Young female and non-binary people across the UK and Ireland are being encouraged to consider a career in geoscience with a virtual event day in June.

The Girls into Geoscience initiative, now in its seventh year, aims to introduce young female students to the opportunities posed with a career in the scientifically diverse field of geoscience.

Geoscience is the study of Earth’s past, present, and future. It incorporates a wide range of expertise from across the sciences to help develop our understanding of Earth’s complex intersecting biological, hydrological, geological and ecological systems.

Girls into Geoscience was launched in 2014 at the University of Plymouth, expanding to include the universities across the UK and Ireland.

This year’s events will be happening on June 28 and 29 and bring together women from industry, government bodies, academia and high schools in order to highlight and promote geoscience and its potential as a valuable subject and career for women to pursue.

Geoscience (Earth science/Geology) is rarely offered as a subject in its own right in schools across the UK but elements of it are taught within mainstream subjects such as chemistry, biology, geography and physics.

This year’s event, like last year’s, will be held online due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, which offers new opportunities to expand the diversity of speakers along with the number of attendees.

Girls signing up to take part this year can look forward to a varied selection of speakers talking about their careers in the geosciences. Q&A panels including Life in the field, careers, and University life, as well as choosing from a host of virtual fieldtrips (from the Himalayas to Skye) and workshops looking at Peruvian glaciers, natural hazards, microfossils, climate change and forensic geology.