One of the cornerstones of the UNESCO Cliffs of Fundy Global Geopark is to celebrate the rich geodiversity of the Bay of Fundy coastline in Cumberland and Colchester Counties.
Representatives of the organization hosted a trio of events in both counties on Monday, Oct. 6, to celebrate International Geodiversity Day with the first of those a sunrise talk and tour of the beach at Spencer’s Island in Cumberland County near Advocate Harbour.
Later in the day, events were held at the Discovery Centre near Truro and at Five Islands Provincial Park just east of Parrsboro in Colchester County.
Tim Fedak, curator of geology with the Nova Scotia Museum, talks about the rich geodiversity of the Cliffs of Fundy Global Geopark at Spencer’s Island on International Geodiversity Day on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. Darrell Cole – Municipality of Cumberland photo
“Geodiversity is about recognizing the different ages and types of rocks that are in a region, different landforms and how that relates to biodiversity, culture, where people live and how they live,” Tim Fedak, curator of geology at the Nova Scotia Museum said. “We’re blessed here in this part of the world, at the Cliffs of Fundy, with a rich geo-heritage that goes all the way back to 300 million years ago and the assembly of Pangea to the formation of Cape Split with the break up of Pangea 200 million years ago.”
A handful of participants arrived on the beach at dawn and watch the sun rise over Cape Split and then went on a walk along the beach looking for the fossilized remains of plants and animals as well as trackways left by tiny insects millions of years ago.
They were also asked to visualize what they saw on paper in the form of drawings of the sunrise, the scenery and the cliffs.
During the walk, Fedak talked about what geologists from the Geological Survey of Canada mapped 125 years ago as having 300-million-year-old fossil footprints.
“It’s amazing what you can discover here. There are all kinds different cycles of time that area here,” he said.
Fedak said people are beginning to really appreciate the hidden geological treasures along the Bay of Fundy and what the Cliffs of Fundy Global Geopark have to offer. That recognition goes back many years before the park’s designation to the Fundy Geological Museum in Parrsboro in the late 1980s and the World Heritage Site at Joggins.
Cliffs of Fundy Global Geopark geoscientist Caleb Grant looks over some tiny trackways on a section of shale on the beach Spencer’s Island during International Geodiversity Day. Darrell Cole photo
Geological diversity refers to the natural portion of the planet that is not alive, both at the surface and in the planet’s interior - the Earth's minerals, rocks, fossils, soils, sediments, landforms, topography and hydrological features such as rivers and lakes.
The term ‘geodiversity’ also spans the processes that create and modify these features.
It’s that geodiversity that attracted Bonnie Moore to Spencer’s Island to see the sun rise over the horizon with vibrant colours.
“I’m a big fan of the geopark and spend a lot of time hiking here,” she said. “We need to develop a greater understanding and appreciation of what the geopark means and by us showing up here today it will lead to a greater appreciation of the ecosystem we have right in our own backyard. It’s very unique.”
The events were another opportunity to celebrate the geopark after the Cliffs of Fundy Geopark were recommended in September to receive a green card, and with it, its full UNESCO Global Geopark status for another four years—a powerful reminder of the region’s incredible geological and cultural importance.
This renewed designation puts Cliffs of Fundy back on the world stage, reinforcing its commitment to celebrating Earth’s oldest stories—told through dramatic cliffs, ancient fossils, and powerful Mi’kmaw traditions.
Evaluators from UNESCO’s Global Geopark organization visited the part in July as part of the program’s four-year revalidation process.
The Cliffs of Fundy Global Geopark stretches from Lower Truro in Colchester County and extends along the Fundy shoreline to Apple River in Cumberland County. The area was awarded its official status as a UNESCO global geopark in 2020.