Still Time to Enter the 2025 Rockwatch Young Geologists’ Competition!
Have you been out and about this summer, discovering rocks, fossils, landscapes or museums filled with geological treasures? Maybe you’ve joined us on one of our Rockwatch field trips, explored a coastline, or found out something fascinating about the Earth and its land forms and processes? Good news – there’s still time to share your geological adventures by entering the 2025 Rockwatch Young Geologists’ Competition, sponsored by the...
Leeson House 2025 – Exploring Dorset’s Geological Delights
This year’s annual Rockwatch residential trip to Dorset was another action-packed adventure! Rockwatchers spent five days based at our home for the week – the Leeson House Field Studies Centre, exploring some of Dorset’s most spectacular geological sites and making plenty of memories along the way. Day 1 – Settling In Rockwatchers arrived at Leeson House in the afternoon, filled with anticipation about the week ahead. The first...
Join Rockwatch at Ware Museum for a Rock and Fossil Day
Date: Tuesday 12 August 2025 Time: 11.00am – 3.30pm Cost: £2 per child (drop-in) Join Rockwatch with friends from Ware Museum for a day of exciting hands-on activities discovering the amazing world of rocks and fossils. Activities include: Race a trilobite – see if you can beat these prehistoric creatures! Paint a plaster fossil – take home your own creation. Handle real specimens – get up close with rocks and fossils from millions of...
Digging into Mary Anning’s Legacy: Rockwatch Heads Back to Somerset!
Digging into Mary Anning’s Legacy: Rockwatch Heads Back to Somerset! We’re thrilled to be heading back to one of Rockwatch’s most popular destinations — the Somerset Earth Science Centre — for a very special summer holiday trip focused on one of the most iconic figures in palaeontology: Mary Anning. Taking place on Tuesday, 19th August, this unique event will give Rockwatchers the chance to discover more about Mary’s life and...
Thank You for Joining Us in Staithes!
[Show thumbnails] A huge thank you to all the brilliant Rockwatchers who joined us for our recent field trip to Staithes, North Yorkshire! It was a fantastic day filled with fossil hunting, coastal exploring, and geological discovery. Special thanks must go to Professor Kevin G. Taylor, who led the trip and shared his incredible knowledge of the Staithes Sandstone Formation and surrounding Jurassic geology. We learned so much about...
Dig Into Derbyshire’s Deep Past with Rockwatch!
[Show thumbnails] Rockwatch invites young geologists and their families to a truly unique experience on Thursday 21st August 2025 — a Fossils and Minerals Day at the National Stone Centre in Derbyshire! This educational and fun-packed event is perfect for curious minds eager to explore the story of Derbyshire’s rocks, fossils, and industrial heritage. We’ll begin with a guided walk along the Geotrail, where you’ll see...
Rockwatch Magazine Hits 100 Issues!
[Show slideshow] Celebrating Our Centenary Edition Packed Full of Geology Fun We’re excited to announce a major milestone in Rockwatch history — the publication of the 100th issue of Rockwatch Magazine! That’s right, our special Summer Holiday issue marks a century of Rockwatch bringing geology to life for young enthusiasts across the UK. Published three times a year, Rockwatch Magazine is your go-to for incredible stories from the...
100 Issues and Counting: A Q&A with the Editors of Rockwatch Magazine
The Magazine Over the Years When was the first issue of the Rockwatch magazine published, and what was in it? Peter: The first issue was published in Spring 1992, over 33 years ago!!! That issue had an amazing article on the dawn of the dinosaurs written by world-famous vertebrate palaeontologist Mike Benton. There was also an interview with the legendary broadcaster Sir David Attenborough, who collected fossils as a boy, pictured...
Issue 100 of the Rockwatch Magazine: published July 2025
Issue 100 Contents List: published July 2025 Rockwatch members receive a copy of the Rockwatch Magazine three times a year to coincide with the main school holidays – Christmas, Easter and Summer. To receive your copy of the magazine join today! P14-trilobite-notebook-record Image 1 of 8 TRILOBITE DREAM COMES TRUE A teenage fossil hunt adventure Inside this issue… IN THE LONG RUN, GEOLOGY ALWAYS WINS A tale of two...
Celebrating Our 2024 Rockstar Young Geologists – And Announcing This Year’s Competition!
[Show thumbnails] As we gear up for the 2025 Rockstar Young Geologists’ Competition, we’re taking a moment to celebrate the incredible talent, creativity, and curiosity showcased by last year’s brilliant young geologists. The 2024 competition saw entries from across the country, with participants delving deep into the world beneath our feet – from ancient fossils to fault lines and lava lakes. Our 2024 Rockstar of the Year: Tom’s...
Join the Team as Rockwatch Field Trip Manager
Are you passionate about geology and keen to inspire the next generation of rock stars? Rockwatch, the junior branch of the Geologists’ Association, is on the lookout for a Field Trip Manager to help organise and deliver our exciting calendar of geological adventures across the UK. Thanks to the growing success of Rockwatch and increasing demand for field trips, this volunteer role offers a unique opportunity to be part of something...
Discover the Wonders of Science at the Royal Society’s Summer Science Exhibition!
1–6 July 2025 | Free Entry | Fun for All Ages Rockwatchers – get ready for an exciting week of discovery! The Royal Society’s Summer Science Exhibition is back from 1–6 July 2025, and it’s bursting with amazing activities, inspiring talks, and cutting-edge science – all completely free and perfect for curious minds of all ages. With 13 flagship exhibits, a Young Researcher Zone showcasing brilliant school students, and a packed...
