Minutes of ES2k Committee Meeting
21 May 2003

Held in the Library of Methodist College, Belfast

Present: John Arthurs, Peter Crowther, Tony Bazley, Karen Parks, Alistair Ruffell, Patrick McKeever, Bernard Anderson, Marie Cowan, Paul Lyle, Garth Earls

Apologies: Ian Enlander

JA noted that the main item on this meeting's agenda was the Irish Geodiversity Forum. JA recorded thanks to TB for professional and high quality magazine. Thanks also to TB and KP for their attendance and representation on behalf of ES2k at The Geography Interboard Forum on April 10th 2003 in Antrim. As a direct result, the ES2k membership increased by 54 members!

Minutes from last meeting were approved by committee.

TB: 2000 copies of a 20-page Issue 7 were printed in April. Cardiff University took out a ½ page advertisement. Tom Kennedy, editor of "Science Spin" a quarterly magazine, has offered advertising space for his magazine in straight exchange for similar in ours. TB reiterated thanks to all contributors and selected Jasper Knight's article entitled "Big climate message from small ice animals" for special mention, and invited further articles from committee members.

Action:
2.1 TB to contact John Gamble (Chair at University College Cork) on whether he would like to run an advertisement for the Geology department there.

MC reported the following:
§ Recorded ES2k membership now stands at 239.
§ Sent fax to Dr Mulryne for use of facilities at Methodist College.
§ Sent letter to Irish Salt Mining & Exploration Company inviting sponsorship and invited them to co-present this year's schools prize.
§ Sent letter to James Stevenson Quarries Ltd inviting them to co-present this year's school prize in light of their continued sponsorship.
§ Sent letter of thanks to Peter Millar, Secretary for the Belfast Geologist's Society, for this year's sponsorship.
§ Contacted executive secretary Sarah Stafford of The Geologists Association (GA) with regard to their Public Liability Insurance Scheme. Teachers attending the forthcoming fieldtrip should note that they attend at their own personal risk. ES2k will not have member to member insurance cover until the policy is renewed on July 31st 2003.
§ Received letter from GA inviting ES2k representation at the annual reunion on November 8th 2003 at UCL.
§ Received letter from The Geological Society inviting an article on ES2k for inclusion in an issue of Geoscientist.

Actions:
3.1 MC to ask Norman Moles if he intends to attend this event and whether he may be able to man an ES2k stand.
3.2 MC to write article for Geoscientist and to collaborate with PMcK in selection of photographs for same.

KP has lodged cheques received and the bank balance stands at £1754 (with printing costs for issue 7 paid) including, £872 from EHS, £80 from Stevensons' Quarries, £180 from Enviros, £500 from Geologists Association and £50 from private donations. KP noted that ES2k is still able to claim £1000 from EHS, this plus that banked will cover printing costs for next issue of magazine with some to spare.

PC reported 1320 visitors to the ES2k website in February, coincident with the Irish Research Meeting, and 1371 website visitors in April averaging 46 per day! The magazine has been included in PDF format in addition to various articles and references. PC acknowledged that JK had sent him some considerable amount of material on "sources on specialist expertise" however PC wished to record his apologies that whilst there was some considerable amount of work to get through, that he would complete it as soon as possible. PC reiterated that the website was short on county material, e.g. local photos, and brief text on geology or physical geography. Please note the correct address for the website is www.habitas.org.uk/ES2k. PC encouraged committee to have at look at the Earth Science Conservation Review on the HabitasOnline website.

Actions:
5.1 MC to contact Gretta McCarron with regard to County Monaghan and Anthony Cranney regarding south Armagh.
5.2 JA to contact Eamon Greenan regarding County Sligo.
5.3 TBA to contact Malcom McClure regarding County Donegal.
5.4 KP to contact Nicole Sloan or William Lynn regarding County Derry.
5.5 PMcK to contact Duchas Officers in County Leitrim.

JA briefly ran through the field book and sheet he has written for Saturday's fieldtrip.
AR volunteered to write up a risk assessment for Saturday's fieldtrip, hence precluding any insurance loopholes as mentioned in item 3.
TB highlighted the workshops run by Chris King at Keele University aimed at Science teachers of Key stages 3 and 4. TB and KP proposed that we emulate this programme by targeting science teachers, specifically PGCE students at The University of Ulster (contact Linda Clarke), in order to design a bespoke programme for teachers, whether it is fieldtrips, practicals or teachers resource pack. KP suggested the optimum time for fieldtrips for teachers would be weekdays in mid May, taking into account schedules for exams and sub teachers cover. TB and TBA cautioned against any clash of such fieldtrips with IGA or BGS events.

Actions:
6.1 KP to contact Liz Wallace at Magilligan field centre for fieldtrip risk assessment.

PMcK explained that GSNI have been attending The Geography Interboard Forum for the last three years. Indeed during the last six months both GSNI/GSI have been invited to apply for European funding in order to author virtual fieldtrips for teachers in a project sponsored by Statoil. The idea would be to run 2 fieldtrips per year over three years in the following geographical areas:
1. Omagh/Donegal
2. Antrim/Down/Armagh/Louth
PMcK concluded that his would be a substantial web teaching resource.

