Today's Jurassic Coast Champions

Today, the Jurassic Coast means many things to a lot of people. Our aim is to ensure the coast is enjoyed by all, understood and protected for generations to come. Here are just a few of the inspirational people helping others to understand and engage with the Jurassic Coast, in a variety of ways, to ensure its sustainability. 

Do you have a story to tell about what the Jurassic Coast means to you? Follow us on instagram and tag us in your posts @Jurassiccoastoffical with the hashtag #myjurassiccoast for us to share your thoughts and memories with others.

The knowledge of many Jurassic Coast residents and specialists is impressive. Our Jurassic Coast Ambassadors help to engage people with the stories of the Jurassic Coast. They are instrumental in helping the Jurassic Coast Trust engage with the coast's many communities.

There is a rich fossil collecting community here on the Jurassic Coast with a wealth of local and specialised knowledge and expertise. 

Similarly, the long history of quarrying on the coast often requires considerable knowledge and exceptional skill. Mark Godden at Albion Stone, based on Portland, is one such individual, and he kindly led a tour through their mine for our JCT Members in Summer 2022.

Others convey their love of the coast via artwork. Colin Bentley, an East-Devon based artist, delivered a major art project in collaboration with the Jurassic Coast Trust from 2017-2018.

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Denys Brunsden

A key founder of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. 

Born in Devon, Denys went on to read Geography at King’s College, London University, and remained there until he retired four decades later. His doctoral research under Professor S.W. Wooldridge, covered research on his native Devon, and enabled him to become a noted authority on Dartmoor and the River Dart. Along with his continued research in the UK, specifically on England’s South Coast of Dorset and Devon, he has also worked extensively on International geology, particularly that of New Zealand and America. 

Denys’ many years worth of research on the coastal erosion and landslides of Dorset and Devon gave him both, a deep knowledge and love for the landscape. When he then became the first chairman of the Dorset Coast Forum, he was able to bring together diverse views on the conservation of the coast and to develop a comprehensive strategy for the management of the Jurassic Coast project, which led on to the ‘Dorset and East Devon Coast’ being inscribed on the World Heritage Site list by UNESCO in 2001. 

In 2003, Denys was appointed OBE ‘for services to Geoconservation and to Geomorphology’ by Queen Elizabeth II. 

Until his death in 2024, Denys remained connected with the World Heritage Site as the first Patron of the Jurassic Coast Trust, which manages the World Heritage Site today. 

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Ryan Eddowes

In spring 2022, Ryan, along with friend, Matt and dog, Taz, took on the challenge of walking the entire 95 mile length of the Jurassic Coast. Read all about his challenge in ‘Accessibility of the Jurassic Coast’.