Rockwatch Chair, Clare Byrne gives us her take on this year’s Rockstar Winners.
Every year, the Rockstars Young Geologists’ Competition fills us with excitement, curiosity, and a renewed sense of wonder about the world we live in. This year’s entries were truly extraordinary — full of imagination, hard work, and genuine fascination for geology and Earth sciences.
The judges admired every single project, whether it was a creative model, a thought-provoking essay, or a fun and informative video. Each young geologist discovered something new about the world’s rocks, fossils, volcanoes, and landscapes — and that, in itself, makes everyone a winner.
But, like all competitions, there have to be some official winners… and this year’s Rockstars are as impressive as ever. Here are our Rockstars for 2025 and how they delighted the judges with their knowledge, creativity, and passion for geology.
🧒 8 and Under – Physical
Joint 3rd Place – Elwynne – Pliosaurs, Plesiosaurs and Ichthyosaurs
A beautiful hand-drawn book exploring marine reptiles that rival even the dinosaurs for popularity.
Joint 3rd Place – Liam – Alectrosaurus Attacking Gigantoraptor
An interactive dinosaur activity that had the judges smiling—no dinosaurs were harmed!
2nd Place – Michael – A Geological Adventure in Time
A striking poster showing a cross-section of rock layers beneath our feet. A budding stratigrapher!
1st Place – Ember – She Sells Seashells
An astonishingly detailed scrapbook about Mary Anning’s life, complete with tiny handmade models. Packed with geology and creativity.
🎥 8 and Under – Movie/Sound
3rd Place – Asher – Layers of the Earth
A clear and fun explanation of the Earth’s structure—with the annual “gneiss” joke included, of course!
2nd Place – Tomasz – How a Fossil is Made
A brilliant Lego stop-motion animation showing fossil formation and erosion with scientific accuracy.
1st Place – Omar – Fossil Hunt
Omar’s infectious enthusiasm and determination shine in his Peak District fossil adventure.
🧭 9–12 – Physical
3rd Place – Amandine – Vicious Volcano
A realistic stratovolcano model with a fact-packed booklet explaining what makes volcanoes so “vicious.”
Joint 2nd Place – Arlo – Report on the Devil’s Washboard
An exploration of Japan’s amazing sedimentary features—truly inspiring geology!
Joint 2nd Place – Esther – Search for the Blue John Vein
Esther’s third year of success! A fantastic quest booklet with geological puzzles and photos from her own field trip.
1st Place – Henry – Gemstones Top Trumps
An educational and fun game that had judges debating which gems are the most beautiful.
🎬 9–12 – Movie/Sound
Joint 3rd Place – Sofia and Linda – A Volcanic Wonder
A lovely video of their trip to Sicily packed with volcanic facts.
Joint 3rd Place – Abigail – Dinosaur Diets: What Did Dinosaurs Eat and How Do We Know?
Abigail’s expert presentation on dinosaur dentition and feeding habits impressed us all once again.
2nd Place – Aditya – The Astrogeology of Mars
A creative clay model of Mars exploring ancient rivers, lakes, and possible life.
1st Place – Toby – Meteorites
Toby wowed the judges again with his beautifully crafted and educational video about meteorites.
🧑🎓 13–16 – Physical
3rd Place – Von – Fossils Discovery – Mesozoic Edition: Allo & Cera’s Fossil Find
A fun and educational cartoon book following two dino friends on fossil-finding adventures.
2nd Place – Simran – The Beautiful Life and Adventures of a Stack
A poetic yet scientifically accurate story about the life cycle of a chalk stack.
1st Place – Michael – The Geology Game
A creative and engaging board game full of geological facts and fun twists.
🎥 13–16 – Movie/Sound
3rd Place – Ollie and Toby – GeoJeff
A geological computer game quest to find fossils in different environments—accurate and entertaining!
2nd Place – Emma – All About Fossilised Wood
A detailed and engaging exploration of fossilised wood and its role in understanding Earth’s past.
1st Place – Von – Cretaceous-Paleogene Mass Extinction – Through a Geological Point of View
A masterful video explaining the K-T mass extinction with beautiful hand-drawn illustrations.
📝 Rockwriter Award
Lydia – Exploring the Origin of Large Low-Shear Velocity Provinces (LLSVPs): Giant Impact Theory
A deeply researched, scientifically accurate report exploring how the Moon may have formed from a planetary collision.
🌟 Rockstar Award
And this year’s overall Rockstar is… Ember for her amazing She Sells Sea Shells entry. Her beautiful scrapbook and models celebrating her heroine, Mary Anning. A truly outstanding project that captured the spirit of curiosity and creativity that Rockwatch is all about.
Congratulations to all our winners — and to everyone who took part in this year’s Rockstars Young Geologists’ Competition. We hope you’ve been inspired to keep exploring, asking questions, and uncovering the stories written in stone.
🎥 Watch highlights from the Prize Giving Day on our You Tube channel.
