Come along today and see our new products in the gift shop

Yes, we are open today between 11am and 3pm, so why not come along and see the fantastic new products we have for sale in our gift shop. We are also continuing our sale, so there is still time to pick up a bargain.

Check out our articulated wooden fish by Nova Scotian artists at Virtual Critters. We also have Continental Trees and dragonflies by Canadian Art in Iron and some beautiful fused glass creations by Sharon Laska.

Joyce is once again back in the Roundhouse kitchen, baking up some of her famous cookies and the cappuccino machine is on, Jordan's in the gift shop and Lorna's manning the phones...hope to see you later.

Happy Holidays

We wish you all the very best for the holiday season. Our offices are closed between 23rd December and 4th January (inclusive) but we are open on the 29th December between 11am and 3pm if you want to come along for our out of season open day.

We recommend this Amazing Website

The Joggins Fossil Cliffs have just been photographed and aren't on here yet but just check out this fabulous website, which features images of World Heritage Sites in their amazing diversity.

www.ourplaceworldheritage.com

2010 International Year of Biodiversity

Were you aware that 2010 has been declared the International Year of Biodiversity (IYB) by the United Nations?

What is Biodiversity? Well, in short, Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth or in one particular place or era. It is essential for sustaining the natural living systems or ecosystems that provide us with food, fuel, health, wealth, and other vital services.

Humans are part of this biodiversity too and have the awesome power to protect or destroy it. Right now, we are destroying it faster than we are protecting it and losses are irreversible, damaging the life support systems we rely on to survive ourselves... could well be on our way to making the human race endangered or even extinct. We need to safeguard biodiversity and in order to bring this to light and raise awareness of the urgency for action the UN have appointed a whole year to such.

The fossil record at Joggins contains 195 species — and counting — offering the most comprehensive sampling of the biodiversity of terrestrial life (life on land) in the Pennsylvanian “coal age”. This record includes the plant life which became the vast coal deposits for which this period of earth history is named, as well as invertebrate and vertebrate fauna from both the aquatic and terrestrial realm, all preserved within their ecological context.

The entire food chain of the terrestrial “Coal Age” ecosystem is represented at Joggins, from the primary producers (plants) that captured the energy of the sun, to decomposing detritivores (invertebrates) and ultimately to predatory carnivores (tetrapods).

The record of plant life is represented most notably by standing lycopsid trees that constituted the ecological framework of the wetlands.

The Joggins Fossil Cliffs show a snapshot of life on land 300 million years ago and the vast biodiversity of this place as it stood. If we were to take another snapshot in 300 million years time, what changes would there be? How diverse would the ecology be looking back at today?

The Joggins Fossil Institute is working hard to ensure that we not just protect but enhance the biodiversity of our landscape through many methods including naturalised and chemical-free landscape management techniques.

If you know someone who is interested in making a career from natural landscaping or biodiversity, tell them to keep a watch on our website as we have an interesting 4 month internship opportunity coming up from April 2010 for a Landscape Interpreter, funded through the YMCA/YWCA EcoInternship Program.

For more information on the International Year of Biodiversity visit the Countdown 2010 site

Christmas Sale

Thank you to everyone who came out last evening in support of our Annual Christmas Open House and Christmas Sale.

We had a great evening and there were plenty of shopping baskets brimming with some great deals. We can guarantee that there will be some very happy people on Christmas morning!

We even had people leaving their sick beds to attend...it's amazing the healing power of a good sale.

Don't forget we are open on Tuesday 29th December as a special opportunity blow away the winter cobwebs and we have decided to continue our sale on that date, so if you missed out last night, you will have another chance to shop.

Reminder of our Christmas Sale

Here's a reminder about our annual open house and Christmas Sale on Tuesday 8th December between 4pm and 8pm.

We have our new organic cotton infant t-shirts available in pink, navy and peacock in ages 2, 4 and 6 and great deals on more Joggins merchandise plus 10% of regular priced items.

Joyce will have been working hard in the Roundhouse Cafe to bake fresh cookies and prepare hot drinks. So, why not come along and avoid those crowded malls!

National Geographic Traveler Magazine & Centre for Sustainable Destinations by Melanie Cookson-Carter, Operations Coordinator

I have worked in the international tourism industry for...well longer than I dare say. Sustainable Tourism Development is primarily what my background has entailed, from developing diversification plans post-foot and mouth in rural areas of Lancashire, England, to coastal development and market town initiatives, I tend to have a lot to say about how destinations are managed.

So, when I was asked to participate in the National Geographic Sustainable Tourism Panel, I was thrilled and went about the task of reviewing global tourist destinations that I had visited over the past five years with a professional focus balanced with that of an average tourist and looking forward to how each destination might fare in the next few years. What threats might there be and is the site ready to be proactive and not reactive to challenges.

I found the exercise a great way of piecing together both my travels and the things that I found memorable and things, some unsavoury and some just plain dangerous, which I had chosen to forget.

To quote the website:

"This is the sixth annual survey of destination stewardship to appear in Traveler. Conducted by the National Geographic Society's Center for Sustainable Destinations, it revisits some of the iconic places we first surveyed in 2003 and rated in April 2004. We also threw in a few new destinations to keep things interesting.
The condition of any destination is a mix of what local governments, residents, and businesses can control—pollution, cultural quality and authenticity, tourism management—and what they can't, such as natural disasters and global economic meltdowns. After more than five years, how have the scores changed?
At first glance the survey method may seem less than exact. We contact as many experts in pertinent fields as we can and ask them to rate the places they know. We then average their scores and publish the results. But statistical experience shows that group judgment can be surprisingly accurate—the "wisdom of crowds" effect. In 2003, when we conducted our first survey and had about 200 experts on the survey panel, the top-scoring destination was the Norwegian Fjords area, the lowest Spain's Costa del Sol"

http://traveler.nationalgeographic.com/2009/11/destinations-rated/intro-text

After completing the survey, which was lengthy and undertaken in two rounds, I was subsequently asked if they could use a quote of mine about Sri Lanka in the NG Traveler Magazine featuring the survey results (December).

