An incredible range and number of fossil-bearing rocks and amazing prehistoric remains can be found in the British Isles. Regarded by many as the birthplace of palaeontology, its geology allows us to explore the life of the past from the ice-ages (Quaternary) right back to the Cambrian, over 300 million years ago. This webinar will take a journey back into the prehistoric past, looking at key fossils, where they are found, how they are formed and what they can tell us about the environment at the time. There will also be plenty of practical information about safe and responsible fossil collection.
So, if you would like to learn about bone caves filled with ancient mammals, where to find fossil shark teeth, how the spiral-shelled ammonites help to date sedimentary rocks, the fascinating biology of trilobites and where to find dinosaurs, please join us!
Tutor: Dave Willis
Dave Willis is currently employed as a project officer by the Newt Conservation Partnership, and works to create ponds and associated habitats in Bedfordshire. Prior to this, he was 'People and Wildlife Officer' at Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust. This followed a career change from many years as a Probation Officer, during which time he ran conservation training courses for staff and prisoners at a number of prisons in England and Wales. He is the chair and founder of Hertfordshire Amphibian and Reptile Group (HertsARG), and currently chair of Bedfordshire Reptile and Amphibian Group (BedsRAG). He was a council member of the British Herpetological Society (BHS) for eleven years and has recently resurrected London Amphibian and Reptile Group (LARG). His other natural history interests include arachnology (former county recorder for Hertfordshire), bird ringing, bat care, badger rescue and monitoring, and paleontology. He is currently designing and testing a monitoring scheme for invasive crayfish across Herfordshire.
