Geodiversity is the range of rocks, fossils, minerals, soils, landforms and natural processes that go to make up the Earth's landscape and structure.

Geodiversity can be protected for its

• intrinsic value
• ecological value
• scientific value
• heritage value
• educational value

Geodiversity underpins Biodiversity

Geodiversity links people, culture, landscape and biodiversity. It underpins all our activities from farming to engineering, gardening to waste management, recreation to industry.

All aspects of our daily lives are touched by geology even if we are often unaware of it. The range and diversity of earth science features, the geodiversity of the area, is just as important a part of our heritage as wildlife and culture. In an area rich in landscape value, geodiversity is key to integrated management and conservation.

There is a need for policies to reflect this. This is already starting to happen with aspects of earth heritage in our AONB and World Heritage Site plans. Our aim reflects this need to widen the audience and make people more aware of geodiversity.