Children from Craigton All-Age School, St. Andrew, visiting the Geology Museum. - CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS
THE UNIVERSITY of the West Indies Geology Museum (UWIGM) is located on the ground floor of the de la Beche Building, Department of Geography and Geology, UWI. The UWIGM was established in 1965, and now represents an important feature of the Department of Geography and Geology. It houses research collections from Jamaica and elsewhere in the Caribbean that can be studied by researchers.
The museum also forms a valuable resource for educational programmes with groups from schools and colleges visiting to learn about rocks, minerals, fossils, earth resources and earth processes. Recent developments in the Ministry of Education Youth and Culture Primary Science Curriculum have placed greater emphasis on rocks and earth resources, thus making the UWIGM the principal resource centre for primary level teachers.
The museum is open to the public from 10.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. on weekdays, and has displays of Jamaican rocks, fossils and minerals. Groups can book a guided tour by calling Ian Brown at the Department of Geography and Geology, UWI (927 2728).
Members of the public wishing to learn more about the geology of Jamaica can contact the Geological Society of Jamaica, which publishes papers, holds lectures and conferences and runs field trips. Email geosocja@uwimona.edu.jm or contact the Department of Geography and Geology.
