We made the front page of this week's Amherst Citizen

We made the front page of the Amherst Citizen today, with a great article covering our recent CNTA Awards recognition.

I (that's me in the photo) was interviewed by Andrew Wagstaff, local reporter, who is keen to ensure that the message of the Joggins Fossil Centre and its positive impacts on local and regional tourism are perpetuated.

Thanks Andrew for a great story.


http://www.citizenweekly.com/index.cfm?sid=233631&sc=136

CNTA Attraction of the Year

On Friday evening, the Joggins Fossil Cliffs were presented with another award from the provincial tourism industry.

The CNTA (Central Nova Tourism Association) bestowed upon us the Attraction of the Year Award.

The awards, which followed the CNTA's Annual Conference, were an intimate affair, thanks to yet another winter snow storm, which kept some attendants away. The conference had some fantastic speakers on the itinerary and we were reminded of the value of Social Media, such as our blog, in inspiring discussion and dialogue, in engaging you the public and in receiving feedback and suggestions.

We are incredibly proud to win this award and thank both the CNTA and the people who nominated us.

It is a strange category for us. Indeed we are an attraction, but we are so much more than that too. We are educators, conservators, interpretors, international ambassadors and heritage managers. The site would exist even if we weren't there in our fantastic visitor centre, but would visitors understand it? Would its significance be appreciated? Probably not, which underlines the value in promoting the site as an attraction.

Thanks CNTA, we appreciate your support.

Earth Day - 58 days and counting

We opened for our first season last year on Earth Day, 22nd April.

It seemed a fitting day to open the greenest building in Atlantic Canada and to raise awareness about the environment. It also seemed appropriate for us to establish a regular calendar of our own, which ties our season into existing national and international calendar events.

As already mentioned, this year is Darwin 200 and hylonomus 150, which we shall be celebrating with a number of events and festivals but we are also investigating other notable dates and events, which we too can celebrate in our own way.

For example, did you know that 2009 is the International Year of Astronomy and where better to see the stars, than from right here in Joggins? where there is no light pollution and the celestials are glorious in the massive expanse of sky above the Bay of Fundy.

2009 is also the US Year of Science (with a heavy focus upon evolution) and this year is also the International Year of Natural Fibers and of Reconciliation. Not sure how we can tie into those but perhaps there are some of you reading this who might be inspired. Here are some other worthy dates for your diary:

• 22nd May is the International Day of Biodiversity.
• 4th July is the International Day of Cooperatives
• 7th July is one year since the inscription of Joggins onto the World Heritage List
• 20th September is the International Day of Peace

We are still working on our calendar of events (which will be posted on our website of course) but the date to remember at the moment is 22nd April 2009, Earth Day, when the Joggins Fossil Centre opens its doors once again for the season.