April 17, 2022

Digging into Yarcomb Sand’oil

I realised Acomb must be vaguely scientifically interesting when I found it mentioned in Martin Lister‘s 1683 Royal Society paper “An ingenious proposal for a new sort of Maps of Countrys, together with Tables of Sands and Clays, such chiefly as are found in the North parts of England…” Lister’s idea was that rocks and sediments should be mapped, for...

Categories Outreach/Research

March 19, 2022

Jurassic geology of Yons Nab, North Yorkshire

I was going through some papers in the loft and I came across a sedimentary log of Yons Nab, North Yorkshire, which I drew up in 2009 after visiting the site with Prof. Duncan McIlroy. As I’m never going to do anything with it, I thought I’d simply publish it here. If you’d like to explore the Middle and Upper...

Categories Outreach/Research/Teaching

March 15, 2022

Ancient crustaceans as ecosystem engineers

In the last few months, I’ve given two public online talks with this title. They attempt to explain that the fossil record shows that marine crustaceans have been engineering new habitats for millions of years. Should you wish to watch the version I gave to the Geologists’ Association meeting in honour of Joe Collins, you can view it here:

Categories Outreach/Research/Teaching

February 20, 2022

Rock, stone, or pebble?

I’ve been running quite a few primary school rock and fossil classes in Yorkshire this half-term. At Crofton Junior School near Wakefield, one of the girls in the class asked an excellent question: “What’s the difference between a rock, a stone, and a pebble?” I started with the easy bit, which is ‘pebble’ as that’s a particle between 4mm and...

Categories #StratumYoung/Outreach/Teaching

January 7, 2022

The education of Miss Phillips

A few years ago, with Dr Tori Herridge, I wrote a Trowelblazers article about the marvellous Anne Phillips. As Anne’s Wikipedia page makes clear, geologist and science historian Dr Nina Morgan has been crucial in uncovering many details of Miss Phillips’ life and work, including important contributions to geological science. I very much enjoyed Nina’s recent article explaining how rail...

Categories Research

November 25, 2021

The Big Brigg GeoBlitz!

Filey Brigg, on the North Yorkshire coast, is a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its Jurassic geology and its importance as a wintering habitat for small purple dinosaurs. It has much more to offer, though – something for almost every species of natural scientist, it transpires: Like palaeontology? Filey Brigg has body and trace fossils! Like sedimentology? Filey Brigg...

Categories Outreach/Teaching

July 23, 2021

FossilHub 2022 – dates for your diary!

From family fossil hunts on the coast to online classes exploring geological history, 2022 promises to be a bumper year of fossil and Earth science events here at FossilHub HQ. Please find below a mid-December summary of the activities that are already lined up: In January 2022, the York Residents’ Festival takes place over the weekend of the 29th and...

Categories Outreach/Teaching

July 22, 2021

The Great York Fossil Hunt

Can you really find fossils on the historic streets of York? Yes you can, as we explain in this introductory video: Fossils such as ammonites, bivalves, burrows, corals and crinoids can all be found in the cobbled streets, buildings, and gardens of York. You can download a short guide to them below: If you’re interested in hunting for fossils in...

Categories Outreach/Teaching

June 25, 2021

York Hidden History walks

Coming to the ancient streets of York for the summer of 2021 – York Hidden History walks! Thanks to CEED funding from Let’s Circus, part of Arts Council England‘s #HereForCulture scheme, Dr Simon Rogerson and I have been able to run free, public tests of our four new York Hidden History walks. Now, we’re ready to launch them properly! York...

Categories Outreach

April 23, 2021

2021 Fossils and Geology events

Please find below a list of the fossils and geology events and activities I am leading, or involved with, in 2021: New for 2021, our York Hidden History walks (with Dr Simon Rogerson) are now up-and-running, with a theme of ‘Elemental York’. Each walk takes place within the mediaeval city walls of York, and lasts around 2 hours. Tickets are...

Categories Outreach/Teaching