The Owadów-Brzezinki geoeducation area at Sławno

The geoeducation area (called also “Owadów-Brzezinki Geopark”) located in the north-western margin of the Holy Cross Mountains (Tomaszów Syncline) at Sławno community (Łódź Voivodeship), was established in June 2019, in close vicinity of the Owadów-Brzezinki quarry. This locality is one of the most important palaeontological sites described recently in Poland. The area consists of the exhibition pavilion, educational routs and panoramic viewing platform, which is located along the edge of the quarry. The palaeontological exhibition shows the unique Late Jurassic fossils of marine and terrestrial organisms, many of them new to science, that have been excavated in the quarry during the last eight years. Among the most important fossils are: ammonites, lobster-like decapod crustaceans, horseshoe crabs, actinopterygian fish, a cryptodiran turtle, ichthyosaurs, as well as a small terrestrial crocodyliform, pterosaurs and insects. In addition to the original fossils, the exhibition presents life-size reconstructions of animals, that inhabited the local seas and islands during the Late Jurassic. The palaeontological sites of Owadów-Brzezinki is referred to as a new “taphonomic window” of the Late Jurassic, providing insights about the evolution of life on Earth in the palaeogeographical and palaeoenvironmental context.

Not simply volcanoes – The Geoheritage of the Cretaceous System in the Land of the Extinct Volcanoes Geopark, West Sudetes (SW Poland)

Volcanic geoheritage is emphasized as the main asset and distinctive characteristic of the Land of Extinct Volcanoes Geopark in the West Sudetes (SW Poland). However, the geoheritage values of the region are not limited to the legacy of ancient volcanism but include various other elements. This paper explores the contribution of geosites that expose sedimentary rocks of Cretaceous age and landforms developed upon these rocks. Six localities from the Geopark area, included in the comprehensive regional inventory of geosites, are presented. They represent natural and man-made sandstone outcrops and show, among others, lithological variations, small- and large-scale post-sedimentary deformation structures, landforms arising from differential weathering (rock shelters, honeycombs), boulder fields and a sandstone xenolith in volcanic rocks. Next, five localities from outside the Geopark, but still within the Pogórze Kaczawskie region, are described. Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of both groups is attempted, and the results show that, in general, geosites within the Geopark rank higher. However at least two from the other group also have significant geotourist potential. Finally, a brief comparative analysis with other parts of the Sudetes, where Cretaceous sedimentary rocks occur, is offered.