Jersey's landscape took 630 million years to create. The opportunity to help shape its next chapter is happening now. We're inviting a small group of pioneering Jersey businesses to become Founding Changemakers — as we work towards UNESCO Global Geopark status.
It goes without saying that we at the aspiring Jersey Island Geopark love dinosaurs and everything about with them and yet, frustratingly, their fossils are nowhere to be found on Jersey. When it comes Stegosaurus, Diplodocus and Tyrannosaurus, our island is more of a Brassic Park than a Jurassic one. Not that this matters from a Geopark point of view – our rocks, landscapes and seascapes are dramatic and internationally renowned – but periodically we are asked about Jersey’s dinosaurs and their conspicuous absence.
Minerals are made from elements like silicon, oxygen, aluminium, iron and other metals. Every rock holds a secret. Quartz like sea-spray, jasper as red as sunset, copper greens that whisper of fire. 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. Different minerals bring out different colours in the rock.
Beneath your feet lies a story 600 million years in the making. Forged in fire. Shaped by ice. Carved by the sea. Torn from an ancient landmass and cast into measureless oceans, Jersey is more than an Island - it’s a fragment of Earth’s dramatic history. This is a place of primeval mountains, deep seas, volcanic islands and granite magma. Wind, rain, ice and tides created valleys, caves and cliff where early humans found sanctuary. It’s a living landscape where every stone, tide and trail tells a story of survival, transformation, and connection to nature.
Jersey Island Geopark isn’t a single destination-it’s the entire Island. From rugged cliffs and hidden coves to sweeping dunes and winding trails, every corner of Jersey reveals a chapter in a story of survival, transformation, and deep connection to nature. Each stone and shoreline is a witness to ancient volcanic fires, shifting continents, and the relentless power of the sea. Explore the Geosites that inspired 'A Symphony of Creation' and imagine walking on granite forged in the heart of the Earth, gazing out over waters that have sculpted the Island’s shores. Here, every tide whispers a story, every breeze carries the promise of adventure. Step behind the geo-scenes and discover Jersey’s dramatic birth for yourself-where nature and history collide in spectacular fashion.
This self-guided geowalk explores the deep history of the North West corner of Jersey from a time when we were a deltaic environment through millions of years of volcanic activity to ice ages and a time when prehistoric people populated the land. It starts on the beach and then takes you up on to the headlands above the Pinnacle and can be extended to take in Grosnez Castle and the bunkers of the Second World War German Occupation. Developed by walking guide Nicky Mansell, it tells the story of climate change and man's impact on the land. This geowalk is about 4.5 miles and will take about 2 and1/2 hours. It is dramatic at all times of the year, but Nicky's favourite is when the thrift and gorse is out in the late spring.
In honour of International Geodiversity Day on 6th October 2024, aspiring Jersey Island Geopark invited local poets and writers to participate in a special project celebrating our Island’s rich geodiversity. The 2024 theme was ‘Conserving the Past – Sustaining the Future'.
