Who the heck is Fossiliam?

I’ve run this website for a very long time, and I don’t think I’ve ever introduced myself. So, just in case it’s useful, here (fossil) I am.

I am Dr Liam Herringshaw. I have a first-class honours degree in Geology with Physical Geography, a PhD in Palaeobiology, and over 20 years’ experience teaching, researching and writing about rocks, fossils and the Earth. I am particularly interested in how animals interact with their environments, and the evolution of life in the oceans over the last 600 million years. Between 2005 and 2020, I worked at the universities of Birmingham, Aberdeen, Newfoundland, Durham, York and Hull, before quitting academia to go freelance.

In 2014, I co-founded the Yorkshire Fossil Festival, and I have been director/co-director of the festival since 2020. During my five years of being a freelancer, I have worked with schools, museums, universities, learned societies, charities, the public, and the media, on activities ranging from family-friendly fossil hunts and schools workshops to science festivals and museum exhibitions. One of my favourite things to do – especially during the spring and summer – is to take people on guided tours of York and the Yorkshire Coast.

This year, together with seven other founder-trustees, I co-created Earth Science Outreach UK, a charity that aims:
* To bring Earth Sciences to those that would not usually be able to access it because of geographic location or socio-economic background.
* To connect communities with Earth Science education, boosting access to knowledge in places that are furthest from the centres of distribution.
* To apply Earth Science to build social and political change in a future where climate change will affect everyone.

So, if you’re in need of engaging, entertaining, educational Earth science events and activities, look no further. Fossiliam is always happy to help!