‘Can geology save the world?’ asks festival

Yorkshire Fossil Festival tackles global issues

Some of Britain’s leading Earth scientists will share their amazing research as part of the Yorkshire Fossil Festival in September.

The festival, based around Scarborough Spa from September 16-18, will feature displays and activities from local and national museums, universities and businesses.

Fossil experts will be on hand to show their amazing discoveries, and festival-goers are invited to bring along their own fossils for identification.

Award-winning scientist and entertainer Steve ‘The Rock Showman’ Cousins will be Festival Ringmaster.

Earth scientist Professor Chris Jackson, star of BBC2’s Expedition Volcano, will deliver his lecture, ‘Can Geology

Save the World?’, which will discuss the role rocks, fossils and minerals play in our lives.

Dr Katie Strang, better known as @palaeokatie, will give her lecture ‘Jaws and Jobbies in the Age of Coal’ exploring the Carboniferous period, from predatory fish to coral reefs and coal swamps (not to mention fossilised poop)!

Environmental scientist Dr Barry Lomax’s lecture ‘The Extinction of Plants’ explains how fossil plants can be used to understand climate change over geological time.

Gemmologist Sarah Caldwell Steele, known on social media as Jetrock Girl, is widely considered to be the world’s leading experts in black gemstone identification.

Inspired by finding a piece of jet in Whitby when she was seven, she will describe ‘The Origins of Jet: A Monkey of a Puzzle’ at Scarborough Spa.

At Stephen Joseph Theatre there will be a day of fossil- and dinosaur-themed films.

This year’s festival is funded by Scarborough Museums and Galleries, Scarborough Borough Council and the Yorkshire Coast BID.

For more information, visit www.yorkshirefossilfestival. co.uk