Of course I was delighted. Sri Lanka is a precious place, which has suffered internal and natural disasters, which have impacted on the tourist industry. It's a place I feel passionate about. The people are the jewels of the green and lush country and I was happy to share the positives of this wonderful place as well as give my insight into the negatives.

Sure enough, there I am on page...no, you'll have to buy a copy to find out!

TripAdvisor supports UNESCO and World Heritage

Why?
In TripAdvisor's own words:

"TripAdvisor has pledged to support UNESCO in protecting the places around the world that matter. TripAdvisor is able to provide technological and financial assistance that can expand UNESCO's efforts, and wants to engage its 25 million monthly visitors to act on behalf of World Heritage.

How is TripAdvisor helping?

TripAdvisor will engage its large and passionate community of 25 million monthly visitors to help in several ways:
–Encourage the contribution of reviews and opinions from its millions of members to provide much needed information about the condition of nearly 900 World Heritage sites so that these may be better protected.
–Feature a contest to send a team of deserving winners to visit, learn about and contribute to conservation efforts at specific World Heritage sites.
–Ask travelers to vote on the places they want to protect most, and encourage donations to help conserve and support sustainable and responsible tourism"

For more information follow this link:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/WorldHeritage

One Festive Month - Two Festive Events!

Join us for our Annual Open House

& Super Sale Christmas Shopping Event

Tuesday 8th December
4:00pm to 8:00pm
Don't get trampled in the stores, come along to the Joggins Fossil Centre and join the team for some retail therapy and festive refreshments to get you into the holiday spirit.
You can even save up to 50% off selected sale items

Out of Season Open Day

Tuesday 29th December
11:00am to 3:00pm

A chance to visit the Award-winning Joggins Fossil Centre and blow away some winter cobwebs
(Admission to Visitor Centre by donation)

A word from Sue Boutilier on her visit to Joggins on World Diabetes Day

"We had an incredible day. To commemorate this special day, my husband, two daughters and I journeyed to the Joggins UNESCO World Heritage Site. We so appreciated your efforts in creating a special World Diabetes Day Proclamation from the Joggins UNESCO World Heritage Site. In addition to the Proclamation, the book and World Heritage List Nomination Package are wonderful additions to the Resolution Torch Living Time Capsule.

To commemorate this day, we completed a Global Diabetes Walk along the beach of the Joggins Site. We also were able to place Resolution Torch Inuksuk Torch 04 at the Joggins UNESCO World Heritage Site. Included with the Inuksuk was a small, laminated card explaining the story. Although we had planned to place two inuksuks, one for each daughter present, my youngest who is two decided that she did not want to leave her blue hoop at the site she wanted to keep it. Flexibility is the key - at least one of the inuksuks was able to be placed on the Joggins site to be passed on.

Also a part of World Diabetes Day celebrations, monuments and buildings around the world are illuminated in blue. This year we made a valiant attempt to have some aspect of the Joggins UNESCO World Heritage Site lit in blue. It was definitely not the bluest of monuments around but we are already evolving our plans for how to get a better blue light for next year.

Included is further documentation of our UN-Observed World Diabetes Day activities in the form of an updated report as well as a few additional photos from the recent Joggins excursion.

You can also find out more on my blog: "
http://diabetes-resolution-torch.blogspot.com/

What are they saying about us on Tripadvisor?

Check out the fantastic comments and reviews of the Joggins Fossil Cliffs on http://www.tripadvisor.com/ (search for Joggins Fossil Cliffs and Joggins).

Thanks to those who took the time to comment on their visit after their trip. If you want to share your experiences, why not review your visit on Tripadvisor too?

CBC Mini Series follows the work of Darwin

Charles Darwin (played by Socratis Otto) as portrayed by "Darwin's Brave New World)

Have you been watching CBC's "The Nature of Things" with David Suzuki?

The hit TV show is currently featuring "Darwin's Brave New World" a three-part mini-series, which showcases the 30 year work by protagonist Charles Darwin, the personal and professional turmoil he endured to ensure that his work was published amidst deep dissention for theories on evolution and nonacceptance by the "old boys" of Science in the 19th century, such as Richard Owen.

How did Joggins help Darwin to confirm his theories? Well, it was thanks to long-time friend and esteemed colleague of Darwin's, Charles Lyell and his protege William Dawson's discovery of Hylonomus lyelli at Joggins in 1859.

2009 marks the 200th anniversary since the birth of Darwin and 150 years since the discovery of Hylonomus and the publishing of Darwin's "On the Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection".

You can watch this truly remarkable and beautifully filmed series on the CBC website:

http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/natureofthings/2009/darwin/

Did you hear...we are now a Charity!

The Joggins Fossil Institute has received notification that it has been registered as a Charitable Organisation (registration number: 859191116RR0001).

Donations to some charities can help to reduce your taxes and the JFI is one of them as it: "benefits the community & other" by "preservation of sites, beauty".

This is an important milestone for the Institute, which relies upon donations to ensure that it is able to continue to conserve, educate and promote the values of this special place.