Pebble Detectives in Action – Rockwatch at Thorndon Country Park
thorndon-pebble-hunter-sm Image 1 of 6 Rockwatch Pebble Detective! Saturday 31 May 2025 |Essex Rockwatchers were out in force at Thorndon Country Park this May for an exciting Pebble Trail Adventure – and what a fantastic day it was! Building on the pebble skills many members gained at our recent Harrow Weald Common event, this field trip gave everyone the chance to test their knowledge in the wild, guided once again by our brilliant...
Rockwatch at the 2025 Lyme Regis Fossil Festival – Join the Fun!
[Show slideshow] Dates: Saturday 14th & Sunday 15th June Time: From 10:00 AM Location: Lyme Regis, Jurassic Coast The Lyme Regis Fossil Festival is back for 2025, and Rockwatch is excited to be joining the fun once again! Set against the stunning backdrop of the Jurassic Coast, this vibrant, family-friendly festival is a highlight of the geological calendar. Over the weekend, visitors can enjoy a fantastic mix of exploration,...
Discover the Stories Hidden in Stone at Thorndon Country Park!
[Show slideshow] 31 May 2025 | 10.30–1pm | £2.50 per person If you joined us for our recent Pebble Adventure at Harrow Weald Common, you won’t want to miss what’s next! We’re heading to Thorndon Country Park in Essex for another hands-on Pebble Trail exploration — and this time, you can put your new pebble-spotting skills to the test! Follow the trail to discover a variety of pebbles — flint, pot-lid, red flint and more — and...
Join Rockwatch at Discover Bucks Museum this Bank Holiday!
Sunday 4 May 2025 | 12pm–3pm | Tickets £2 Join Rockwatch and our friends at Discover Bucks Museum for a fantastic Bank Holiday afternoon of rock, fossil, and mineral fun for all the family. We’ll be joined by local geology experts from the Bucks Geology Group, who will be on hand to share their incredible knowledge of Buckinghamshire’s rich geological history – and help you identify any mystery rocks or fossils you bring along!...
Discover the Secrets of the Past with The Fossil Keeper’s Treasure
[Show slideshow] Are you fascinated by fossils and the incredible stories they tell? Do you dream of unearthing ancient secrets hidden in the rocks beneath your feet? If so, The Fossil Keeper’s Treasure is a gem of a book for you! Written by palaeontologist Amy Atwater and beautifully illustrated by Nat Cardozo, this brand-new book from publisher, Magic Cat takes young explorers on an exciting journey through time. From the earliest...
Introducing Issue 99 of the Rockwatch Magazine – Packed with Fossils, Field Trips, and Fascinating Finds!
[Show thumbnails] We’re thrilled to bring you the 99th issue of the Rockwatch Magazine – which landed in your letterboxes just in time for the Easter holidays! As always, this issue is bursting with geological discoveries, creative competition entries, and inspiring stories from real-life geologists. Here’s a peek at what’s inside: Meet Our New Science Editor, James Barnet We’re excited to welcome James Barnet, who joins Peter Doyle...
Issue 99 of the Rockwatch Magazine: published April 2025
Issue 99 Contents List: published April 2025 Rockwatch members receive a copy of the Rockwatch Magazine three times a year to coincide with the main school holidays – Christmas, Easter and Summer. To receive your copy of the magazine join today! Peter-Doyle-birds-in-a-sticky-situation Image 1 of 8 Insights into the fossils found in the Californian Tar Pits. Photo credit: Peter Doyle. Inside this issue… AMMOLITES (AND...
Pebble Detectives on the Case at Harrow Weald Common!
20250417_124628 Image 1 of 10 Rockwatchers with their competition entries Our Rockwatch pebble detectives were out in full force this Easter break, exploring a hidden geological gem in North London – the ancient and mysterious Harrow Weald Common! Rockwatchers set off to uncover the secrets of the Stanmore Gravel – a fascinating layer of pebbles that survived the Ice Ages. This special area, right next to a Geological Site of Special...
Join Us on the 2025 Rockwatch Residential Field Trip!
IMG_4129 Image 1 of 10 Rockwatchers enjoying rope swinging in the woods Are you ready to hunt fossils, explore ancient rock layers, and walk through time with fellow Rockwatchers? Our epic 5-day field trip to Dorset returns this summer and we’d love you to join us! From Monday 28 July to Friday 1 August 2025, we’ll be staying at Leeson House near Swanage with the on-site Field Studies Team and heading out daily on geological...
Fossil Hunting Adventure in Staithes – Join Rockwatch for a Day in North Yorkshire!
Sorry – this field trip is now fully booked. We’re busy planning more field trips over the coming months so keep checking back for future events! Are you ready to step back in time and explore the fascinating Jurassic history of North Yorkshire? On Sunday, 13th July 2025, Rockwatch is heading to Staithes for an exciting fossil-hunting expedition led by Professor Kevin G. Taylor. This is your chance to uncover ammonites, belemnites,...
Join Rockwatch on a Special London Pebble Trail!
[Show thumbnails] Would you like to be a Pebble Detective? Did you know that hidden in the hills of Northwest London, you can find some of the most mysterious and scientifically significant pebbles where scientists are looking for clues about their past? Thought to be over 2 million years old, the Stanmore Gravel Formation was deposited before the Ice Ages, but the pebbles had taken a long journey through time and space before...
Join Rockwatch for a Rock & Fossil Afternoon at Discover Bucks Museum!
Rockwatch is thrilled to announce that we’ll be taking part in an exciting Rock & Fossil Afternoon at Discover Bucks Museum on Sunday, 4 May 2025, from 12 pm to 3 pm! This fun-filled event is perfect for families, budding geologists, and anyone curious about the fascinating world of rocks and fossils. What’s in Store? Get ready for an afternoon packed with interactive activities and geological fun! Here’s what you can look forward...