The Scottish Geology Trust’s Geosites project intends to put all of Scotland’s best geology sites on an interactive, online map.
Scotland’s geodiversity is remarkable. For our size, we have some of the most varied geology in the world, and the west of Scotland is home to much of this exciting story. Strathclyde Geoconservation Group’s casework has covered, among other things, world-class Carboniferous fossil trees and the Highland Boundary Fault zone that results in the well-known mountainous boundary between the Highlands and the Lowlands.
The area has lots of interesting geology spread across 11 local authorities, all of which have a duty of care to their own geodiversity.
There are more than a dozen active members, all volunteers from various backgrounds. Most are enthusiastic and reasonably knowledgable amateurs, but there is ready professional geological support from within the society and the University of Glasgow.
The group investigates and assesses sites, liaises with groups having linked objectives, contributes to reviews with local authorities, collaborates with other agencies to produce leaflets and interpretive material, and works with bodies such as ranger services. Education and outreach are the focus of occasional events. See the North Lanarkshire Council Geodiversity Audit for an example of the group’s collaborative work.
The Group offers regular reports to the council of the Geological Society of Glasgow. Group meetings are held at the University of Glasgow approximately four times in the year, focused on the autumn, winter and spring months.
Strathclyde Geoconservation Group welcomes new members!
Anyone with an interest in geology at any level or who is keen to make geology a more accessible subject is invited to contact the group at sgg@gsocg.org
The Chair is Margaret Greene and the Secretary is Barbara Balfour.
Notes about local sites of geological interest, including locations and links to leaflets, can be found here.
Members of the group collaborated with others in the creation of this audit:
North Lanarkshire Council Geodiversity Audit
The British Geological Survey (BGS) produced the following audits for authorities in our area:
Geodiversity Audit of the City of Glasgow
East Dunbartonshire Geodiversity Audit
The BGS authored a commissioned report for the Clyde and Avon Valley Landscape Partnership:
The Scottish Geology Trust’s Geosites project intends to put all of Scotland’s best geology sites on an interactive, online map.
Comprehensive guidance to the new Scottish Fossil Code is now available on the NatureScot website.
BBC Radio Scotland's programme Out of Doors on Saturday December 17 contained a feature about Fossil Grove.