Joggins Fossil Cliffs Named a World Heritage Site

UNESCO has designated the Joggins Fossil Cliffs in Nova Scotia as a World Heritage Site. The cliffs stretching 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) at the head of the Bay of Fundy are sometimes described as the Coal Age Galapagos because of their fossil record of terrestrial life 300 million years ago. The Joggins Fossil Cliffs join 877 other sites worldwide with the World Heritage Site designation, including the Rideau Canal in Ottawa, the Great Wall of China, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Taj Mahal in India.

Fossils exposed at the Joggins Fossil Cliffs include 6-foot tree trunks, early reptiles and amphibians as well as the earliest land snails. The cliffs and beach at Joggins are administered by the Joggins Fossil Institute, which conducts studies and research, provides educational programs and protects and conserves the cliffs. The Institute, local residents, scientists, and all three levels of government worked together to have the Joggins Fossil Cliffs named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Photo: Courtesy of the Joggins Fossil Institute

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