Water Authority – Cayman has completed its latest Geology Education Week programme with lessons and field trips across Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac.
The programme, which began on 28 September, featured returning guest Dr Brian Jones, Professor Emeritus of Geology at the University of Alberta, and included training for teachers, professional development and classroom sessions for students at six high schools.
First organised in 2013, Geology Education Week introduces participants to the geological features of the Cayman Islands through lectures, classroom activities and field visits.
Jones and his colleagues have conducted geological research across the islands since the early 1980s.
Water Authority director Dr Gelia Frederick-van Genderen spoke about the importance of understanding the islands’ geology in a press release on 9 October.
“Understanding the geology beneath our feet is important not only for science education, but also for understanding our water resources, our environment, and the physical foundations of our islands,” she said.
“For the Water Authority, this knowledge is fundamental to what we do.
“We cannot accurately plan, design, and build water infrastructure – including our reverse osmosis plants – without understanding the geology and hydrogeology of the islands.
“Geology Education Week helps us share that knowledge with the next generation while highlighting the important connection between science, our environment, and the essential water services we provide.”
The programme opened with a one-day professional development course for local high school teachers and professionals.
Participants attended lectures at the Water Authority before visiting sites across Grand Cayman to examine modern and ancient sediments, coral fossils, the iron shore, a wave-cut notch, terra rossa and the Pedro Castle formation.
A subsequent field trip to Cayman Brac covered geological features including the Cayman and Brac formations, karst features and the iron shore formation.
Year 11 geography students at Layman E Scott Sr High School also took part in a field trip to study the geology of Cayman Brac.
Lessons delivered to students at six high schools across Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac were aligned with Caribbean and UK high school curricula while incorporating local geological examples.
As part of the Water Authority’s 35th anniversary celebrations in Cayman Brac, presentations were also held at Creek Primary School, Spot Bay Primary School and West End Primary School.
Younger students learned about rocks and geology through interactive sessions and show-and-tell activities, including opportunities to bring in their own rock samples.
Dr Jones said Cayman Brac offered a particular opportunity to examine the islands’ geological history.
“Being able to explore that geology with teachers, students and Water Authority colleagues makes this an especially valuable part of this year’s programme,” he said.
Jones’ research on Cayman spans more than four decades and has contributed to more than 100 scientific papers and numerous postgraduate research projects.
His 2022 book, ‘Geology of the Cayman Islands: Evolution of complex carbonate successions on isolated oceanic islands’, documents research into the islands’ geological development.
The Water Authority provides free geology education resources, including school lesson materials and videos, through its website and YouTube channel.
