WHO IS DINOSAUR GEORGE?

George Blasing [Dinosaur George]

George Blasing was raised on a ranch near the city of Hondo, Texas. His youth was filled with riding tractors, hauling hay, working cattle and taking care of hundreds of different farm animals. When he was not working on the ranch, he enjoyed spending his time outdoors, studying wild animals and watching their behavior. He would spend hours turning over logs and rocks in the hope of finding some unusual critter and would practice his stalking skills on larger animals.

George was also fascinated with dinosaurs from a very young age. At just four, while visiting the Smithsonian with his family, George became upset when his family wanted to leave the dinosaur exhibit to see other areas of the museum. Sneaking away to get back to the dinosaurs, George somehow made his way out of the building and across the street to a huge dinosaur sculpture. It was there that a woman found him alone checking out the giant Triceratops and took him to a security guard. “Everything was going to plan,” says George, “Until the security guards nabbed me. When my mother showed up, she was not too happy with me.”

George and his family soon realized that his love of all things prehistoric was more than just a passing interest. George spent his youth reading every book about dinosaurs he could get his hands on, and as he got older, continued to study and read about paleontology at every opportunity. However, paleontology was not seen as a promising career path, and George was encouraged to focus on a different career.

Video: "Dinosaur George" explains how dinosaurs had unique features that helped them recognize one another.

Video: What color were Dinosaurs? "Dinosaur George" can help explain.

George ended up working as an executive for several retail chains but still spent many weekends and vacations hunting fossils throughout the United States. His collection grew, and eventually a neighbor, who happened to be a teacher, saw it and asked if George would be willing to speak with her students about dinosaurs. The response to his class visit was overwhelming, and George enjoyed it so much that he contacted a San Antonio-area school science director and offered his services to speak at more schools. Soon, requests for visits started pouring in.

In 1997, George Blasing left his day job to dedicate his life to teaching about prehistoric life. Since that time “Dinosaur George,” as he is now known, has shared his passion for dinosaurs at more than 2,000 schools, museums, libraries and public events.