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New University courses, more fieldwork, and a new scientific committee are all new initiatives being set up as part of Jersey’s bid to become a UNESCO-recognised Geopark.
The ‘Aspiring Jersey Island Geopark’ project has released a new plan of action on how it aims to get the island ready for its application to the United National Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation next year.
A Geopark is classified by UNESCO as “single, unified geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development.”
The project is a collaboration between Société Jersiaise, Jersey National Park, Young Archaeologists’ Club, Jersey Biodiversity Centre, the Blue Marine Foundation, Ramsar Management Authority, Visit Jersey, Jersey International Centre of Advanced Studies, Government of Jersey and Jersey Heritage.
The group argue that the “distinction of a UNESCO Global Geopark label would bring international recognition to Jersey for the quality of its sites and landscapes of international geological significance.”
Pictured: In June, an exhibition around the ‘Aspiring UNESCO Global Geopark’ project was established at the Jersey Museum.
It’s been a project bubbling in the background for several years now, going as far back as a 2015 report for the Tourism Development Fund recommending it, shortly after the UNESCO Global Geoparks was created that year.
For the island to be recognised as one though, it needs to have been functioning as an ‘Aspiring UNESCO Global Geopark’ (aUGGp) for one year, something kickstarted this year with the launch of Jersey Heritage’s exhibition at the Jersey Museum this year.
In this piece, Express breaks down the newly published plan of action, and its key suggestions for how Jersey can join the other 169 Geoparks across the world…
The report begins by giving a 587 million year history of the island’s geology, from when it was near the South Pole, right up to the present day and how it has helped shape the island’s culture.
Pictured: The Prospectus sets out that the "distinction of a UNESCO Global Geopark label would bring international recognition to Jersey for the quality of its sites and landscapes of international geological significance."
“The Island’s rich loess-laden soil has fed Islanders through abundant production of potatoes and apples. The granite has helped build the Island’s fortresses and castles to defend the Island’s strategic position, created farmsteads and homes for Islanders,” it reads.
“The island's geology and climate have created the natural habitats for flora and fauna, including some species which are unique to the Island. Growing from this bedrock has come the Island’s distinct cultural identity, Jèrriais language and Island life."
As part of the strategy towards being an aspiring Geopark, it will build on the work already set out in publications like the Island Landscape and Seascape Character Appraisal, in giving an overview of what it has to offer.
This will include continued auditing of its rock and underwater landscapes, including sub-bottom profiling, survey work on inter-tidal drowned landscapes on the Violet Bank, and bringing geodiversity data into the Historic Environment Record.
Pictured: The prospectus states that "the Island’s geology and climate have created the natural habitats for flora and fauna, including some species which are unique to the Island. Growing from this bedrock has come the Island’s distinct cultural identity, Jèrriais language and Island life."
In terms of protecting those sites, the British Geological Survey’s Jersey Geodiversity Audit has given a breakdown of important areas across the island, with a further 11 sites having been proposed for consideration as geological Special Sites of Interest (SSI).
This is in addition to nine second tier sites which have been identified for regional and local Regionally Important Geological sites (RIG), three Special Landscape Areas (SLA), and ensuring Prehistoric Landscape Zones (PLZ) are properly defined and added to the Historic Environment Record.
A Geodiversity strategy would also be written up to accompany the existing biodiversity strategy, and the vulnerability of geosites to climate change would be mapped.
As the prospectus notes that there currently is no “formal advisory body incorporating geological expertise”, it proposes the creation of an ‘Aspiring Geopark Scientific Committee.’
Pictured: One of the proposals in the action plan is the establishment of a scientific committee.
This committee would have different experts from different disciplines, spanning:
This committee would bring a link between the Geopark and academia, as well as being an advisory body guiding the Geopark in its research.
Outside of this committee, there are action points for island-wide education, with the prospectus noting that Earth Science education is “poorly developed” beyond schools and as part of informal learning through heritage organisations.
To address this, the programme will create an “advisory network” of educationalists, incorporate Earth Science topics into heritage organisations’ school programmes, and have hands-on science weeks for schoolchildren.
Going forward, it states a desire to partner “with Jersey International Centre for Advanced Studies to establish University of Exeter accredited Masters courses in Island Studies including ‘Island Biodiversity and Conservation’, ‘Islands and Climate Change’ and ‘Island History and Archaeology’.”
It also highlights promoting the island as a centre for fieldwork study opportunities.
As well as an increase in international partnerships being one of the Heritage Strategy’s key points, the prospectus lays out a case for how a Geopark would put Jersey on the international stage.
“International recognition to Jersey for the quality of its sites and landscapes of international geological significance,” it states.
“Through the programme, this dynamic would go beyond our territory through co-operation with international partners.”
Pictured: The island has been participating in the Open Meeting of UK Committee for UNESCO Global Geoparks (UKCUGG) since 2016.
Taking on the Island Identity Policy Development Board’s suggestion that “the way Jersey positions itself now will affect the way we respond to these challenges and opportunities,” it lays out a number of international initiatives in its action plans.
These include the creation of the scientific committee, participating in UNESCO Global Geopark networks, as well as more collaboration with universities to research the heritage on the island.
Continuing the work started with the creation of Ambassadors ‘Geopark Gardiens’ and Activity Partners this year, there would furthermore be a new charter for partners and ambassador schemes.
Another area the prospectus hones in on is ways to increase ‘enjoyment’ of the island’s geology, including gap analyses to look at how it could make more “geotourism experience products” and geopark events.
From a local angle too, building on this year’s Aspiring Geopark Visitor Centre at the Jersey Museum, there is to be more effort to create signage around the island denoting geology, both physically and digitally multiple languages, including Jèrriais.
This digital strategy would also extend to digital ways to look at inaccessible sites and views like La Cotte de St Brelade or Belle Hougue Caves I and II.
The current proposed timeline will see the island submit a 50-page draft application dossier for Spring 2022 to the UK Council for Unesco, to determine whether Jersey’s ‘Aspiring UNESCO Geopark’ would be eligible.
If this is greenlit, the island would then submit its actual application to UNESCO in November 2022, with an expectation for designation decision by Spring 2024.
Millie Butel, Jersey Heritage's Landscape Engagement & Geopark Development Curator said: "The pandemic has really highlighted how important our natural and cultural heritage is to us all, not only for our wellbeing, but how our heritage offers future prospects for tourism development for the Island as a whole.
"The Prospectus sets out what these opportunities could look like within the Aspiring Geopark project in terms of conservation, community engagement, economic development and identity, and what we need to do in order to take advantage of them.
"There is a lot of work to be done before the Island can be considered by UNESCO for Geopark status but momentum is gathering behind the project and we are excited to get more people on board to continue sharing what being a Geopark could mean for Jersey."
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