What is a Geopark?

A geopark is a unified area that advances the protection and use of geological heritage in a sustainable way, and promotes the economic well-being of the people who live there.

UNESCO Global Geoparks (UGGp) are world-class geoparks – local areas focused on the protection of geological features and the celebration of that and the wider heritage – recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The network was set up to conserve earth’s geological heritage, as well as to promote the sustainable research and development by the concerned communities.

UNESCO Global Geoparks are single, unified geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development.

Aspiring Jersey Island Geopark

The Island of Jersey has a geology that is significantly different to that of the United Kingdom and even from that of the other Channel Islands. Many of the island’s geological sites are of regional and international significance and some have attracted global attention. 

Jersey’s geology is outstandingly varied, and complex. This is why there are so many geological SSI sites. It is possible to see some of the oldest rocks visible in the British Isles – dating from the Neoproterozoic period, approx. 640 million years ago – through to deposits laid down since the end of the last ice age, approx. 10,000 years ago.

Jersey’s topography is varied and is typified by the geology that underlies the inland soils, forms the rocky headlands of the South West, the dramatic cliffs of the North coast, deep sided valleys and streams, gentler wooded edge, valleys, creeks to the North East, broad sandy bays, and offshore reefs and islands.

There are Ten Island outcomes in Jersey Performance Framework, three of which are core to the Aspiring Geopark:

Jersey’s unique natural environment is protected and conserved for future generations.

Jersey’s natural environment, countryside and coast, is a defining feature of the Island’s attractiveness as a place to live, work and visit. The Island’s community should take action to ensure the natural environment, is available for future generations to enjoy.

Jersey’s built and historic environment is valued and enjoyed.

Jersey’s historic environment helps define the Island. Its conservation and development play an important role
in economic growth, tourism, sustainable development and regeneration.

Islanders enjoy living in a vibrant and inclusive community.

Jersey’s future relies on people wanting to live in, or return to, the Island. An important factor influencing that choice is Jersey’s attraction as a place where people and community matter, making it a great place to live, socialise, grow up and belong.

By the Islands community making contributions to these three outcomes, the role played by the Aspiring Geopark then has the important dimension for the Island:

Islanders benefit from a strong, sustainable economy and rewarding job opportunities.

The prosperity of the Island, and the funding of the services on which it relies on, depends on a sustainable, vibrant and inclusive economy, underpinned by a skilled local workforce to
serve it. Heritage plays a significant part in tourism and associated employment.

Aspiring-Jersey-Island-Prospectus-Oct-2021.pdf (jerseyheritage.org)

A Geopark tells the whole story of an area, right from the very beginning. Jersey – which has been shaped by tide and time – should have this designation because of the Island’s exceptional geology, unique heritage, amazing landscapes and special seascapes. Geosites are places around the Island with special significance.

SITES OF SPECIAL INTEREST

South Hill – Green Island – Anne Port – La Solitude – La Tête des Hougues – L’Islet – Les Hurets – Les Rouaux – Giffard Bay – Sorel Point – L’Île Agois – Le Pinacle – Le Petit Étacquerel – Le Grand Étacquerel – Le Pulec – Mont Huelin Quarry – St Ouen’s Peat beds – Portelet Bay – Belcroute Bay

CAVES

La Cotte de St Brelade – La Belle Hougue Caves – La Cotte à la Chèvre

OFFSHORE REEFS

Les Écréhous – Les Minquiers – Les Pierres de Lecq

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WHAT IS A GEOPARK?

A Geopark holds history, community and progression at the heart of its definition. Global Geoparks became an official programme within the United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 2015. UNESCO Global Geoparks are places where outstanding geological heritage is used to support sustainable development through conservation, education, community engagement and sustainable tourism. To hold Geopark status, a region must have a geological heritage of international significance. This could be through it’s outstanding natural beauty, it’s contribution to scientific research or because it holds great educational value, teaching communities, present and future about our incredible past.

