• GEO Heritage

    Geoparks are not geology parks. The “Geo” actually stands for Geoheritage, and the bounds of a geopark encompass a large, designated landscape.

GEO Heritage

Safety
Tips

GEO
Sites

Trails & More

Local
Food

Member-ship

Michael Doucet Painting on the Ocean Floor at Advocate Harbour as part of the International Plein Air Festival. Image courtesy of Lawrence R Nicholl

 

GEO Heritage

The concept of a Geopark can be confusing when looking at the name, because it is easy to assume that the “Geo” stands for Geology and place is a traditional “Park” which can set boundaries and standard hours that they are open to the public.

Geoparks are not geology parks. The “Geo” actually stands for Geoheritage, and the bounds of a geopark encompass a large, designated landscape. But, “Geoheritage Landscape” doesn’t sound quite as catchy as “Global Geopark”.

What is Geoheritage? Think of it as the heritage of the land. This includes all aspects of an area’s geological, natural, cultural, and intangible heritage. The shape of the land (geological heritage) has an impact on what types of plants and animals live in a given area (natural heritage) as well as the  communities, livelihoods, and traditions that are practiced in this space (cultural heritage) that are captured in oral and written history, as well artistic expressions (intangible heritage). All of these aspects shape the unique story, or the Geoheritage, of a place.

Geoheritage in the Cliffs of Fundy Geopark

Three Major Events in Earth History are recorded in the Cliffs of Fundy:

  • The Highest tides in the world in the Bay of Fundy, shape the landscape, as well as all forms of life and livelihoods along the shore (natural and cultural heritage). To learn more about the Bay of Fundy tides, click here.

  • The assembly and breakup of the supercontinent Pangea that can be seen in the sea cliffs hills eroded by the Bay of Fundy and ice age glaciers (geological and natural heritage).

  • This is Mi’kmaki, home of Mi’kmaq L’nuk First Peoples, who’s ancestors have lived along this shore for more than 11,000 years and still live here today. Many places we now call geosites have been recorded in the oral histories of the Mi’kmaq. For an introduction to Mi’kmaw stories and Mi’kma’ki as a whole, watch this video: https://vimeo.com/81423596.

 
 

Come Connect with Nature.