Clough Medal Lecture 2024-25
Mike (right) being presented with his Clough Medal 2024 by Mark, our President
On 26 February 2025 our annual Clough Medal lecture took place at the Grant Institute, Kings Buildings Campus, University of Edinburgh and also held online. The audience for this year’s lecture was again sizable, both physically present and on-line. Proceedings for the evening were chaired by Alastair Milne, Lectures Secretary.
Our president, Mark Wilkinson, explained that the Clough Medal was established in 1935 and is given each year to a person whose original work has materially increased the knowledge of the geology of Scotland and/or the north of England, or one working in Scotland or the north of England who has significantly advanced the knowledge of any aspect of geology.
The medallist for 2024/25 was Mike AE Browne (formerly BGS Edinburgh) who gave a lecture entitled “Geoconservation in Scotland”. Beforehand, he was presented with his medal by Mark Wilkinson.
Mike used his lecture to cover the full breadth of activities around Geoconservation in Scotland, that he (& others – David McAdam, Elspeth Urquhart, Clifton Porteous, Victor Patridge, John Sheldon and Archie Miller to name but a few) had been involved over the last few decades. His introductory slide provided a summary of his talk: i) Useful Carboniferous Stratigraphy; ii) Beginnings of Scottish Geoconservation; iii) International Conservation Accolades; iv) National Designations: SSSIs; v) Regional Accolades; vi) Local Geodiversity Sites (LGS) System and vii) Possible New Conservation Sites. In virtually all aspects, Mike has made a valuable contribution and been a leading light in many for over 50 years.
Mike estimated that he had spent roughly even split of his time on the Devonian and Carboniferous strata. This is reflected in his co-authorship of the relevant chapters of both the 4th and 5th editions of “The Geology of Scotland”. He has worked on both national and local government projects, particularly in connection with geothermal energy where his work over many years continues to form an important reference source. He has been committed to education, having supervised a number of PhD students, and to the promotion of geology to the wider community. He has also been the Chair of GeoConservation UK for a number of years and continues to Chair Lothian and Borders GeoConservation.
Mike has also made a valuable contribution to the EGS, having been first elected to Council in 1986, he has served as a Vice-President on three separate occasions, was our acting President in 2022-23 and Assistant Secretary (Geoconservation) from 2017 to present.
The vote of thanks was given by Alastair Milne who said that geoconservation requires work and which Mike had demonstrated in spade loads. He said that we all need to be inspired by Mike’s work. Finally, Mike made a plea to everyone to take more photos of geoconservation sites and to share them with the relevant bodies, for instance through the Scottish Geology Trust’s Geosites project.
If Members weren’t able to attend physically or virtually, a recording of Mike’s lecture is now available on our YouTube channel.