A Geopark tells the whole story of an area, right from the very beginning. We think that Jersey – which has been shaped by tide and time – should have this designation because of the Island’s exceptional geology, unique heritage, amazing landscapes and special seascapes. Discover more about this new project below.

A Geopark is defined as a unified area that advances the protection and use of geological heritage in a sustainable way, and promotes the economic well-being of the people who live there. A Geopark tells the whole story of an area, right from the very beginning. We think that Jersey – which has been shaped by tide and time – should have this designation because of the Island’s exceptional geology, unique heritage, amazing landscapes and special seascapes.

Every Geopark is unique. There are 169 UNESCO Global Geoparks in 44 countries around the world. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) seeks to build peace through international cooperation in Education, the Sciences and Culture.

“UNESCO Global Geoparks are single, unified geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development.

A UNESCO Global Geopark comprises a number of geological heritage sites of special scientific importance, rarity or beauty. These features are representative of a region’s geological history and the events and processes that formed it. It must also include important natural, historic, cultural tangible and intangible heritage sites.

A UNESCO Global Geopark must have geological heritage of international significance which is, during the evaluation process, assessed by geo-scientific experts, from the International Union of Geosciences (IUGS). It is based on the international peer-reviewed, published research conducted on the geological sites within the area. The experts make a globally comparative assessment to determine whether the geological sites constitute international value following a fix set of criteria and questions.”

The UNESCO Global Geoparks celebrate the links between people and the Earth. Jersey hopes to be recognised as a unique place by being awarded Geopark status.

The Aspiring Jersey Island Geopark aims to educate the story of Jersey’s geological heritage, with the aim of encouraging Islanders and visitors to explore Jersey and see first-hand how geology has shaped the Island we know today.

‘The aim of the centre is to introduce the Aspiring Geopark project and encourage people to explore Jersey and discover its stories along the way. The Island has been shaped by tide and time over millions of years. Jersey’s exceptional geology and important cultural heritage form the outstanding surroundings we enjoy every day.’ 

With the new threats of climate change and further urban developments- Geopark sites are heavily protected and are spread around the island, they include dolmens, heritage sites-such as Gronez Castle- and rocky outcrops. All sites are significant in Jersey’s heritage- with some sites dating back to over 6,000 years ago.

WHAT IS A GEOPARK?
UNESCO defines a Geopark as:

‘Global Geoparks are single, unified geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic
concept of protection, education and sustainable development. A UNESCO Global Geopark uses its
geological heritage, in connection with all other aspects of the area’s natural and cultural heritage, to enhance awareness and understanding of key issues facing society, such as using our Earth’s resources
sustainably, mitigating the effects of climate change and reducing natural disasters-related risks. The purpose of a UNESCO Global Geopark is to explore, develop and celebrate the links between that geological heritage and all other aspects of the area’s natural, cultural and intangible heritages. It is about reconnecting human society at all levels to the planet we all call home and to celebrate how our planet and its 4,600 million year long history has shaped every aspect of our lives and our societies’. For Jersey, the intention is for the Geopark to extend across the Island and its territorial waters, including the offshore reefs.

I plan to have my first photoshoot in the areas surrounding L’ Etacq, Le Pinacle and Stinky Bay which are all Geopark sites.

SCHOOL TRIP- GEOPARK VISITOR CENTRE

We attended a talk about Jersey’s geology which was conducted by Ralph Nichols, referencing places of interest to Jersey’s Geopark sites and places that would be good for photography.

The visitor centre displayed images of the various sites around Jersey, with information about their geology such as their mineral composition and rock type (metamorphic etc). Attention was also drawn towards the sound scape which as playing in the centre- which focused on ‘natural Jersey sounds’ such as birds singing, the sound of the sea and even Jersey’s own language- Jèrriais– which can be heard on this link.

“UNESCO Global Geoparks are single, unified geographical areas where sites of intranational geological significance are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development”. There are 169 of there geoparks in 44 countries around the world. They carry geological heritage, tell us about the history, events and processes that formed it.

