Early on October 22, 2014, the IATNL’s Arne Helgeland, Kevin Noseworthy and Paul Wylezol set off in boat from Cox’s Cove in Middle Arm, Bay of Islands for Back Cove in North Arm. With them were new windows, assorted lumber and miscellaneous building supplies needed to start restoration of a 50+ year old fishing house now hiking camp at the base of the North Arm Hills, a location central to the planned Cabox Global Geopark spanning the four Bay of Islands Ophiolites from Lewis Hills to Tablelands.
6th International Global Geopark Conference
On September 19-22, 2014, IAT/IATNL Chairperson Paul Wylezol attended the 6th International UNESCO Conference on Global Geoparks hosted by Stonehammer Geopark in Saint John, New Brunswick. He was there learning about the Global Geopark network, promoting the proposed Cabox Global Geopark in Western Newfoundland, and meeting representatives from Geoparks along the IAT route. The International Appalachian Trail crosses 10 Geoparks in 6 countries in Western Europe and will likely soon cross a number of Geoparks in Eastern Canada.
IAT Attends Conjugate Margins Conference
From August 20-22, 2014, IAT Chairperson Paul Wylezol attended the 4th Conjugate Margins Conference in St. John’s, NL and presented a trio of posters on the IAT, IAT Geoparks and the planned Cabox Geopark in Western Newfoundland. The Conference started in 2008 to bring industry and academia together to discuss the similarities of basis evolution in conjugate margins. It originally focused on the margins of the North Atlantic but has grown into a major international conference with presentations and posters with key industry players and academic researchers.
In Search of a Walking Route to Stowbridges
On June 23, 2014, IAT/IATNL Chairperson Paul Wylezol and IATNL executive member Delano Pittman took advantage of a beautiful early summer day to head into North Arm of the Bay of Islands to look for an overland route to the IAT hiking camp at Stowbridges, within the boundary of the proposed Cabox Global Geopark spanning the four Bay of Islands Ophiolites. After an hour’s hike down a valley off Goose Arm logging road where they discovered an ATV trail leading to a remote cabin at the bottom (i.e., inside end) of North Arm, they walked the gravel beach until they reached North Arm Brook.
Simms Gulch Trek with BGS’s Hugh Barron
On June 12, 2014, IATNL executive members Paul Wylezol, Arne Helgeland and Kevin Noseworthy took Hugh Barron, Marketing Sector Manager with the British Geological Survey in Edinburgh, Scotland, on a day-hike into Simms Gulch on the north side of Serpentine Valley. The 24 km (15 mile) trek was under ideal conditions, including clear blue skies, good visibility, mid-teens temperatures, and few black flies and mosquitos!
Cabox Geopark Meeting Held at Grenfell
On June 10, 2014, the Cabox Global Geopark initiative spanning the Bay of Islands Ophiolites from Lewis Hills to Tablelands held its first public meeting at the Grenfell Campus of Memorial University in Corner Brook. International Appalachian Trail and Cabox Geopark Chairperson Paul Wylezol gave presentations on the IAT, renowned Newfoundland Geologist Harold “Hank” Williams and the proposed Cabox Geopark while special guest speaker Hugh Barron, Marketing Sector Manager with the British Geological Survey in Edinburgh, Scotland, gave a presentation on UNESCO sponsored Global Geoparks and his experience helping to develop them in Scotland.
Planning Under Way For Global Geopark
The International Appalachian Trail Newfoundland & Labrador has taken a page from the IAT Europe playbook with plans to establish a Global Geopark, spanning the Bay of Islands Ophiolites from Lewis Hills to Gros Morne National Park. Other stakeholders include Western Newfoundland Destination Management Organization (Go Western), Corner Brook Pulp & Paper Ltd, and all towns in the Bay of Islands and western side of Gros Morne National Park.