By Blessing Adedokun-Awojodu

“This is not a one-off project but something sustainable that will keep evolving and needing people’s input.” — Dr Rainer Baehre

Perched high above the Bay of Islands, the Blow Me Down Cabox Aspiring Geopark is more than just rocks and trails. It is quickly becoming a living archive of the stories, memories and quiet revolutions that have shaped Western Newfoundland for centuries. Although the push for UNESCO recognition has been in motion since 2014, history professor Dr Rainer Baehre only joined the effort in recent years. His reason was simple: he saw an opportunity to add a human touch to a project rooted in geology.
“There has always been a strong geological focus,” Baehre explains; John Waldron, a geologist of many decades, is spearheading the Geosite Guidebook. “He was joined by Paul Wylezol from the International Appalachian Trail, who has always wanted to put Newfoundland on the global map. Rob Thomas, who operates Everoutdoor Adventures and has an Indigenous background, brought in the vision for Indigenous tourism.”
Baehre’s role has been to deepen the sense of place beyond its rocks. He works closely with the team to develop a guidebook that weaves together thousands of years of human history, from the Maritime Archaic, followed by the Dorset Paleo-Eskimo, then the Beothuk, through the prehistory of the Mi’kmaq migrations to the memories still echoing through communities today. This work feeds into interpretive plaques and a growing online archive, preserving stories too long overlooked.

View of Lower Humber Valley with Yellow Lady Slippers

One turning point, Baehre recalls, was the response to the lengthy UNESCO application. “When we got the reply, it was overwhelmingly positive. That was when it shifted from a dream to a real possibility.”
For Baehre, the significance of Cabox lies in its layered and at times contested past. “The Bay of Islands has stories that are different from Western Newfoundland generally. In 1783, it was a place of French and British trading restrictions. Then, in the mid-19^th century, the Americans arrived to fish under another agreement, which led to disputes. Even earlier, there were clashes over lobsters between the French and British. Then came the pulp and paper mill in the 1920s, which transformed livelihoods again.” He points out that for a long time, the province did not formally acknowledge Indigenous communities in this region. Now, the geopark project helps bring those stories back into the open.
So far, local communities have embraced the project with optimism. Unlike protected parks such as Gros Morne, Cabox has not triggered land use conflicts. “People see it as a collaboration among academia, private business and the community itself,” Baehre says. The vision reaches beyond heritage for heritage’s sake. Baehre believes this effort could reshape how Western Newfoundlanders see themselves. “It has changed how I see the Bay of Islands. Even as a non-geologist, I find it exciting. This is not a one-off project but something sustainable that will keep evolving and needing people’s input.”
Economic impact is harder to pin down. As Baehre puts it, “It is impossible to predict exactly how people will use these opportunities, but I know it will add to what we already have.”
For him, success would mean seeing the UNESCO designation in place within a few years, though he admits that may be optimistic. “It is definitely an ongoing activity,” he says with a smile.
What does he want people to know? “There is always a lag between when a project starts and when people really notice. There is so much here that people need to see and experience.”

Cooks Brook Formation at Cox’s Cove

Locals and visitors alike can play a part. When the guidebook is published online in the coming months, Baehre hopes readers will use it, walk the trails, share their photos and stories and add new layers to the narrative. He has already seen this in action through his students’ oral history projects, recording local memories one conversation at a time.
In the end, Cabox is more than geology. It is an invitation to walk, listen and remember – and to help shape a living archive for the generations yet to come.

Blessing Adedokun-Awojodu is a writer, educator, and sustainable fashion researcher based in Newfoundland and Labrador. With a background in literature and a keen eye for cultural storytelling, she brings thoughtful insight and emotional depth to profiles, reviews, and features. Her work often explores the intersections of art, identity, and community. When she’s not writing, Blessing facilitates creative workshops that empower people through fashion, sustainability, and self-expression.

Photos: Top image Bay of Islands: Dory at Little Port; all courtesy Paul Wylezol.