Burek, C

Hope, M

English

The majority of people now live and/or work in urban areas and are increasingly becoming divorced from their natural environment. One aspect of geoconservation is to raise public and student awareness of their urban geology so that they better appreciate its relation to the natural world and its resources. Several town trails have been developed by the local RIGS (Regionally Important Geological/geomorphological Sites) groups in the vicinity of University of Chester, to heighten public awareness of their own local urban geodiversity. This is looked upon favourably by the Local Authority, which is keen to increase an appreciation of local distinctiveness. This paper will look at the use of these trails (some bilingual, English and Welsh) and how they have raised awareness among both higher education students and the general public mostly in the tourist sector. NEWRIGSand Cheshire RIGS have set up a successful template for this and the use of work-based learning students in the initial research is explained. The inclusion of urban trail development within the Cheshire region (north west England) LGAP (Local Geodiversity Action Plan) is discussed. The use of the trails in the teaching of one module, The City and Nature, within the newly developed Urban Studies programme is also explored. Preliminary results show that leaflets are extremely effective in raising the profile of urban geology and its conservation within many sections of the urban community

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The Use of Town Trails in Raising Awareness of Urban Geodiversity

https://pure.ulster.ac.uk/ws/files/11432772/Hope_and_Burek_2006_iaeg_609.pdf

The Use of Town Trails in Raising Awareness of Urban Geodiversity

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