Rockwatch Residential Round up
Well, that’s a wrap – five days of fossil-finding fun with this year’s group of intrepid Rockwatchers is complete. The team at Leeson House Field Studies Centre near Swanage were as welcoming and hands on as ever, and kicked off the week with a geology-themed orientation session. Set within the beautiful rural village of Langton Matravers, Leeson House offers an ideal setting to stay, dine communally, enjoy geology-themed guest...
Join Rockwatch for a FREE Fossil Fun Day at Lowewood Museum
Join Rockwatch for a FREE fossil fun day at Lowewood Museum in Hoddeston, Hertfordshire on Wednesday 23 August from 10.30am-3pm. Come along to: Create prehistoric crafts Join in with a Jurassic Jazz Music Workshop Hunt for Dinosaurs around the museum See the fossils on display and bring your own fossils along to find out more about them You can just rock up – there’s no need to book because admission is completely free!...
Win a FREE Family Ticket to Dinosaurs in the Park!
We’ve teamed up with Dinosaurs in the Park to bring you an exclusive Rockwatch VIP Family Ticket Give Away (worth £40). Dinosaurs in the Park is an exciting experience where you come face to face with 40 life-sized animatronic dinosaur models as you immerse yourself in what life was like for these gigantic prehistoric titans. We’re giving a lucky Rockwatcher the chance to win a family ticket for any of the Manchester dates...
We’ve removed the Booking Deadline for the 5-Day trip to Dorset
Good news! We’ve removed the booking deadline on the 5-Day residential field trip to Dorset so that even more people can still book to join us! Those of you who organise events will know that there is a need to have booking deadlines in place in order to meet any venue terms and conditions around numbers and cancellations. Since we have more than met the minimum number of bookings needed for the event to run, we’re now...
Summer Science Exhibition Programme Published 2023
The Summer Science Exhibition Programme has been published and Rockwatchers may be interested in some of the talks and activities lined up from 4-9 July 2023. Held annually by The Royal Society in London, there will be plenty of interactive fun or if you can’t be there in person, some talks and interviews will be livestreamed. You might like to try your hand at flood prediction or predicting the next eruption of a quiet volcano,...
Book onto the Rockwatch Summer Field Trips Now!
Rockwatch Summer Field Trips are open for bookings and we’d love you to join us for some geology family fun! Every summer we organise a range of different field trips around the country to give young geologists an insight into the range of places and activities you can do as a geologist. We visit coastlines and quarries in search of fossils, rocks and minerals, we study local buildings, walls and pavements that make up our local...
Book a 5-Day Family Geology Field Trip to Dorset’s Jurassic Coast
[Show thumbnails] The Rockwatch summer holiday 5-day residential family geology field trip is back! DEADLINE FOR BOOKINGS IS FRIDAY 28 JULY! Taking place from Monday 31 July to Friday 4th August, we’ll be exploring Dorset’s Jurassic coastline and staying at the Leeson House Field Studies Centre just outside Swanage. Many Rockwatchers who have joined us on previous visits will know that this is a fabulous week of family fun...
We’re Hiring – Admin Assistant – please join our team
We’re hiring for a new part-time Rockwatch Admin Assistant role. You’ll be an important part of our team, looking after our members including organising events and field trips. The role is for 3 days a week with 2 days working for Rockwatch and 1 day working for the Geologists’ Association. Download the job description and application details. Spread the word and apply if you’re interested! Closing date 27...
Win a copy of i-SPY Rocks and Fossils!
Exciting news! The celebrate the recent release of the i-SPY Fossils and Rocks, publisher Harper Collins are offering the chance for 5 lucky winners to receive a copy of the book. Rockwatch Ambassadors Michael Oates and Wendy Kirk helped to produce the fun guide which enables young geologists to score points as they identify different geological finds. Those who score enough points are awarded an official i-SPY certificate and badge....
Issue 93 of the Rockwatch Magazine is out now
We’re delighted that Issue 93 of the Rockwatch magazine is out now! The April edition of the publication has been posted to members ready for you to enjoy over the Easter break from school. The magazine, which is published 3 times a year to coincide with school holidays, is brimming with geology-related articles aimed at our young geologists and several of the articles have been written by members too. It features articles on...
Issue 93 of the Rockwatch Magazine: published April 2023
Issue 93 Contents List: published April 2023 Water plays an important part of rock formation Image 1 of 6 Picture of H20 molecules MUSEUM MAGIC IN PARIS Samples galore on display HOW TO WEAR A WALL! Knit yourself a sweater… WATER, WEAUTER EVERYWHERE How H2O affects geology IMPERIAL PORPHYRY – THE STONE OF EMPERORS Find out why it is so treasured HOW GEOLOGY LIGHTS UP JAMAICA Making water glow… VOLCANIC ACTIVITY...
