About Rock Rescue
Meet the team behind Rock Rescue and our Partners
Our Team
Simon Carpenter
Simon has a life-long interest in geology and has amassed a large, well-curated and scientifically important fossil collection. This has taken a lifetime to collect and parts of it have already been donated to various UK museums. He is aware that many other collections aren’t so lucky and many end up being discarded and lost to science.
‘The thought of a geological collection being disposed of horrifies me’, says Simon, ‘I have learnt from experience, that many unassuming collections often contain rarities and material of significant importance. Other people’s collections, like my own, are often a life’s work and I feel a sense of duty to at least save and repurpose as many of these unwanted collections as possible’.
This project draws on these concerns.
Simon works closely with the geology staff at Bristol City Museum, Bristol University (Earth Sciences) and Somerset Earth Science Centre. He is the collection executor for various collector friends and has been involved over several years with the rescue and documentation of unwanted geological collections (please see ‘Successes’ for more detail).
Richard Ashley
Richard is an amateur geologist and naturalist and an Honorary Member of the Bristol Naturalists' Society. The society encourages the study of the Natural History and Geology of the Bristol Region. Since its foundation in 1862 the Bristol Naturalists' Society has been a means of passing down knowledge and enthusiasm from one generation to another. Richard supports this project because he believes that geological collections built up during a person's lifetime are a potential legacy to future generations, encouraging the study of and love for the science of Geology.
Whilst only some specimens may be acquired by museums a great deal more will be useful as part of handling collections for students in schools and colleges and in this way the work of the original collector will live on.
Alan Bentley
Alan is an accomplished collector and Oxford University geology graduate. His donation of fossils to the British Geological Survey represents one of the most significant donations of Mesozoic fossils, in particular, ammonites from the southwest to have been made in the last century.
Alan also has a substantial collection of donated fossils at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery. As well as his considerable interest in and knowledge about fossils, Alan’s specialist skills extend to minerals and rocks.
Our Partners
Bristol Museum
Bristol Museum & Art Gallery is an accredited museum that cares for a designated geological collection. The Geology collection contains more than half a million rocks, fossils and minerals. Its quality, size and diversity make it one of the most significant regional collections in the UK.
Specimens in this collection reveal the amazing and diverse geology of Bristol and the South West of England.
The collection also has special significance because of its history, which is closely connected to the development of geology as a science. It includes specimens collected and studied by some of the first people in the world to interpret rocks and fossils scientifically. Despite the loss of much display material from bombing in World War II, a significant portion of their early collection remains.
A library of rare books, historic maps, archives, and comparative specimens from around the world enhance this collection. As a whole it is a unique resource for research, inspiration and enjoyment.
Somerset Earth Science Centre
Somerset Earth Science Centre (SESC) is an education charity based at Moons Hill Quarry in the Mendips. SESC provide educational activities and bring earth science to life for local school and college students and local community groups. They also work closely with the public by coordinating an annual month-long geology festival ‘Mendip Rocks’ across Somerset. They provide quarry tours and hold activity-led open days throughout the year. The Centre’s collection of fossils, minerals and rocks is one of its most important educational resources. Somerset Earth Science Centre’s museum and handling collections are almost entirely made up from donations derived from rescued collections – some from schools and others from individual collectors.
Somerset Earth Science Centre support a number of volunteers who help process the geological material they receive for their handling collection or for sale to raise funds to keep the Centre going’.
Ensuring Geological Collections Live On
Every collection has a story, and we are proud to share where these geological treasures head next. From local schools and colleges to the Somerset Earth Science Centre and regional museums, our recent rescues are already inspiring the next generation of geologists.
We are currently showcasing a small selection of our successfully rehomed collections and will be adding more stories as we continue to save specimens from being lost to history.
Find out how to donate your fossil collection
If you have a collection that needs a new home, please fill out our donation form to help us rescue and repurpose these specimens.