A meeting of key geological partners in Dumfries and Galloway has helped to establish a framework to develop a new group for geological enthusiasts within the region.
The purpose was to establish a steering group to help deliver education, interpretation and conservation of the region’s top geological sites. The meeting was attended by volunteer geologists, Scottish Natural Heritage, Dumfries and Galloway Council, Dumfries and Galloway Museum Service, Forestry Commission Scotland, British Geological Survey, Creetown Gem Rock Museum, Dalbeattie Initiative, Kirkconnel Parish Heritage Society, Solway Heritage and UKRIGS (UK’s Regional Important Geological Sites).
Additional support has been pledged from Buccleuch Estates, Dumfries and Galloway Environmental Resources Centre and the Wanlockhead Leadmining Museum.
Stuart Graham (SNH) who chaired the first meeting said: "I am delighted that so many of the key players who can help make this happen turned out and were so enthusiastic about the concept. It will allow us to establish a supporting framework to develop a group of geological volunteers who can assist each other in identifying geological trails, important sites and helping with educational visits."
Diane Turner, a geological enthusiast is co-ordinator of the new volunteer geologists group called GeoD - short for Geodiversity in Dumfries and Galloway.
"We can now start to identify important sites and have a framework in place which will support their recognition and conservation. There are a number of activities happening already within some of the organisations who attended the meeting but this group can hopefully help pull all the partners and volunteers together to deliver a better and more focused programme."
Anyone who would like to learn about the geology of Dumfries and Galloway or would like to be involved in the new GeoD group should contact Diana at moffatdmt@hotmail.com or telephone 07821621366