If you would like more information on how you or your business/organisation can help the Joggins Fossil Clifffs World Heritage Site by providing a donation please email Jenna Boon, Director at director@jogginsfossilcliffs.net

Pictures of our Halloween Party

End of Season

Saturday was out last day of the 2009 season and we went out with a bang!

Our Halloween party was a big hit with the thirty or so children who all came along in some amazing costumes, played games and ate great sweets.

We want to take this opportunity to say a huge thanks to all of our team of dedicated staff, who made this season possible and especially to those who went over and above what was expected of them to make sure that everyone who came through our doors left inspired and educated after their experience.

Thanks to:
Brian, Cathy, Tammy, Matt, Caterina, Liz, Shawn, Dylan, Joyce, Kerry, Chris, Fran, Paul, Katelyn, Sarah, Elizabeth, Gornald and Lacey. You're all fantastic and we hope that you have a great rest over winter. Work hard all you guys at school and we hope to see you all at our staff Christmas party...Dylan, you're in charge of that one!

Thanks to all of our visitors and customers, your contribution enables us to open our doors and to protect the site for future generations.

We are still open by appointment (Monday to Friday).

Happy Halloween!

It's 31st October and our last day of the season.

Don't forget our children's party, being held today between 1pm and 3pm here at the Joggins Fossil Centre.

Operations Assistant, Jordan has lined up some great games, Matt and Brian have been carving some great pumpkin lanterns and our spooktacular cook, Joyce has been busy over her cauldron for days stirring up some tasty treats, including the giant jack-o-lantern cake below.

We have a ninja, Wolverine, devilette, ghost, witch, cowgirl...and Matt dressed as...well, Matt to be honest.

Hope you see you then.

Inspiring poets and artists - Mark Boon

The Joggins Fossil Cliffs are a special place, there is no doubt about that. For some, a walk along the beach or a view from a window can be enough to be a muse for creativity.

Mark Boon, community member and long-time supporter and volunteer for the Joggins Fossil Cliffs World Heritage Site recently presented us with a poem he wrote, inspired by a year of World Heritage inscription.

The artwork in the background is also work by Mark, who specialises in local landscapes.

Visit our webpages dedicated to poets and artists who have been inspired by Joggins. Artists

Joggins Interpreter Wins Award

The Joggins Fossil Centre would like to extend congratulations to their very own interpreter, Matt Stimson. Matt has been awarded the APICS - NSERC Award for best paper at the Atlantic Universities Geologic Conference recently held at St. Mary's University.

Matt's presentation was entitled "Trace Fossils of Myriapods and Horseshoe Crabs from the Joggins Fossil Cliffs; Misinterpretation and paleoenvironmental implications" and exemplifies some of the very interesting current research at the Cliffs.

Well done Matt!

Join us this Saturday for United Nations Day

Saturday 24th October is United Nations Day and we are celebrating by offering free admission and guided tours for all children and students (K-12), who accompany any family group.

We are also marking the beginning of our Fall Super Sale in our gift shop and are marking our pre-tax prices down on selected items by up to 33%.

We are feeling extra kind and so have decided to offer free coffee and tea all day to our visitors, so why not call in and see our new exhibits: the Arthropleura trackway donated by Mount Allison University and the Dendrerpeton skeleton fossil, on short-term loan from Nova Scotia Museums.

Joggins Welcomes Dendrerpeton Home

Joggins Welcomes Dendrerpeton Home!

Dendrerpeton acadianum, an extinct amphibian that once roamed through Joggins 315 million years ago is now on display at the Joggins Fossil Centre. The fossil skeleton has been graciously loaned to the Institute from the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History. The Dendrerpeton is one of the iconic symbols of Joggins and the Carboniferous “Coal Age” and will be available for public viewing in the Joggins Fossil Centre from October 15 until October 31, or by appointment until December 18.

Children's Halloween Party

The Joggins Fossil Institute will be holding a Children’s Halloween party Saturday October 31st 2009, from 1pm until 3pm. There will be lots of fun and games that everyone can enjoy. There will be delicious treats that are sure to be a hit with kids of all ages (the grown up ones included).

We will also be holding a pumpkin carving contest. Participants are encouraged to carve a pumpkin at home and bring it in for the competition. There will be prizes given out for the best carvings.

We hope to see you there, and be sure to have a safe and happy Halloween.

We will be closed Thanksgiving

We have decided that the Joggins Fossil Centre will be closed on Thanksgiving (12th October) this year.

Don't worry thought, it's just for one day and you can get your fix of real coffee from the Roundhouse Cafe when we re-open on the 13th, right through to Halloween, when we close for the season.

Joggins Fossil Institute Joins TIES

The Joggins Fossil Institute has become a member of The International Ecotourism Society, which is a non profit organization dedicated to promoting ecotourism.

Founded in 1990, TIES has been in the forefront of the development of ecotourism, providing guidelines and standards, training, technical assistance, research and publications. TIES' global network of ecotourism professionals and travelers is leading the efforts to make tourism a viable tool for conservation, protection of bio-cultural diversity, and sustainable community development.

Through membership services, industry outreach and educational programs, TIES is committed to helping organizations, communities and individuals promote and practice the principles of ecotourism. TIES currently has members in more than 90 countries, representing various professional fields and industry segments including: academics, consultants, conservation professionals and organizations, governments, architects, tour operators, lodge owners and managers, general development experts, and ecotourists.

You too can join TIES and at the moment it is free for individual travellers, so if you are interested in volunteering for international projects, donating or learning more about international ecotourism head to their website www.ecotourism.org

Fossil Excavation

The Joggins Fossil Institute recently sent a team to the beach to recover a tree which had been exposed from the exterior of the cliffs. The tree was brought to the Joggins Fossil Center, and is currently being examined in the facility's laboratory.

