Need to know about your local geological site? Want to know where to take your fossil find? Want to visit your nearest museum to find out more about your local environment and the rocks beneath your feet?  Thinking of having a saunter along one of many local geological trails or attending events in your area? Then visit www.yhgeodiversity.org.uk  to find out what’s going on.

The new online presence contains news, events, policy advice, research, articles and maps relating to geodiversity in Yorkshire and Humber.

What is geodiversity?  Geodiversity is the natural range of geological (rocks, minerals, fossils), landforms, landscape-shaping processes and soil features.  Great Britain is the birthplace of the science of geology and many names and concepts used across the world were derived from names of rocks and sites in England; many UK sites are of international scientific significance.

The Yorkshire & Humber Geodiversity Forum was set up in 2008 to create a supportive network providing contacts and information and a strong voice for small organisations in the sub-regions.  The forum and website are routes to influence policy and decisions on issues impacting on geodiversity, and bring together strategic documents.

The Forum members range from local authorities to voluntary groups, museums, National Parks, Natural England and landowners such as the National Trust.  They work together to share expertise and disseminate best practice and aim to raise the profile of geodiversity.  The website contains details of Local Geodiversity Action Plans (LGAPS) as well as information on important geological sites and landforms such as RIGS (Regionally Important Geological Sites) and LGS (Local Geological Sites).

The new site has been designed to support the many Geology Trusts and Partnerships to work collaboratively and act as an online presence for geodiversity conservation and projects such as Lime & Ice, Otley Chevin, South Pennine Watershed Landscape and the Northern SSSI Cave Conservation Monitoring Scheme.

Tim Kohler (Natural England) writes: “The geology of the Yorkshire and Humber region provides a dramatic, varied landscape including limestone pavements, Gritstone Edges, fossil-rich coastlines and glacial features which need to be conserved. Understanding geodiversity is critical to sustainable management of the environment and natural resources.”

The Yorkshire and Humber Geodiversity Forum website was created in partnership with Yorkshire Futures.

For more information, please contact Nancy Stedman, Landscape and Geodiversity Delivery Leader, Natural England.

Nancy.stedman@naturalengland.org.uk

. Tel: 0300 060 4263