Stonehammer Geopark, New Brunswick Receives Recognition as Highly Commended from the 2012 World Leisure Organization’s International Innovation Awards

The World Leisure International Innovation Prize seeks to recognize organizations that have implemented creative solutions that foster local, national, or international leisure opportunities for the benefit and development of individuals and communities.  As North America’s first UNESCO supported Global Geopark, Stonehammer is about geology, but it is also about people, society and culture.  Utilizing tourism experiences to impart this to the community and visitors alike is one of the four pillars of commitment for Stonehammer Geopark.

Stonehammer is the first Geopark in North America. Centred in Saint John, New Brunswick, the park has a regional focus with 60 significant geological and fossil locales, including 12 publicly accessible sites.  It connects people to the earth in a meaningful way through walking, kayaking, hiking, interpretive walks, and other experiences.  The Geopark encompasses 2,500 square kilometers of land in southern New Brunswick.  The project is a unique example of the community leading an effort to support the long-term sustainability of the City of Saint John and its surrounding communities with the help of partner organizations, corporate donors, and local and provincial governments.

The Geopark is recognized by the Global Geoparks Network to have exceptional geological heritage. This means the area has a natural landscape that is good for education, has a significant scientific value, and is rare or simply beautiful to look at www.stonehammergeopark.com.