Phil Hadland is a palaeobiologist and local expert on geology and palaeontology heritage in the Hastings area. He is a part time Collections and Engagement Curator in natural sciences at Hastings Museum and Art Gallery.

Phil will be the festival’s co-planner, working with the ATEAB Funds team. In his capacity as an expert working with the ATEAB Funds team, he will help to design the ‘8 Ways to Connect’ festival schools programme that will introduce children to scientific papers, illustrations of fossils and the story of how the Iguanodon was named in 1825.

Phil will connect the festival up to other exciting #Iguanodon200 events around the country that will take place throughout 2025.

The special festival book will contain the 1825 paper in which the second dinosaur ever to be named was identified by palaeontologist Gideon Mantell. Phil aims for the book to include Gideon and Mary Ann Mantell’s fossil illustrations and pages for young explorers to make their mark and information on dinosaur fossils found in St Leonards-on-Sea towards the end of the C19 including Iguanodon hollingtoniensis