The majority of WGCG members are amateur geologists. The level of geological knowledge varies significantly. All are keen. Each February WGCG hold a workshop for the benefit of members who wish to improve their geological knowledge and skills. Our experts put together a class based on the needs and interests of our members. Participation is generally limited to between 20-25 delegates and the event is generally oversubscribed.
This year the theme was “How to identify Minerals, Rocks and Fossils”. The majority of the samples used for the workshop came from the WGCG collection. Colin Frodsham and Mike Allen brought along some “special samples” from their own collection, as did a few delegates who wanted some help to identify samples they had collected. Due to a number of late cancellations only 16 delegates participate in this otherwise very successful and well appreciated event.
Mike Allen started the meeting with an overview presentation of the theme before the delegates were divided into 5 groups. Each group rotated between the 5 displays where they received hands on explanations as to the topic. The 5 groups were led by;
Colin Frodsham Minerals
Adrian Wyatt Igneous Rocks
Ian Fenwick Sedimentary Rocks
Ray Pratt Metamorphic Rocks
John Crossling Fossils
Short video clips were taken by Gareth Jenkins and Kathrin Schutrumpf, and a video of the event utilising the video clips and slides was made by Ray Pratt. This can be viewed on the WGCG YouTube Channel.