Download the Rockstar Young Geologists’ Competition 2023 Entry Form Today
Rockwatch members should have by now received their latest Rockwatch Magazine Issue 93 through the post which includes a hard copy of the entry form for this year’s Rockstar Young Geologists’ Competition 2023. If you missed it don’t worry, you can download the Rockstars Competition Entry Form 2023 from our website which details all you need to know to submit your entry, including guidance on how to make your entry...
More Field Trip Dates Added for Rockwatchers
The summer is shaping up to be a busy and fun-filled month of field trips for Rockwatchers so pop these dates in your diary and we’ll share booking details very soon. Coming up we have Rockwatch field trips to – Tuesday 1 August – Swanage in Dorset Wednesday 9 August – Ware Museum in Hertfordshire Saturday 19 August – to Frodingham Ironstone pit in Lincolnshire Saturday 30 September – Bracklesham...
I-SPY Fossils and Rocks: Spy it! Score it! is out Today
Rockwatch is delighted that the I-SPY Fossils and Rocks: Spy it! Score it! is published today. The Guide, published by Harper Collins, has been written with the help of Rockwatch’s Michael Oates and Wendy Kirk, both experienced Geologists who know just how to inspire young geologists. Commenting on the Guide Michael said, “The world is made up of an abundance of natural wonders so it was a real challenge pulling together so many...
Rockstars 2023 Competition Details Coming Soon
We’ll soon be asking for Rockstar 2023 competition entries! Printed entry forms – with details of the great prizes on offer – will be sent out very shortly, along with the new issue 93, of Rockwatch magazine. Keep an eye out for both. The Rockstar entry form will also be downloadable from the website in the near...
Festival of Geology 2023 – Save the Date!
Exciting news! This year’s Festival of Geology is taking place on Saturday 4 November 2023 and is returning to London. The Festival, organised by the Geologists’ Association, takes place annually in November and is an opportunity to celebrate and immerse yourself into all things geology with other geology fans of all ages. Further details will be announced as the programme is confirmed but in the meantime please save the...
Pre-order your copy of the i-SPY Fossils and Rocks Guide
A super new addition to the popular Collins Michelin i-SPY Guide series has been produced especially for fossil and rock lovers – great for Rockwatchers – and the perfect time to announce its forthcoming publication on World Book Day. Aimed at children from 5 years and up, the i-SPY Fossils and Rocks booklet is available to pre-order now! It’s publication date is just around the corner on 16th March so you...
A Bit about Clare Byrne and Exciting Rockwatch Events Coming Up
A Bit About Me I was delighted when Susan Brown invited me to replace her as Chair of Rockwatch in November last year. I’m not a Geologist by training, having studied physics at UCL which led onto two careers in physics – firstly working for various companies in research and development until the birth of my two children – and then later as a science teacher. I officially retired last year but, the shortage of physics teachers...
Rockwatch Field Trips – Save the Dates!
We’re delighted to announce two Rockwatch field trips will be taking place later this year and although the details are still being finalised we wanted to announce the dates now so you can save them in your diaries. The first will be on Tuesday 1 August 2023 in Swanage in Dorset and the second will be at Bracklesham Bay in West Sussex on Saturday 30 September 2023. Bookings will be open soon!...
Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre Fossils Walks
The Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre run regular fossil walks. Be sure to check their website for events taking place over February half term....
Harrow & Hillingdon Rock Show 2023 Launches today
The Harrow and Hillingdon Rock Show has launched today! There are plenty of fun activities planned from 6-23 February at Uxbridge Library. There are some fantastic resources online too for those who’d like to visit virtually. ...
Issue 92 of the Rockwatch Magazine: published December 2022
Issue 92 Contents List: published December 2022 Figure 4 New Forest fossils Image 1 of 7 FINDING SEA FOSSILS IN A FOREST ROCKSTAR SPECIAL Some of the many entries PINBALL WAIZARDRY EXPLAINS THE ROCK CYCLE A fun game with geology built in MONOLITHS AND MEGALITHS The marvel of standing stones FINDING SEA FOSSILS IN A FOREST The story behind some strange finds A WALL THAT HARBOURS OPEN SECRETS Spotting surprises in a restored wall...
Farewell Susan And Welcome Clare
As 2022 draws to a close, it is with mixed emotions that we announce that much-loved and long-serving Chair, Susan Brown, is stepping down at the end of this year, and our new Chair, Clare Byrne steps up from January of next year. Susan is well known to many current and former Rockwatchers and has inspired an entire generation of children, young people and families to the joys of geology. For avid field trippers, Susan has been the...
Happy National Fossil Day!
Happy National Fossil Day! Here’s a recent fossil sent in by Rockwatcher, Ronnie for identification which is likely to be a part of a bivalve shell, Trigonia costata, named by chemist and palaeontologist James Parkinson whose name lives on in Parkinson’s disease. It is a species that appeared first in the Toarcian Stage (end of the Early Jurassic), but persisted into the Middle Jurassic – which is probably the age of...