A new exhibit at the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre (CFDC) in Morden explains what the province of Manitoba has contributed to paleontology, yet it's not well-known, even in this province.

The exhibit was unveiled at the museum Friday, Manitoba's 147th birthday.

"[Manitoba] has some really amazing fossils, and I don't think that a lot of people recognize how important the fossils we have here in Manitoba are, scientifically speaking," said field and collections manager at the CFDC, Victoria Markstrom.

"We came up with this exhibit on Manitoba paleontology, and it's pretty big, so we divided it up into two phases," Markstrom said.

The panel is an introduction to the main event which will be finished in 2018. It will show where in Manitoba different fossils have been and can be found.

Markstrom thinks that more about Manitoba's paleontological contributions could be taught in schools, adding it to the current curriculum on geology, volcanoes, etc.

"It's not really on the forefront like Alberta," she said.

"In Alberta, everyone knows about their paleontology, but in Manitoba it takes a bit of a back seat."

This is what Markstrom hopes to accomplish through the new exhibit.

To celebrate the unveiling, cake, games, kids activities, and face painting were provided at the CFDC for visitors who came by on Friday.

"[We're] trying to show Morden that we're part of the larger Manitoba community, and, scientifically speaking, we have a really important place situated by the escarpment. We should be proud of caring for these fossils and the land around us," Markstrom said.

New fossil digs happen every year, and the CFDC welcomes calls about people finding fossils in their back yards or while hiking the escarpment.