Rock formations and fossil finds on Newfoundland and Labrador's Bonavista Peninsula were given international honours Friday morning, as the Discovery Global Geopark received official UNESCO status.

The Discovery Geopark, approved by UNESCO at meetings in Paris, is now one of more than 150 sites recognized for their international geological importance.

"We're really excited. It's been a long road to get here," said Edith Samson, a longtime volunteer with the Geopark committee.

"Lots of ups and downs, but … here we are."

The geopark was recognized, in part, for the Ediacaran fossils that can be found in the area. These fossils — some of which can be accessed from the boardwalk in Port Union — are an estimated 560 million years old, and show some of the earliest multicell organisms.

"With over 20 taxa present, these enigmatic fossils record the oldest architecturally complex multicellular lifeforms, providing a window to study the preface to the Cambrian Explosion," wrote the UNESCO Global Geoparks Council in nomination papers. 

"The Geopark preserves a dramatic transition in Earth history."