Global Network of National Geoparks

Treasures found in the countryside

Source :http://www.globalgeopark.org  Source: EMC News Published :August 12, 2009


Mississippi Mills created the first municipal Geoheritage Park in Canada last year. It is located at Metcalfe Park in Almonte, beside the hydro reconstruction project.

Large blocks and boulders representative of the regional landscape are gradually being moved to this site and the Park needs your help! There are quite a few features found in Precambrian and Paleozoic rocks that would be a welcome addition to what has been put on display so far. This summer, as you tour the countryside by bike, boat, car or foot, keep a lookout for interesting rock specimens that seem to be "out of place." In many cases they are, because they dropped out of the retreating glaciers that covered our landscape in another era! Understanding today's picturesque countryside, billions of years in the making, is a journey back in time to ocean depths, towering mountains, colliding and splitting continents, and a landscape locked in ice. Experts are available to come to your property to identify what you see and chat with you about making a rock donation to the Geoheritage Park. We hope that more specimens will be identified that illustrate our region's rich geological heritage. Individuals and organizations that make contributions to the Park will be acknowledged in future publicity and brochures to be prepared for the rock display.

In related news, a geo-rescue operation is also underway, to retrieve one or more significant specimens that will become available as a result of the Highway 417 expansion project near Terry Fox Drive in Kanata. As well, the Geoheritage Park Committee invites you to an Open House at the Metcalfe Geoheritage Park on Oct. 3, 2009. Mark your calendar now, and watch for more details closer to the date. In the meantime, please contact Patricia Larkin (plarkin@xplornet.com or 613-256-5301) to arrange a visit by a local geology expert to view your rock treasure in the countryside.