NS Landmark Named to Prestigious Geological Heritage Sites List
(FIVE ISLANDS) The “Old Wife” rock formation located at Nova Scotia’s Five Islands Provincial Park, within the Cliffs of Fundy UNESCO Global Geopark, was named to the Second 100 International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) Heritage Sites list today at the 37th International Geological Congress in Busan, Republic of Korea. The prestigious list was a follow-up to the First 100 IUGS Geological Heritage Sites announced in 2022, where Nova Scotia’s Joggins Fossil Cliffs was first included.
The Old Wife is one of Nova Scotia’s most striking coastal vistas, and one of the best exposures of a monumental event in Earth history – the breakup of the supercontinent Pangea 200 million years ago, and birth of the modern continents and Atlantic Ocean. As Pangea ripped apart, the greatest outpouring of lava in Earth history gave rise to one of the Five (or Six) mass extinction events in the history of Life, wiping out the competitors of the dinosaurs and ushering in the true reign of the famous reptiles.
More than 700 experts from 80 nations and 16 international organizations participated in this global endeavor, which consolidates the recognition of geological heritage by the IUGS. Sites receive recognition for their high scientific value as the world’s best demonstrations of geologic features and processes. They are sites of fabulous discoveries of Earth’s history. The IUGS believe that recognition and visibility of these special places can lead to their further appreciation, use as educational resources, and, to their preservation.
The Old Wife is one of the many geosites that make up the Cliffs of Fundy Geopark which spans the Fundy shore from Lower Truro to Apple River. The Geopark received its UNESCO designation in 2020 and is one of just five Global Geoparks in Canada and one of 213 around the world.
“The Second 100” as well as the “First 100” are attractively illustrated and described in a coffee table book than can be downloaded and purchased on the website of the International Commission on Geoheritage: www.iugs-geoheritage.org.
Learn more about the Cliffs of Fundy UNESCO Global Geopark at www.fundygeopark.ca.
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Media contact:
Devin Trefry
Interim Managing Director, Cliffs of Fundy UNESCO Global Geopark
manager@fundygeopark.ca or 902-956-3239
A Geopark is a designation that attracts tourists wishing to explore the connections between geology, local communities, culture, and nature. Geoparks are designed to promote tourism and celebrate a region’s uniqueness, and do not prohibit any land use.