Julian Thomson

Julian is the Geology Guy. He once was a high school teacher focusing on earth science and lots of outdoor education. For the last 15 years, Julian has been a full-time geoscience educator, bringing the geology of New Zealand to the public via workshops, field trips, TV documentaries, websites, YouTube videos and social media. In his Earth science explorations, he travelled all over New Zealand and also to parts of Europe, Taiwan, Indonesia and even Antarctica.
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Julian Thomson

Julian, “The Geology Guy”, has a school teaching background followed by 15 years as a geoscience communicator in Aotearoa. In 2019, he won the Science Communicators of New Zealand (SCANZ) Award, and in 2022 he was awarded the Hayward Geocommunication Award by the Geoscience Society of New Zealand.

Julian can show how the everyday world of landscapes and rocks we usually take for granted – is filled with fascinating information about powerful and wonderful natural processes. From creating an inquiry-based geology field trip to hands-on classroom activities on earthquakes, Antarctica and glaciers, volcanoes, rocks and fossils, Julian can show you how to bring earth science to life for your students. He also runs ecology field trips and even has a collection of mammal bones and skulls that reveal secrets of skeleton adaptations.

Julian’s YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/outtherelearning has many Earth science videos that are used in NZ schools. Also, check out his brainchild www.geotrips.org.nz where you can locate great geology sites to explore around the country.

Find out more about Julian’s activities on his website https://outtherelearning.co.nz/ and contact him if you would like a visit to your school.

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Julian Thomson

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We grew up outside, connected with the nature and believe that our kids should go outside too.

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"Unlike scientific community programmes that are expensive and require lots of investment, field work is done by individuals and is accessible to anyone. The skills gained during field work open up a huge area for everyone undertaking it."

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