MINERALS OF JERSEY

Minerals are made from elements like silicon, oxygen, aluminium, iron and other metals. They are the fundamental building blocks of all rocks. As magma (molten rock) cools, minerals such as quartz and feldspar form crystals. The longer the cooling process takes, the larger the crystals. Minerals can also be carried through rocks by water, forming crystals as the water evaporates.

JERSEY SHALE FORMATION

The shales are the oldest rocks in the Island. You can see them in the west, across the centre and in the south of Jersey. They were formed by mud, silt and sand brought together on the sea floor about 600 million years ago. These sediments were transformed into rock by being pushed together, hardened and folded.

JERSEY VOLCANICS

Volcanic lavas and ashes can be seen along the north and northeast coasts of the Island. These andesites and rhyolites formed as a result of volcanic eruptions occurring 580 million years ago.

JERSEY GRANITES

Jersey is famous for its granites, which have been favoured as a building material for thousands of years. These major intrusive or ‘plutonic’ rocks were formed between 580 and 480 million years ago by molten rock cooling and solidifying between the Earth’s surface. They are only visible once the overlying rocks have been eroded away. The dark rocks known as gabbros are the oldest, and are rich in iron and magnesium. The true granites, visible along the northwest and southwest coasts, are lighter in colour, and consist of three main minerals: quartz, feldspar and mica. On the southeast coast, where granites have broken through the Earth’s surface into older gabbros, a mixed rock called diorite has formed.

ROZEL CONGLOMERATE

Formation Conglomerate can be seen along the northeast of the Island and is made up of beds of pebbles which have been cemented together. They were formed around 400 million years ago and are the youngest hard rock formation in Jersey. Conglomerate is also known as ‘pudding stone’ because the rock formation is made up of lots of pebbles, probably from eroded and worn mountains. Streams with fast flowing water carried the pebbles and sand down valleys and left them behind before they cemented together.

JERSEY’S OFFSHORE REEFS

Jersey is surrounded by offshore reefs bursting with marine life, Les Pierres de Lecq to the north, Les Écréhous to the northeast and Les Minquiers to the south. Local fisherman enjoy fishing around these reefs which often prove dangerous to larger ships.

HOW OLD IS THAT ROCK?

At low tide Les Minquiers reef is bigger than Jersey. On this large reef, the rock is mostly made up of types of granite. These granites have features older than the Jersey granites. Could this mean that Les Minquiers reef is older than Jersey?

SEA LEVELS AND CLIMATE CHANGE

The world’s climate fluctuates as a result of changes in the sun’s activity affecting the polar ice caps, the dome-shaped sheets of ice found in Greenland and Antarctica. These effects occur gradually over time, making sea levels change as ice caps melt or cool. This cycle of cold and warm periods has repeated itself several times over the past two million years. Since 10,000 years ago, sea levels have risen to make Jersey an Island once more.

GLACIAL

In a cold period, global temperature becomes cooler causing the ice caps to grow. This traps much of the world’s water, causing sea levels to drop as much as 200 metres. Just imagine the English Channel disappearing with Jersey and Guernsey as only hills in a vast coastal plain.

INTERGLACIAL

In a warm period, global temperature becomes warmer causing the ice caps to melt. Sea levels rise as freshwater is released back into the oceans. Evidence for past changes in sea level and the shifting of the Earth’s tectonic plates can be seen today in the many raised beaches in Jersey. The highest raised beach in the Island is at South Hill.

Jersey’s Geological Heritage – Sites of Special Interest (SSI)

Sites of special interest are places of zoological, ecological, botanical or geological significance. Jersey’s geology is very much different than that of the United Kingdom and other Chanel Islands. The States of Jersey has chosen 22 of the islands most important areas as Sites of Special Interest so that they can be protected from development for future research.

This booklet introduces you to Jersey’s geological SSI, covering information about their location and basic descriptions and photographs which highlights each site’s significance defining features.