We would also like to send out thanks to all those community volunteers involved in transporting the two fossils, each weighing around 400 lbs, as it would not have been possible without them!!

Make sure to check back soon to see if we find anything!!

Hurricane Update...

Due to the pending severe weather conditions forecasted for Sunday, the Joggins Fossil Cliffs will be closed to the public. We recommend that you not travel.
Please watch for further updates.

Click for more information from the National Hurricane Center

Bill to visit Joggins??

Joggins may be expecting a visitor Sunday evening, his name being Bill. Weather reports show that Nova Scotians should be prepared for a Class 3 Hurricane which could arrive on their doorsteps Sunday. We here at the Joggins Fossil Center are not sure if the hurricane will hit or miss us but we are watching the weather very closely and preparing ourselves for anything.

With the extreme winds and weather Bill may bring, we might find something new and exciting on our beach, something which has never been found before! Keep posted for any new discoveries!

On the other hand, the weather in Joggins today is BEAUTIFUL!! The sky is clear, the air is clean, and it is the perfect day for exploring the beach! Plan a trip to our area and take part in a guided tour of the cliffs! If you do plan on coming to the Fossil Center today, be sure to bring your sunscreen!!

For more information on our guided beach tours, please click here.

Joggins summer students soon to depart...

Shown above are two students;

left - Lacey Reid (co-op), right - Dylan White

We have had a great season so far at the Joggins Fossil Cliffs, and will be deeply saddened when our summer students depart for their respective schools this fall.

The Joggins Fossil Institute employs students from both the high school, and post secondary levels. This year, to celebrate a great season and wish all of the students good luck, we hosted a staff social. The Fossil Center hosted a potluck for all staff yesterday evening, and the selections of food were great! Staff members brought in everything from famous rolls to cake, wings, and amazing peanut butter squares. The event was a huge success and everyone had a great time!!

If you are a student, and are interested in becoming a part of our team next spring/summer, send our Operations Coordinator, Melanie Cookson-Carter, an email at operations@jogginsfossilcliffs.net.

Joggins co-hosts EdGEO

Today the Joggins Fossil Centre is co-hosting a National Earth Science Workshop Program known as EdGEO. This workshop is spread over two days, the first being at Fundy Geological Museum in Parrsboro, and the next (today) being right here in Joggins! During this workshop local geoscientists and teachers talk to participants, mostly being teachers themselves, and provide them with enhanced knowledge, classroom resources, and increased confidence.

You can host your own events here too!! For information on how to rent our facilities or host catered events please contact our Operations Coordinator, Melanie Cookson-Carter at 902-251-2727 ext. 226 or email operations@jogginsfossilcliffs.net

Dr. John H. Calder awarded the Provincial Geologists Medal!

Congratulations to Dr. John H. Calder who was recently awarded the Provincial Geologists Medal. This medal is awarded to anyone who provides a significant contribution in the field of Geology. Dr. Calder played an instrumental role in the nomination of the Joggins Fossil Cliffs for World Heritage status. For this and his many other contributions, he was awarded this prestigious medal.

For more information, please click on the link below:
http://www.cpgeologists.ca/PDF/2009medal.pdf

Gem & Mineral Show - Special Offer

If you are attending the Gem and Mineral Show in Parrsboro this weekend, you can bring along your entry ticket/receipt and get $1.00 per person off admission or a two-hour guided tour here at the Joggins Fossil Centre*

More than thirty exhibitors offer a broad mix of earth treasures. You’ll see fine mineral specimens, jewellery and jeweller’s supplies and precious stones and gem cutting tools; beads and beading tools; fossils, tumbled stones and more.

Admission into the Gem and Mineral Show is $3 per person (children under 12 free if accompanied by an adult)
Show hours 10 am – 7 pm Friday and Saturday, 10 am - 5 pm on Sunday.
For more info call the Fundy Geological Museum at 902 254 3814 or visit www.museum.gov.ns.ca/fgm

(*Discount is off Admission into Exhibition Gallery Fee or 2 hour Lyell Tour Only. This offer can not be combined)

Looking at grass in a whole different light

Many people are trained to think that formal, cut lawns are what should be expected at tourist sites and surrounding visitor centres. We have made a positive choice to manage our grounds with minimal intervention. This is called ‘Naturalisation’. We do not use invasive chemical treatments anywhere on our site including weed killers or bug spray.

Naturalisation is an alternative landscape management technique. It is a method, which is more intense than it may at first seem. The natural processes of growth and change are less restricted and the landscape is therefore enabled to become more natural than decorative, which suits this site and its place within the local environment. The benefits of naturalised landscaping are many-fold. These include:

• Re-introduction of native plant species and re-establishment of bird and wildlife populations thanks to minimal human intervention.
• Plants reduce atmospheric greenhouse gasses, clean the air and maintain oxygen levels required to support life as well as stabilising slopes and importantly for this site, prevent erosion.
• The landscape will become a source of beauty as naturalized park and roadway sites mature.
• Noise levels are reduced for neighbouring properties as dense plantings mature.
  Reduced maintenance costs and impact on the economy of the site.

Through interpretation and understanding we shall re-educate visitors on what should be considered “attractive” in landscaping terms. There are already a large number of formal garden experiences offered by the attractions and accommodation as well as public gardens throughout Nova Scotia.

We want to offer an alternative territory, which is a complete departure from the formal lawn introduced by the wealthy Victorian industrialists in the 19th century and the constraints, which this type of landscape places on site management.

