IN times gone by, Worcestershire was covered in tropical swamps, desert landscapes and shallow seas.

They are now being brought back to life thanks to a new appointment at the University of Worcester.

Rona Davis is the new community liaison officer for a new specialist centre based at the Henwick Road campus.

The two-year £48,000 project will see Ms Davis work with schools, community groups and parish councils to help people discover the rich and diverse rock and fossil heritage that exists on their doorstep.

She will create six trails to explore former aggregate quarries and a new website and newsletter will promote geo tourism.

Ms Davis said: "Many of the quarries in our region were once part of the beds of warm tropical seas, so the new guides we're creating will help people to discover how our countryside has formed more than 350 million years.

"I aim to make our geological heritage and varied biodiversity easily accessible and help the public to become more involved in the region's geological history."

Ms Davis's patch covers the Abberley and Malvern Hills Geopark, which is recognised for its outstanding geological importance - one of only 30 such dedicated areas world-wide.

It covers 1,250 square miles across the four counties of Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Shropshire, stretching from Bridgnorth to Newent in Gloucestershire.

The project is being funded by English Nature and The Countryside Agency, through the Department for Rural Affairs Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund.