March 5, 2023

Redcar Rocks, responsibly

Last month, I led a #FossilFriday event at Redcar Palace, taking people out onto the beach to hunt for fossils in the shingle, and bringing the specimens back to the Palace to discuss, describe, and draw. It was a fantastic day, and we’re going to do it again soon. I am now telling anyone who’ll listen that Redcar is a...

Categories Outreach

February 13, 2023

New paper for 2023!

Together with my excellent friend and colleague Dr Bryony Caswell, I have written a paper in a new Special Publication of the Geological Society (volume 529) on the Conservation Palaeobiology of Marine Ecosystems. We looked at the types of fossil burrows and bivalves preserved in the early Jurassic rocks of North Yorkshire, especially at Runswick Bay and Kettleness; East Cliff...

Categories Outreach/Research

February 9, 2023

Fossiliam’s upcoming events – 2023

If you’re looking for a fossil-, rock- or natural history-related activity in Yorkshire in 2023, I might be able to help, as I run fossil-, rock- and natural history-related activities in Yorkshire. My current calendar of events is as follows: Sunday, April 9th – Runswick BayI’ll be leading a Natural Wonders fossil hunt at Runswick Bay from 11.30am to 1.30pm...

Categories Outreach/Teaching

January 14, 2023

Embrace the grey fear

Wild winter walks on the north-east coast of England? Absolutely! I parked at the western end of Redcar beach. Majuba, it was windy! Coatham’s sand dunes were frantically migrating south. The offshore wind turbines looked certain to take off. Those small-dog-walkers who’d foolishly unleashed their hounds watched them saltate off to Saltburn. The sun was shining, though, and perhaps all...

Categories #StratumYoung/Outreach/Teaching

January 1, 2023

My ’22 Top Ten – 11. Crocodile Rock

“Is it a skull?” we asked, disbelievingly. “A crocodile, perhaps?”

Categories Outreach/Research

December 30, 2022

My ’22 Top Ten – 1. Quicksand

Number one in my Top Ten of 2022 is the first thing of note I did in the year, but Emma Gibson’s Quicksand is also number 1 because it was my favourite project of the year. It marked the first time I was employed as a museum consultant, the first time I worked with a professional artist, and the first...

Categories Media/Outreach/Teaching

December 29, 2022

My ’22 Top Ten – 2. Lost Beasts of the North

On Sunday March 13th 2022, as part of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society and Yorkshire Geological Society symposium ‘Lost Beasts of the North’, supported by the Curry Fund of the Geologists’ Association, and celebrating the bicentenary of the discovery of Kirkdale Cave, I took to the lectern in St Gregory’s Minster and pretended to be William Buckland: “Account of an assemblage...

Categories Outreach

December 28, 2022

My ’22 Top Ten – 3. Earth Club

“Pupils are happy and well cared for. They attend a range of different activities, such as girls’ football, yoga and the Earth club.”

Categories #StratumYoung/Outreach/Teaching

December 27, 2022

My ’22 Top Ten – 4. Meandering down Micklegate

Since starting up York’s Hidden History with the most excellent Dr Simon Rogerson (buy his books here!), I have become a bit obsessed with the ancient, natural and scientific history of Micklegate. York’s Great Street has all manner of fascinating tales to tell, and when we were asked if we might offer a Visit York Members event, I suggested a...

Categories Outreach

December 26, 2022

My ’22 Top Ten – 5. Streetlife

In June, the University of York launched the Streetlife project, turning the former Dorothy Perkins store on Coney Street into a space celebrating creatively the street’s history, heritage, and future. Via our York’s Hidden History walks (especially the York Earth Walk), I was asked if I could help people uncover the deep time stories of Coney Street, beginning during the...

Categories Outreach