently Programme Leader for the Geology degree. He holds a BA Natural Sciences, University of Cambridge (1976), PhD Department of Botany, University of Bristol (1981). His research interests are Specialisms: Palynology, Petroleum Geology, Earth System History, Mid Palaeozoic Mass Extinction Events, The spread of the Devonian forests, Sedimentary organic matter in landfill sites, Early seed plants, Petroleum source rocks, Devonian oil and gas reservoirs, South America, North Africa and the Moray Firth.
Ash Hall
Ash Hall, a graduate in Media Production from Bournemouth University, is a photographer, videographer and all-round media producer, primarily skilled in camera and post-production audio and video.