Ambassador Toyah Tomkins
Owner Bouley Bay Dive Centre
What’s your favourite geosite and why?
Bouley Bay is my favourite geosite in Jersey because it is so diverse and vibrant in terms of nature but also community. I feel Bouley Bay is a showcase of everything the Island has to offer . There are cliffs walks that offer the most incredible views , snorkel trails that introduce you to an array of underwater life, sea swimming, water sports and a sense of community where each day I see from the shop people enjoying in there own way the beauty of the north coast.
Why do you think it’s important to protect it?
Many reasons. We are lucky enough to have so much diversity, such as nature and historical sites geographical sites in such a small place so this alone is enough to protect it. It also helps increase tourism to the Island, which is something that I feel has been lost over the years. People want to travel to places where there is a lot to see and do and Jersey has that but we need to protect it and also shout about what we have. I can see the Island changes over the years and in some ways not for the better, so by protecting the Jersey Island Geopark we can keep some of the natural beauty and uniqueness that makes Jersey Jersey!
How do you incorporate conservation and sustainability into what you do?
We collaborate with other organisations such as Ocean Culture Life and Blue Marine Foundation and offer events like beach cleans and educational programmes where we teach people about marine life and the conservation of our coastal areas. We teach a great number of schools snorkelling and scuba and when we do so we weave the blue oceans conservation course into this.
What advice would you give to someone visiting the Jersey Island Geopark for the first time?
To make the most of the Jersey Island Geopark, I would encourage visitors to really explore the Island and its full beauty and embrace new experiences to really soak it all in.
What do you hope the Geopark will achieve for the Island?
The Jersey Island Geopark will help promote awareness amongst both locals and visitors of what beauty Jersey holds and to really show the importance of keeping this alive.
Sunset or sunrise?
Hard to choose. I have travelled the world and still the St. Ouen sunset is my best yet. It always blows my mind. BUT... I also love the drive down Bouley Bay with the squirrels and birds super early and seeing first light there.