Volunteer Development Project

(2003 – 2005)

This was a capacity-building project that helped the county groups to make progress in two main areas: staff / volunteer development and building public awareness.  A series of in-house training events and public promotions led to a raising of professional standards and a growth in membership of the participating groups.

Staff / volunteer development

The training events included seminars for paid staff and workshops for volunteers.

The seminars covered the following topics:  Funding Applications, Risk Assessments, Field First Aid, Local Geodiversity Action Plans, and Rock & Fossil Roadshows.

The volunteer workshop topics included: Landscape Interpretation, Geological Recording, Access & the Law, Practical Geoconservation Techniques, Fossil Collecting and Specimen Conservation.

Building Public Awareness

Each county planned a series of outreach activities, such as public lectures, guided walks and field trips.  They also started to publish glossy, illustrated geo-trail guides. In addition, the concept of “Rock & Fossil Roadshows” was developed.  These were held at large public events, with high visitor numbers, such as county shows and food festivals.  The local geoconservation group put on a big display about local geology, with sales of their publications and many fun activities for children.  These events attracted many new members and volunteers for the county groups.

Herefordshire & Worcestershire Earth Heritage Trust guided riverside walk.	dinosaur quarry trip, Oxfordshire.	Publicity poster for an event at Leigh Delamere, Wiltshire.
Herefordshire & Worcestershire Earth Heritage Trust Rock & Fossil Roadshow.	Make your own fossil.	Collection of trail guides.

Besides the county promotional events, The Geology Trusts itself raised its profile by mounting displays at regional and national geological events and conferences, and through publishing articles in magazines such as Earth Heritage, Down to Earth and Geoscientist. Pic VDP7 – Joint county displays at the Geologist’s Association conference in Cardiff (below)

A very important development at this time was the launch of the Abberley and Malvern Hills Geopark, which gave a great boost to the public profile of geology in the west of England.  Three Geology Trusts groups Herefordshire & Worcestershire Earth Heritage Trust, Shropshire Geological Society and Gloucestershire Geology Trust, were founding partners in the Geopark and remain heavily involved in its management.