Anthonie HELLEMOND

My main focus is aimed towards earth-sciences in general and paleontology in particular. I always find it exciting to work close to home within a Belgian context or framework. I'm highly involved in the study of the Belgian Paleozoic, in particular the Devonian and Carboniferous faunas and floras of the Ardennes and surrounding regions. I consider myself an eternal student of the Belgian underground. You will find me equally fascinated by structural geology, sedimentology, paleo-climatology, paleobotany, stratigraphy, and geochemistry, as well as preparation, restoration and conservation techniques. Personally I like using fossils as a tool to reconstruct paleo-environments and utilize them as direct or indirect proxies to measure signals from deep-time.

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Belgian paleontology and earth-sciences carry a long research tradition. Often professional and non-professional researchers worked together in several fields over many decades, but sadly non-professional researchers have been greatly undervalued during the process. This is why I specifically dedicate a large part of my efforts to valorise, support and lobby for the acceptance of citizen science-driven research in academia and with policy makers. I also support the open source and free availability of research papers, data and publications within my field. I try to outreach my findings through various fora such as: exhibits, lectures, practical courses, fieldschools, guided visits and digs, popular-scienctific articles and peer reviewed articles and other educational initiatives.

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Recently, you will find me working on ethics in geosciences. Topics like decolonization, restitution, value and worth, equity, bias and trade of geological samples and collections have my full attention. Lastly, as a member of the Lithotectonic Workgroup of the Belgian National Commission on Stratigraphy (2023). I also dedicate my time to the re-definition of the geological entities that make up the Belgian underground.    

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