The following is a supporting statement made by TB for ES2k joining an Irish Diversity Forum:

"Some of you, if not all, will be aware that at the Dublin Conference (attended also by Paul Lyle and Garth Earls present at this meeting) last October it was agreed to establish a forum to promote the earth science of Ireland in a similar way to the ES2k effort in the north of Ireland. So on 26 March 2003 a small 'Steering Group' met at the UU campus in Jordanstown to consider how to initiate the first step in organising the new group. I was part of that group.

I should add with ES2k now well into its third year that it is, in my opinion, at a crossroads in its development. The magazine and the web site are becoming established with the new initiative for secondary level education promising significant benefits. Having said that, most of our major funding was for three years and a major drive for future support has to be around the corner - in the next couple of months.

When set up, ES2k included in its constitution the following statement: The primary objective...shall be to increase the public awareness of Earth science in the north of Ireland. This remit may be widened to include the whole of Ireland if appropriate. The Group will support other initiatives in Ireland.... as appropriate.

I think the time has now come to widen our remit and to do it with the IGF. There are a number of potential advantages. It will make it easier to obtain funding, it will bring more helpers into the organisation, it will bring new ideas and it will make a bigger impact on the public. I deliberately say 'potential' advantages because nothing will happen without hard work and the support we will require might not be there.

Does this mean ES2k will disappear? The answer is 'yes' and 'no'. The Irish Geodiversity Forum (name to be reviewed e.g. Earth Trust Ireland, Irish Earth Trust or no change?) will be the main organisation but it will lean heavily on the experience of ES2k, which will continue as one of two operational units, the other being in Dublin.

It is recognised that the first need is to get long term (3 - 5 years) support. We hope that might come from some of the major earth science employers across Ireland (Heritage, Museums, Surveys, and Industry). We also need to find out how - if at all - the Royal Irish Academy (maybe also the IGI and IAEG) will be involved. The RIA might be involved as the major leading organisation if it is now moving into a more modern mode, as is suggested.

Under the new grouping the two major ES2k initiatives will probably be expanded:

The web site at the Ulster Museum will continue to develop with the initial question "Could it become an all-Ireland site" or will it be necessary to find another site for the rest of Ireland somewhere else? Obviously links between sites are easy these days but there is an attraction to having it all at a single centre.

The magazine will become a quarterly magazine, retaining the popular style but printing up to 5000 copies. It will be renamed 'Earth Ireland'. It will probably be 16 to 20 pages long instead of the current 12 pages. That will allow more advertising and with more regular production will enable issues to be aired whilst still current. North of Ireland matters will not be squeezed out although the format of the journal will obviously change.

The ES2k efforts to help teaching in schools will be expanded. Teacher packs, booklets, cartoon characters to be developed. Contacts with the media will be developed so earth science gets a better press.

There are some technical problems to be overcome but it would allow the group to become the voice for earth science in Ireland. The new magazine would have immediate impact, as would the fast development of an expanded web site. A start-up date this autumn and an 'official' launch in early spring 2004 are possible."

IGF Steering Group met next on 2 May in Dublin.

To further support this proposal, GE added that the GSNI (and possibly GSI) was prepared to facilitate an office base for the magazine. Acknowledged magazine and website as core vehicles for changeover. GE recognised the importance of county representatives in contributing to an all Ireland magazine.

IE (pers comm) reassures the committee that funding from EHS would continue if ES2k became an all Ireland body.

PC added that the Ulster Museum would continue to host the website for an all Ireland body.

TB added that currently the bulk of our funding comes from EHS, the Curry Fund of the Geol. Soc. and the GA, the latter two are situated in England, ES2k needs to target and secure Irish funding. As far as editorial control of the magazine is concerned, TB wants to retain autonomy with no right to censorship from sponsors. Envisages establishing relationships with Outdoor Education Centres with the onus on providing teaching resources. TB will realistically be editor for 3 or 4 years.

PL acknowledged the work that has gone before, paid particular credit to magazine and acknowledged that a brand, or identity had been established. PL envisages using magazine as the primary tool to facilitate an "organic" transition to an all Ireland body. PL suggested that ES2k become an umbrella organisation for regional membership pockets to report.

PMcK noted expanded potential for articles, advertising and sharing of workload.

Generally, there was a mixed reaction form committee as to this proposal, TBA urged caution and advised moving slowly, AR preferred to wait and see, JA wish to record thanks to both surveys for their support in principle.

In summary, committee members should attend next steering group meeting for more information and discussion to bring to AGM in September to be put to the membership.

Actions:
7.1 Committee members to attend next IGF steering group meeting to be held on June 19th at GSNI at 1030.

§ The next ES2k Committee meeting will be held in the library of Methodist College, College Gardens Belfast on Thursday 28 August at 1830.
§ Student prizes will be presented at the Ulster Museum on Thursday 4 September by David Falvey (Director of the British Geological Survey).
§ The ES2k AGM will be held in the Ulster Museum, Belfast on Wednesday 24 September at 1830 for 1900.

GE informed the committee of a series of fortnightly lectures run by GSNI and the Ulster Museum on geological issues i.e. geohazards, fossil fuels, climate change, minerals and glaciation, to be presented by high profile speakers at the forefront of their particular discipline.

The meeting closed at 9.45pm.

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