We believe that the re-visiting of traditional methods will provide a renaissance for the accumulated knowledge and understanding of our place in relation to the world in which we live. This encompasses relationships with the natural environment and the use of natural resources in a respectful and sustainable way. Our Grass margins, which when mown annually or bi-annually, will create the perfect habitat for increasing the biodiversity of both plant animal species.

Naturalisation of an environment is something which must be managed by nature, it needs time to evolve. The grounds here at the Joggins Fossil Centre are required to receive minimal intrusion to allow the behaviour and succession of the plant varieties to be observed and a future plan for landscape management to evolve based upon existing species and the re-introduction of further species native to the Acadian Forest region. We have been in consultation with the Harriet Irving Botanical Garden at Acadia University in matters of indigenous species and the re-naturalisation of the grounds.

Is it working? When you visit, take a look at a square meter of our grounds where we have mown (with a push mower and not a gas or electric powered one by the way). How many varieties of plant and animal species can you see? Now take a look at our grass margins and count how many you can see there. There is a tremendous difference.

I'm always happy when I see people stop, bend down and take a photograph of our grass; macro lens for the close-ups on the flowers and wide angle for the full-effect of the grass, which waves in the breeze like the water in the Bay beyond.

Why, only the other day a gentleman walked past my office, stooped to pick a handful of clover flowers and re-commenced his walk, eating the flowers as he went, like a fistful of candy.

Is it working? absolutely.

Testing times for our turbine!

The Joggins Fossil Centre harvests most of its energy from renewable sources; solar and wind. We have a 30 meter wind turbine, which towers over the site like a mighty, three armed colossus.

Looking at the turbine today, it looks like it did battle with the gods. Some time on Thursday evening, it seems that the elements, which included extremely heavy rain, wind and lightening, got the better of our turbine and it now sits nursing its wounds.

It is difficult to tell what happened to the turbine, though lightening strikes are not uncommon. A lightning strike can lead to temperature increases of up to 30,000°C. There are manufacturers out there who are looking at ways to harness the magnificent force of lightning strikes and registering the current and capturing it.

We are awaiting experts to investigate what really did happen to our wind turbine but until then thankfully the sun is shining and we are generating lots of power through our roof-top solar panels.

It's interesting to see how we are heading full circle to use age-old methods of harnessing the elements. We have used wind power for producing food and transportation and the sun has heated our water and homes for thousands of years.

I used to manage an 18thC windmill in England and trust me, it's a complicated business managing the gears and brakes, making sure it's turned to face the oncoming wind, that the grindstones are not too close together and that it isn't going too fast. We're obviously more technologically advanced these days but mother nature has a great way of showing us, every once in a while, that she is still in charge!

New shipment of goodies!!

Calling all magpies...the Joggins Fossil Centre has had two deliveries of jewellery.

We source our jewellery, mainly silver, stone and gem from companies all based in Canada and we get to buy some really special stuff like this amber spider brooch or the stunning dipped skeleton leaf pendants.

We also have a beautiful range of Larimar, Spider Turquoise, Mother of Pearl, Wampum and even jewellery made from fossils such as trilobites and squid.

There is something to suit all tastes and budgets. We have also had a great delivery of organic t-shirts and are awaiting a delivery of zebra marble and fossilised coral bowls, agate wind chimes, botanical bath and body products, jackets and some snazzy new travel mugs.

We will keep you posted.

Another wild weather day

Wow! Here at the Joggins Fossil Centre, we are already over half way through our tourist season. These few months included visitors from all over the world (Some from Israel and South Carolina, USA, as I write this!) and weather that seems to be from all over the world too. Today, there was a brief thunder and lightening storm that surprised both visitors and staff. The sun came out immediately afterwards, making Monday a really beautiful day.

We are looking forward to the arrival of August and the very much anticipated arrival of our new giftshop items. Be on the lookout for new, colourful shirts, beautiful jewellery (including turquoise, red coral, and lava), travel mugs, and great new books. It is a great time to start your Christmas shopping!

Stay tuned for more updates from the Centre!

Image: Three handmade bears made from recycled materials by Gen MacDonald (a local crafts person who also makes our pure wool, naturally dyed sweaters).

Link for New7Wonders

Here is the link to enable you to vote for the Bay of Fundy

www.new7wonders.com

Bay of Fundy one of 28 finalists for New7Wonders

The eyes of the world are upon Canada’s Bay of Fundy now that it has been selected as a top 28 finalist in a global campaign to declare the new seven wonders of nature.

The Bay of Fundy is the only Canadian site and one of three on the continent to proceed to the final phase in the New7Wonders of Nature contest. The 28 finalists were announced at New7Wonders Foundation headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, today.

A New7Wonders international panel of experts identified the top 28 natural wonders from the campaign’s recent Top 77 natural sites (identified by popular vote on July 7 2009). The Top 77 sites were evaluated by the panel against such criteria as: unique nature features, diversity of landscapes, rock formations, national parks, preserved areas, seascapes, ecological significance, and geo-location.

The 28 finalists are now competing by popular vote to become one of the New7Wonders of nature. Public voting opened immediately following the announcement.

Voting in the New7Wonders of Nature campaign continues throughout 2010 and into 2011. During this time, the New7Wonders World Tour will visit each of the 28 Finalists to allow each to present itself to the voters across the globe. The final declaration of the New7Wonders of Nature will be in 2011.

The Fossil Cliffs - World Heritage Site

The Joggins Fossil Cliffs ave been a World heritage Site for over a year now.

On 7th July we celebrated one year since the inscription on the World Heritage List. We marked the occasion by burying a time capsule, filled with documents, logo wear, media articles and memorabilia from the nomination through to the final, momentous occasion when the cliffs were inscribed by UNESCO.

