A different type of rolling stone will be headlining between now and next March, as part of the wildlife charity’s 50^th anniversary celebrations.

During the course of the anniversary year, everybody will be able to learn more about 50 extraordinary rock stars, as trustee and geologist Ian Jackson reveals the real life geological secrets of a number of well-known and some well-hidden sites around the region.

Better still, it’s virtual via the Northumberland Wildlife Trust website www.nwt.org.uk/rock-festival a wealth of images, videos, walking trails and information. It’s a great way for people to rediscover the great outdoors as lockdown restrictions continue to ease and, for those who are unable to travel to Ian’s top places, at least 10 of them will have a virtual video tour.

Each month, there will be a downloadable walking trail so people will be able to visit places where they can see where earthquakes have bent solid rock, visit a 400 million year old volcano, walk over a bog that started when the last glacier left 15,000 years ago, and even hunt the fossils of animals that lived 300 million years ago in a warm coral sea.

Later in the year, there’s the possibility of activities for children so, forget Walking with Dinosaurs, there’ll be chalking with dinosaurs and, because rocks let you look back into the past, everybody taking part will become time-travellers for a day.

Ian, who graduated from Newcastle University with a degree in Geology and Geography, worked for the British Geological survey for 38 years, including 17 years in Cumbria and Northumberland, before leading national, European and global projects to make geoscience data digital and web-accessible.

Since retiring, he worked as a consultant for international mining and software companies and was science advisor to the BBC for six landscape documentaries, before combining his lifelong interest in natural history and landscape with a desire to celebrate the wildlife charity’s 50^th anniversary despite coronavirus and lockdown restrictions.

Talking about the event, Ian says: “This region is blessed with outstanding rocks and landscape - rocks and geology play a very special role in the landscape, wildlife and history of the Region. Just think without the once molten rocks of our world famous Whin Sill Crags, Emperor Hadrian wouldn’t have had anywhere to build his Wall.

“Even though it’s not as obvious anymore, we all owe a lot to our rocks. Coal and lead mining used to provide the jobs for many north-eastern families. Most of our towns and villages would not exist without them and all our lives would be very different.

“Every one of these 50 Geo-Sites has a very special story to tell. From rocky connections with our landscape and wildlife, to the history and the origins of our heritage and culture.”

Visit: www.nwt.org.uk/rock-festival and get involved.