Events & Courses

This event is led by the Geological Society’s Geoconservation Committee, whose aims are to help conserve the diverse geology and rich geological and geomorphological heritage of the UK.

As part of the Society’s work, we support initiatives that promote geodiversity and work with others to promote the sustainable use of geological sites as resources for education, training, public enjoyment and future scientific research.

An objective of the Committee is to facilitate public engagement with geoconservation and to support communication between relevant policymakers, funding or support bodies and grassroots geoconservation projects that go on around the country, often sustained by a small but important group of volunteers and enthusiasts.

Across the UK there are thousands of local sites that are important for geoconservation. These are places that are often valued and well-used by people, where we can find out about the geological history of our area, and how this influences nature, land use, building style and the 'sense of place' that all local communities have.

Local sites across the UK are protected by a variable set of notifications and protection orders and the progress towards having networks of designated sites is very patchy across the country. There are widely different strategies for designation and promoting sites. Some areas have hundreds of sites that are designated, monitored and celebrated by active geoconservation groups, in other places recognition/awareness of local sites is non-existent. But all areas have a common need for recognition, protection and sharing of local geodiversity sites.

This meeting aims to bring together key stakeholders and those working in geoconservation to discuss the value of local sites, review what is going across the UK and encourage more activity and wider involvement from relevant policymakers, local government and the wider geological community.

The programme for the event is available to download.

Time

1.30pm – 5.30pm

Venue

Edinburgh Methodist Church Halls, 25 Nicolson Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9BX

Registration

This event is free but registration is required. To register please email [email protected].