The time capsule was a fitting way for the community to remember what an important event this was. The cliffs themselves are a snapshot of life here 300 million years ago and the capsule is a miniscule version of this.

We chose 50 years since inscription (49 years since burial) as the best time span to leave the capsule buried. When it is dug up, there will be living memory of its internment. One of the members of the local community was there and celebrating his ninth birthday. We hope that he celebrates his 58th birthday by digging up the capsule and telling everyone about his memories of the event.

We are experiencing a busy and lively season so far and hope that you can join us some time soon.

Please watch our website for future events and information on recent discoveries.

Is there such a thing as a "stop the rain dance"?

Father's Day was a resounding success and we weren't going to let the rain dampen our spirits.

We had a wonderful turnout of people, who came along to enjoy excellent food, thanks to the marvelous team of the Roundhouse Cafe (Fran, Joyce and Chris), music (thanks to Freddie) and service (thanks to Sara and Bronte).

We have had some congratulatory phone calls this morning asking when the next event will be and to say how great it is that in the small town of Joggins people can get such a high standard of food, with particular praise for our home-baked bread and marinated chicken.

Thank you to everyone who turned out and even though the rain halted our planned boat sale and wood carving, we still were able to ensure that everyone celebrated Father's Day in style.

Watch out for our weekly barbecues, which we will be holding every Sunday throughout the summer. We are also planning events for the 1st of July and 7th July (to celebrate Canada Day and the anniversary of the inscription onto the World Heritage List respectively).

Watch out for the rain though and if you know of a "stop the rain dance" please get dancing as we seem to attract wet weather to our events! Don't dance too hard though, we don't want a drought!

It's Father's Day!

Did you forget? Then don't let your dad know, play it cool and and bring him along to our fabulous Father's Day Barbeque. He'll think you planned it all along!

We are serving a sumptuous gourmet barbeque between 11:30 am and 2:30pm and we still have a few places left.

Come and meet a local kayak crafter, who makes light and personal craft and listen to musician Freddie, who brings his Cuban rythm to Joggins for the day!

Adults $15.00 and Children $7.50

Call 902-251-2727 extension 230

Schools get summer off to a great start

We have had lots of students visiting the Joggins Fossil Cliffs and Centre for their end of term school visit. The latest school to visit was Advocate School, from Advocate Harbour, a stunning coastal village along the coast from Joggins.

The elementary school brought along their students, who all came ready to explore and to discover and they weren't disappointed! Their visit included a tour of our exhibit gallery, where they saw spider, scorpion and reptile fossils. The children also tried their hand at fossil excavation, one of our programming activities, and explored the beach, looking for fossils they had learned about in the gallery.

The Cliffs are the best place to enjoy a real 'hands on' experience and students enjoy the opportunity to tie learning in with discovery.

If you are planning a school visit, call 902-251-2727 and see what other activities we can offer your educational group, be they Primary or Grade 12....or even elder learners.

Bay of Fundy back in the New 7 Wonders Race

The Bay of Fundy is back on the international stage in the New7Wonders of Nature contest. In an unprecedented turn of events the Bay of Fundy, which placed 2nd in the first phase of the contest that concluded January 7, 2009 is now representing Canada!

The New7Wonders of Nature organization, based in Brussels, reinstated the Bay of Fundy this week. "We can confirm that Dinosaur Provincial Park did not meet the Phase II participation requirements" said Tia Viering of the New7Wonders. "Therefore, it is with great pleasure that we announce that the Bay of Fundy is now officially Canada's national representative.”

“As 2008 came to a close, we knew we were in an extremely close race to represent Canada in this phase of the contest,” said Terri McCulloch, Manager Bay of Fundy Tourism. “We were honored by the incredible number of votes the Bay of Fundy received in the first round of the contest. We are very passionate about the Bay of Fundy and believe it is truly a beautiful wonder of nature. We are privileged to represent Canada and we hope everyone will be as enthusiastic again and vote for the Bay of Fundy. We only have until July 7th to get as many votes as we can for this next stage of the contest.”

The Bay of Fundy is best known for the highest tides in the world and has been compared, in marine biodiversity, to the Amazon Rainforest. The Bay is the summer feeding area for half the world's population of endangered North Atlantic Right whales and 12 other whale species. It is home to the world's most complete fossil record of the "Coal Age” (300 million years ago) as well as the world’s oldest reptiles and Canada’s oldest dinosaurs. UNESCO recently recognized the upper Bay of Fundy as a Biosphere Reserve and Joggins Fossil Cliffs as a World Heritage Site.

Canadians from coast to coast are encouraged to go online to votemyfundy.com to place their vote before July 7, 2009, when the top 77 international sites will be short listed. Between July 7 and 21, an independent committee will select the top 21 to continue into the fourth and final stage of the campaign. These top 21 sites will also be part of a 2010 New7Wonders world tour bringing tremendous international attention to the selected sites. Phase four is the last voting component of the New7Wonders of Nature campaign until the final announcement is made on who has been selected the New7Wonders of Nature.

“We only have a few weeks left in this phase of the contest so every vote is important and interested voters can go to Votemyfundy.com or new7wonders.com. We are really excited to be back in the running and we hope we can succeed in getting Canada’s Bay of Fundy into the next international phase of the campaign,” said Terri McCulloch.

Watch out for the Joggins Fossil Cliffs on the news this evening as we support the Bay of Fundy's bid to be one of the New 7 Natural Wonders of the World.

Do you have a Boat for Sale?

