introduction | protecting threatened species | safeguarding biodiversity | improving water quality | enhancing the landscape | managing the archaeological heritage | restoring land for recreation | reducing neighbourhood noise | blending into the landscape | informing the community | creating nature reserves | conserving geological heritage | reducing environmental impacts

Conserving Geological Heritage

BACKGROUND

The conservation in the UK of geological sites on a national scale dates back to 1949. Since then national conservation agencies, including English Nature, have designated over 2300 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) on account of their geological features. In England, the geological interest of about 500 of these SSSIs is associated with active or disused quarries. Many other quarries are designated as non-statutory Regionally Important Geological/geomorphological Sites (RIGS) and some are designated as Local Nature Reserves. The mineral industry has a role in protecting these as well as undesignated features of interest. Other features undoubtedly await discovery, most likely through future quarrying.

ACTION

One of the key milestones of the geological conservation in recent years was Earth science conservation in Great Britain - a strategy which rationalised the practical approach to geological conservation for a wide variety of sites. The Geological conservation review explains how the national series of geological was identified and designated as SSSIs. The series include two categories of sites 'exposure sites' where features are laterally extensive and conservation management simply requires an exposure at the surface; and much more rarer 'integrity sites' that contain finite deposits or landforms that are irreplaceable if destroyed. Integrity sites require more careful management as mineral extraction could remove the interest altogether.

RESULTS

The skeleton of a woolly rhino was found in a quarry by a digger driver at Alrewas, Staffordshire.

Late Jurassic dinosaur footprints were discovered on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. They form part of the first trackway found on Portland.

Mammoth bones were unearthed during an excavation at Condover Quarry, Shropshire. The remains were later exhibited at numerous museums.

introduction | protecting threatened species | safeguarding biodiversity | improving water quality | enhancing the landscape | managing the archaeological heritage | restoring land for recreation | reducing neighbourhood noise | blending into the landscape | informing the community | creating nature reserves | conserving geological heritage | reducing environmental impacts