Geopark In Focus

In this final episode, Prof. Iain Stewart and guests head around the coast and underwater to explore the internationally protected marine environment of the Geopark.   Here the geology has created a wealth of intricate coves, sea caves and quiet nooks and crannies for a huge diversity of life to thrive both above and below water from gannets to guillemots, seagrass to seahorses and seals to whales! The group also discuss how the community of the area recognise the incredible importance of this rich resource and how they come together to help care for it. 

Featuring: 

Jess Churchill-Bissett, Local Marine expert and  Marine Management Organisation
Duncan Kenny, co-founder of The Seal Project and a marine medic
Clare Rugg, Senior Curator at Wild Planet Trust
Warwick Saunders, Nautilus Dive & RIB Charters Brixham. 

With thanks to our series supporters, The English Riviera, Naturally Inspiring, The Sustainable Earth Institute, University of Plymouth, and Dan Bolt @  

Series Producers: Melanie Border and David Randall
Editor: David Randall
©English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark 2020

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Why are the caves of The English Riviera so internationally important? Prof. Iain Stewart is joined by Nick Powe, whose family have run Kents Cavern for five generations, Professor of Biology and Environmental Science Dr. Donald McFarlane of Claremont McKenna College California, who has published studies on Pengelly and Kents Cavern, and cave conservationist Tara Beacroft, discussing their shared passion for caves and how they help us to learn about Earth's heritage and the history of humanity.

Series Producers: Melanie Border and David Randall
Editor: David Randall
©English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark

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This week Prof. Iain Stewart is joined by Dr Jenny Bennett, who chairs the Geology section at the Devonshire Association, and Malcolm Hart, Emeritus Professor at the University of Plymouth and Chair of the Geoscientific committee of the Geopark, to explore how past climate and sea level change has left its mark on the Geopark area, the causes of these changes and implications for the future.

With thanks to our series supporters, The English Riviera, Naturally Inspiring, and The Sustainable Earth Institute, University of Plymouth.

Series Producers: Melanie Border and David Randall
Editor: David Randall
©English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark

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In this episode Prof. Iain Stewart explores how the extraordinary landscape and heritage of the Geopark area is inspiring creativity across a wide range of cultural practitioners including writers, poets, artists and composers. 

Featuring: 

Chrystine Jones, Geopark Ambassador Artist 
Hugh Nankivell, Composer, songwriter and music leader who was Musical Director and Conductor for Earth Echoes, the opening ceremony for the 7th International Conference on Global Geoparks held in Torquay in 2016.
Adam Neville, Author whose stories have been inspired by the local landscape and features.
Becky Nuthall, Geopark Ambassador Artist, published poet and board member of Torbay Culture. 
Nathalie Palin, Creative Director for Torbay Culture’s Great Place Scheme 

With thanks to our series supporters, The English Riviera, Naturally Inspiring, and The Sustainable Earth Institute, University of Plymouth. 

Series Producers: Melanie Border and David Randall
Editor: David Randall
©English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark

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Prof. Iain Stewart and guests discuss the long history of authors who have been inspired by the English Riviera, from Charles Darwin, Oscar Wilde, Dame Agatha Christie and many more right up to the writers of today. They explore how literature and culture can be used to improve wellbeing and inclusion for members of the local community.

Featuring: Heather Soderlind who chairs both the International Agatha Christie Festival and Literature Works for South West England, Dr. Kevin Dixon, local historian and member of the Torbay Culture Board, and Matt Newbury, a manager at Torre Abbey and author of popular wild swimming and walking books. 

With thanks to series supporters The English Riviera, Naturally Inspiring, and The Sustainable Earth Institute, University of Plymouth. 

Series Producers: Melanie Border and David Randall
Editor: David Randall
©English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark

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In this episode Prof. Iain Stewart unravels the story of human history and explores how the human story is fundamentally evidenced in the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark. He is guided on this journey by leading experts in this field, Prof. Chris Stringer, Research Leader in Human Evolution at the Natural History Museum London, and Prof. Paul Pettitt who is Professor of Palaeolithic Archaeology at Durham University.

Series Producers: Melanie Border and David Randall
Editor: David Randall
©English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark

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In this first episode of Geopark In Focus, Prof. Iain Stewart talks with Mike Benton, Professor of Vertebrate Palaeontology at University of Bristol, and Dr Kevin Page, geoscience and geodiversity specialist and Honorary Associate at the University of Exeter. They take us on a journey through deep time from when the Geopark was bathed in tropical seas south of the equator hundreds of millions of years ago, explaining what the rocks can tell us about Earth’s history.

Series Producers: Melanie Border and David Randall
©English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark

Support the show