We are adding another dimension to our Father's Day event and are holding a sale of used boats.

If you currently have a boat: power or sail, rowing or kayak, why not bring it along to our Boat Sale to be held between 10:00am and 3:00pm on Sunday 21st June 2009.

For further information contact Vernon on 902-251-2727.

Father's Day 2009

Father's Day is fast approaching and we are planning a very special event here at the Joggins Fossil Cliffs.

Join us between 11:30am and 2:30pm for our Father's Day Barbecue Buffet. The menu includes:

Barbecued Chicken, Local Pork Chops, Bay of Fundy Skewered Scallops

Home made Potato Salad, Coleslaw and fresh Garden Salad.

Make your own baked potato with bacon bits, sour cream, cheddar cheese and chives

Dessert will be a delicious home made Rhubarb and Strawberry Pie or fresh Fruit Salad with whipped cream.

The cost will be $15.00 for adults and $7.50 for children.

Live entertainment will be provided by "Freddie" a very talented musician from Cuba and we are also planning an orienteering taster session, live woodcarving and other activities.

Watch this space for further information.

Please call Fran on 902-251-2727 to book your table.

Tourism Week 2009

Did you know that Tourism Week kicked off today and runs between 1st and 7th June?

Tourism is an industry, which due to the decline in other traditional industries, such as farming and fishing, is seeing a global resurgence. All across the world there is a requirement for diversification into tourism to help these traditional industries to remain sustainable. There has also been the birth of the Eco tourist, a traveller who likes to 'experience' and isn't afraid to get their hands and walking boots dirty in the name of exploration.

The Joggins Fossil Cliffs are the perfect destination for the Eco and Geo tourist. A visit to the beach is a very hands-on experience and an opportunity not just to look at fossils but to see them in situ and to meet with our knowledgeable team, to hold them (fossils, not our team of course!) and possibly witness fossils that have never been seen before...ever!

Tourism Week is an important annual event when the value of tourism on the economy is highlighted and the government, other industries and fellow tourism providers are reminded that "Tourism is everyone's business!"

Calling all Musicians and Entertainers...

Mishra's Dream performing at our United Nations Day event in October 2008


The Joggins Fossil Institute hosts a number of events throughout the year for the local community, corporate clients and family celebrations.

The province of Nova Scotia holds some of the most unique musical talents in Canada and we are looking for some of those talented Nova Scotians, who we can call upon to provide music or entertainment for our events.

We are specifically looking for buskers who can walk around the site and entertain our visitors as they picnic or enjoy our Sunday afternoon barbeques and other musical talents, who can play background music for formal functions and cocktail evenings.

How to Apply
Please send us a link to your web site, MySpace, Facebook or Youtube pages, where we can view you perform. You can also send us a CD of your music or a video of you performing.
Please tell us what your rates are per hour/event.

Please contact Fran Hubbard, Catering Supervisor or Melanie Cookson-Carter Operations Coordinator on 902-251-2727 or email theroundhouse@jogginsfossilcliffs.net

We are on the look out for a talented Cook!

Do you, or someone you know, have experience working in a busy catering environment? Are you or they looking for a job, which will challenge, in a supportive and exciting environment?

Great!

We are actively seeking an experienced Cook to work in our Roundhouse Cafe over the summer months. The right candidate must be able to keep cool under pressure, be able to create excellent food and have top notch customer care skills.

If you think you have what it takes, find out more on our website
http://www.jogginsfossilcliffs.net/institute/jobs/ The new closing date is 1st June at 4:00pm.

If you would like to have an informal chat with Fran Hubbard, our Catering Supervisor, please give her a call on 902-251-2727.

Outpost Magazine in search of fossils

May/June's edition of Outpost Magazine has a fantastic article by Andrea Grant, travel writer, which features her visit to the Bay of Fundy last year.

Andrea is a very talented writer, who manages to capture the wonderful essence of the local environment, specifically the richness of its geological and paleontological heritage.

Andrea accompanied Brian on a tour of the Joggins Fossil Cliffs back in 2008, prior to our inscription onto the World Heritage List and was impressed with his passion for the fossils of Joggins. She was also mesmerised by the promise of perpetual discovery and the opportunity to be the first human to ever see a freshly exposed fossil.

Outpost is a magazine, published six times a year and has a dedicated readership who search for something more than a vacation, they search for experiences and unique opportunities, which will satisfy their wanderlust.

Follow this link for more information on Outpost Magazine.

Community Clean-up Day 2009

It was the hottest day of the year so far and over 120 children and adults were out on the streets and beach of Joggins helping us with our first annual Community Clean-up Day.

The students, teachers and chaperones from the River Hebert Elementary School along with our team worked tirelessly to help ensure that our backyard is garbage and litter-free.

The volunteers collected everything from candy wrappers to clothing and we hope that participating in the event will help to show the next generation the importance of community pride and environmental stewardship.
To reward the willing volunteers we provided a barbeque and cool drinks. The local elementary school is a wonderful supporter of the Joggins Fossil Cliffs and we would like to pass on our sincere thanks to Luanne Berry and her marvelous team and children for their support and help.

We would like to make this an annual event and one, which the whole community can participate in and be encouraged that the Joggins Fossil Institute is helping them to take care of their own backyard.

