What We Do
Geoheritage
Preserving the Past, Advancing the Future

Geoheritage

Geoheritage impacts our professional, public, and personal lives. Your voices and perspectives ARE important. Join us for awareness of the importance of Geoheritage to the ongoing health of our profession, and the empowerment to recognize, conserve, and sustain the landscapes that impact our lives.

Get involved with GSA's History, Philosophy, and Geoheritage Division, or continue your Geoheritage journey with Story Maps, Videos, K-12 Education Resources, and Additional Tools that can inspire and support you as you engage with Geoheritage activities as a geoscience professional.

Mammoth Terraces

U.S. Geoheritage

The Geological Society of America (GSA) is excited to announce its new role as the official sponsor of the U.S. Geoheritage Committee! Recently approved by the GSA Council, this transition marks a major milestone as GSA takes the reins from the U.S. National Committee for the International Union of Geological Sciences (USNC/IUGS) to become the primary supporter of U.S. geoheritage efforts.

With GSA’s sponsorship, the U.S. Geoheritage Committee is poised to receive stronger backing in its mission to advance geoheritage conservation and educational initiatives. This partnership highlights GSA’s deep-rooted dedication to preserving vital geologic features, landforms, and landscapes. These geoheritage sites are treasured not just for their scientific and educational significance, but also for their cultural, aesthetic, recreational, and economic value.

Stay Current. Stay Credible. Become a Geoheritage Advocate.

Check out a new, three-part event series introducing a strategic initiative focused on geoheritage. By participating in the full series, you can earn the Geoheritage Advocate Badge—a digital microcredential recognizing your continued education in staying up to date with current developments in geoheritage.

Full Online Series (Geoheritage Advocate Badge eligible):

Geoheritage in Action: Successes Across Scales
Wednesday, 21 January 2026, 9–10 AM MST

Register

Advancing Geoheritage through Story Maps

Many organizations share their Geoheritage projects through virtual field trips or other map-based web services. We have assembled a few examples of these excellent on-the-ground resources for you to explore.

A storymap dashboard.

Celebrating Geoheritage Through Story Maps (arcgis.com)

Videos

Successes in Geoheritage

Bridgeport Quarry, submitted by Roy Plotnick, University of Illinois Chicago

Connecting Geoheritage with Curriculum Standards, submitted by Rebecca Dodge, Midwestern State University

Kentucky’s Natural Sandstone Arches, submitted by Steven Martin, Kentucky Geological Survey

Florissant Fossil Beds, submitted by Herb Meyer, US National Park Service

Reflecting on Rock River, submitted by Marvin Higgins, Geoheritage Enthusiast

The Beartooth Mountains, submitted by David Mogk, Montana State University

Grand Caverns, submitted by Austin Shank, City of Grottoes, Virginia, and Angel Garcia, James Madison University

Turner Falls, submitted by Zachary Clowdus, University of Texas at Dallas

Mount Bonnell and the Balcones Escarpment, submitted by Linda Ruiz McCall, Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at Austin

Tropical Seas in Ancient New York: A 490 Million Year-Old Sea Floor with Stromatolites at Lester Park, submitted by Dr. Ed Landing, New York State Paleontologist, emeritus, New York State Museum, Albany, NY 12203; and Dr. Alexander Bartholomew, Department of Geology, State University of New York-New Paltz, New Paltz, NY 12561

Ring of Fire’ in Ancient New York: Volcanic Edifice at Stark’s Knob, submitted by Dr. Ed Landing, New York State Paleontologist, emeritus, New York State Museum, Albany, NY 12203; and Dr. Alexander Bartholomew, Department of Geology, State University of New York-New Paltz, New Paltz, NY 12561

Exploring Opportunities

A storymap dashboard.

Rising from the Plains project, submitted by Carol Frost, University of Wyoming

Other Resources