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Read the Aspiring Jersey Island Geopark prospectus

The Aspiring Jersey Island Geopark Visitor Centre presents the story of Jerseys geological heritage.

Geopark Ambassadors

Geopark Ambassadors represent some of the organisations working with Aspiring Jersey Island Geopark. One of the ambassadors is Ralph Nicolas, a Geologist Société Jersiaise Lecturer, Teacher, Secretary for the Geology, Archaeology and Jèrriais Sections of Société Jersiaise.

Each Ambassador tells us what makes Jersey such a remarkable place.

For my first photoshoot for my new topic ‘Islandness’ we went to the parish of St Ouen and walked around L’Etacq taking photos of interesting rock formations. We walked around the cliff paths trying to capture any rocks that seemed unique to take back to class and edit. Also, I took a lot of images of the same rock formations to try attempt to create David Hockney’s ‘Joiners’. Overall, I managed to take around 300 images when on the St Ouen photography trip.

Contact sheets

the first thing I did with this photoshoot is upload the images into Lightroom into a new collection called MY ROCK. I then used the flagging system to select the best images out of the 309 from the shoot, this left me with 60 images as a lot of the images came out blurry or were just not very good.

I then used the star rating system to select the best images out of the flagged images to use for editing and for my final images. After using the rating system I was left with 21 final images I could use for editing and selecting as my final outcomes.

Lightroom edits

I decided to create most of the edits in black and white, this is because I think it looks a lot more effective and dramatic compared to the coloured images of the rocks and landscape.

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David Hockney is a British painter and photographer known for his ‘joiners’, an experimental style of photomontage that combines an array of images across time, space, and viewpoints.

Time– The time it takes Hockney to take all of the images, the time between the images taken, the time it takes for the images to be developed, the time it takes Hockney to construct the joiner, the time between it being completed and the viewer seeing it, the amount of time the viewer spends looking at it.

Space– Hockney is able to alter the perception of space by changing the angles and sizes of the images, creating a completely different environment.

Viewpoints– By changing the time and space of the images, he also changes viewpoints and perspectives, showing the subject from in various ways within one final image.

DAVID HOCKNEY

David Hockney (born 9 July 1937) is an English painter, draftsman, printmaker, stage designer, and photographer. As an important contributor to the pop art movement of the 1960s, he is considered one of the most influential British artists of the 20th century.

HOCKNEY’S JOINERS

In the early 1980’s, Hockney began creating intricate photo collages that he called “joiners”. His earlier collages consisted of grid-like compositions made up of polaroid photographs.

Hockney created joiners was by taking multiple and varying Polaroid shots or photolab-prints of just an individual subject. Then with these shots he would arrange them into what almost looks like a patchwork, to create on overall image.

One of Hockney’s first ‘joiners’ was a photomontage of his own mother. Inspired by Cubism, Hockney created images where a 3-dimensional space was portrayed as a 2-dimensional image. Hockney’s joiners aimed to create an image that was able to show reality how we experience it (in fragments, not as a whole), and to show the passage of time.

David Hockney was famous for his unique style of photography. In the 1980s, he began making photograph collages and he use to call them, joiners. He used Polaroid photos and soon 35mm prints in color. Hockney cleverly composed a patchwork of images.

Interested in how 3-dimensional space can be portrayed in a 2-dimensional image. Joiners aimed to create an image that was able to show reality how we experience it (in fragments, not as a whole), and to show the passage of time.

Image Analysis

This image is a joiner by David Hockney, the genre is documentary portraiture. The lighting in this image is natural outside lighting which projects shadows of the subjects. The focal point of this image is the pointing finger in the very middle which i circled in red. The Mice-en-scene of this image shows two middle aged men having some sort of discussion where they are pictures laughing and smiling, perhaps looking at something in the distance. This image is created by putting together many different polaroid images which Hockney calls a ‘joiner’. I believe Hockney’s joiners are so interesting as they are 2D images which emphasise movement and shape. Hockney’s joiners create a still video like image where you can easily understand the scene and act as a timeline.