Practical Geoconservation

OGT has an ongoing programme of practical clearance works. These are designed to improve exposure of and access to some of our best geological sites. It is often thought that geological sites do not require any conservation because they are made of rock and rock doesn't disappear like plants or insects can. This is just not the case. Our geological heritage is constantly under threat from poor management, fly tipping, inappropriate restoration or simply through natural weathering and erosion.

Just take Coxwell Pit as an example, fly tipping and neglect at the site had left it almost unrecognisable as one of the worlds only exposures of the Faringdon Sponge Gravels until OGT started the Faringdon Earth Heritage Project.

Site clearance work can range from clearing brambles and scrub from faces by hand to using diggers to help to remove more overgrown vegetation and scree build up. Don't worry, we never clear vegetation from a site without first consulting with the relevant biological/ecological organisations.

Practical conservation days are an ideal way to get involved with the Trust and in many cases they are suitable for all the family. An excellent way to get into the outdoors and get your hands dirty.

As well as managing RIGS we also work closely with English Nature to manage their geological SSSIs and with other organisations and stakeholders to ensure that our geological sites get the protection and conservation that they deserve. OGT managed an Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund project involving three other members of The Geology Trusts with resulted in the production of holistic Geodiversity Site Management Plans being written for a total of 16 aggregate sites throughout the project. OGT also have a Local Geodiversity Action Plan (LGAP) which works in a similar way to the Biodiversity Action Plans (BAPs) setting out the current state of and future need for geoconservation.

A well deserved rest and bite to eat for OGT volunteers as

they clear a site on one of the hottest days of the year.

An important Middle Jurassic site in need of scrub clearance.

Believe it or not, there is actually a really interesting and

important rock exposure behind all of this vegetation.

OGT volunteers get stuck in helping to clear a site so

that the exposures are clear and easy to see