All of the garbage collected was sorted and taken to the dump, where it would be recycled. Here are some 'green facts' to help you understand why we take environmental stewardship very seriously:

Recycling all of your home's waste newsprint, cardboard, glass and metal can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 400 kg a year.-Earth Care

The first PET (plastic) bottle was recycled in 1977.-The National Association of PET Container Resources

Incinerating 10,000 tonnes of waste creates 1 job, landfilling the same amount creates 6 jobs, recycling the same 10,000 tonnes creates 36 jobs.-Clean Nova Scotia

In a lifetime, the average North American will throw away 600 times his or her adult weight in garbage. A 68 kg adult will leave a legacy of 40,825 kg of trash.-Natural Resources Canada

The evolution of the Joggins Fossil Centre

Don Reid is an extraordinary man.

In the 1980s, the former Joggins coal miner operated a private fossil centre in his own backyard. Using the old wooden office building from the Joggins Coal Mine, he "sliced off the top floor" (his words) and turned it into his single-storey fossil exhibition gallery, which housed his impressive collection of Joggins fossils.

The success of this first make-shift centre led on to the development of what is known locally as the "log building", which is still located on Main Street but now houses a local history exhibition. This centre and Don's enthusiasm for interpreting the fossils to visitors was the catalyst for the development of the new, 21st century centre here atop the cliffs in everyone's backyard, which seems a fitting conclusion thus far to the evolution of the Joggins Fossil Centre.

Don's collection has served as the most important census of the biodiversity of the site and his altruistic collaboration with the scientists earned from them the title "Keeper of the Cliffs". Don was recently awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship by Rotary International.

We are pleased to confirm that Don is still very much a figure in the new centre and will be spending more time with us this season, enhancing his celebrity status! Don's anecdotal presentations on the fossils, how and where they were found and his memories of the cliffs of Joggins provides a valuable extra dimension to the visitor experience.

NASA beams back satellite images of the Joggins Fossil Cliffs

Check out this amazing link to NASA's recent image collected of the Joggins Fossil Cliffs and posted as Image of the Day on 10th May, on their earthobservatory website.

Thanks to everyone who kindly sent us the link. Why not set up Google alerts for the Joggins Fossil Cliffs and you can keep up to date with the latest info and news, covering Joggins from all over the world.

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=38435&src=eoa-iotd

We've got the Wow Factor

Join us at the Joggins Fossil Centre for a WowFactor! Training Event
20th May 2009, 1:00pm

WOWfactor! Customer Service Training explores how people, place and process combine to create WOW experiences. Training becomes a self-discovery adventure as servers develop the ability to generate meaningful connections between their product and their guests.

Workshop participants learn to recognize when and how guests are pushed and pinched away from WOW! and how to change this.Staff who are new to the service industry receive key tips for achieving truly memorable and personally satisfying service delivery. Seasoned tourism staff emerges inspired & energized from these innovative, interactive sessions.

All staff receive a fresh insight into the complexities of service excellence and the motivation to WOW!

The cost is only $40.00 per person, including afternoon refreshments

Please call 902-251-2727 to reserve your places.

There is (apparently) always a rational explanation!

I look out of my office window every day (well, I have to take a break from all of this work sometimes) across the Bay of Fundy and its huge expanse of rising and falling tides. Every day I see some signs of life, usually in the air or on the ground.

Bald eagles swoop and dive over the cliffs, coming to rest upon Coalmine Point. Groundhogs, who have made their burrows inside the old mine shafts and our local fox, usually followed closely by a local beagle!

I have yet to see signs of life emerge from the waters but recently we have had reports of a creature with a dorsal fin close to the beach. We even had reports that this creature was seen up the local tidal river in the town of River Hebert.

Yesterday, two of our team, Liz and Cathy returned from the beach thrilled by their sighting of the creature close to the beach and then further along.


We have learned today that our friendly visitor is most likely to be a harbour porpoise. Now there is a small part of me disappointed that we don't have our very own mystical beast, like the Loch Ness Monster or the Beast of Bodmin or even Sasquatch, but I am still thrilled to be able to look out of my office window and there I might see my first sighting of a porpoise.

Mother's Day Brunch a Huge Success

We have had a wonderful morning, serving our delicious brunch to all of our visiting mothers and their families. We were certainly busier than expected but with the awesome smells eminating from our kitchen I'm not surprised. They must have drifted up Main Street and enticed many of the locals.

Our Catering Supervisor Fran, is a visionary who created some delicious food from eggs benedict with salmon to Nova Scotian chowder, crepes with strawberries, whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce to breakfast favourites of hash browns and bangers (sausages...hey I'm from England!).

The quilt exhibition was a huge success of course and this will run until Sunday 17th May.

Keep a watch out for news on our Father's Day Barbeque Buffet. We will be posting information on this event here soon.

Nova Scotian artist Carol Whitcombe CSPWC delivers some breathtaking work to Joggins

When Carol Whitcombe called last season to say she wanted to be a part of our United Nations Day provincial artist and artisan's exhibition of work, little did we know just what a talented woman and great friend to the Joggins Fossil Cliffs Carol would turn out to be.

Carol visited today to bring along her latest pieces, which feature the cliffs of Joggins. Carol's present muse is her love for the features of the coastal rock formations and how the light of the day plays upon the rocks and fissures.

I had goosebumps when Carol revealed her first piece, one which has taken her over three months. Hidden Treasures is a masterpiece, which showcases Carol's truly unique talent for taking her three dimensional inspiration and transplanting this in its very minute details onto paper.

The other two pieces, Joggins Sunset Cliffs and Sunset's Glow on Joggins Beach induced the same reaction and I had to look closer to make sure that Carol wasn't trying to "pull one over" with photographs but, no.

These one of a kind, original paintings are for sale at the centre and Carol has kindly offered to make a donation to the Joggins Fossil Institute from their sale.

We will also be selling limited edition matted prints, which will be in the Green Crow Gift Shop and Gallery soon.