Understanding Ijen Geopark: The Earth’s Story (Part 1)
Delivered in a presentation meeting by Hosnul Wahid at Ijen-Geopark Bondowoso office. “What is a Geopark?” A Geopark is a kind of geographical model — an area based on its geological characteristics. It can stand alone as a single region — a district, a village, or a regency — or it can span across multiple regions, provinces, even countries.” That’s why we introduced Ijen Geopark, a vast geological park connecting two regencies on the eastern tip of Java: Bondowoso and Banyuwangi. Two different landscapes and cultures, united under one natural and geological heritage. The Earth as a Living Museum “Geopark literally means a park of the earth.”It is not merely a beautiful natural site but a place that preserves and celebrates geological heritage — the rocks, landforms, fossils, and the human civilizations shaped by them. Yet, a Geopark goes beyond geology. It also embraces biological heritage, biodiversity, and the way…