Short CV

Dr. Marie-Luise Frey, is a geologist. As member of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Excecutive Board (2016) and before the Global Geoparks Bureau (since 2004), external expert in the Advisory Committee of the European Geoparks Network (since 2003) with assessments, expertises and missions (e.g. Europe, China, Australia, South America). Dr. Marie-Luise Frey was responsible geologist to establish the first Geopark in Gerolstein / Volcaneifel 1994 worldwide. She has also given expertise to IUCN on geological World Heritage. Since September 2020 she is a new member of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Council.

She has studied at Rhenish Westfalian Technical University Aachen in Germany. Her main subjects have been Applied Geology with an PhD thesis on “Lime properties is respect to limestone facies on Upper Devonian Rocks, nearby Aachen, Germany”. She is since 2003 business manager of the “Messel Pit Non-Profit Ltd.” company. She has experience in geoparks since 1992. 10 years she worked as geologist in the Gerolstein-Vulkaneifel European Geopark (EGN), Germany, up to 2003. For more than 20 years she is business manager of the Welterbe Grube Messel gGmbH (Messel Pit World Heritage non-profit ltd. Company) in Messel, Germany. Educated in geology and natural sciences, she worked for nearly ten years as geoscientist in academia (Rhenish Westfalian Technical University of Aachen (RWTH) and since 1992, since more than 30 years expertise in popularising earth sciences for Geo-Education and Geotourism as expert for Global Geoparks Network and Messel Pit WH development.

Her special concern is strongly connected with the UNESCO World Heritage and Geoparks philosophy: to combine Earth history, nature, culture and arts as holistic approach, bringing together the different aspects and disciplines. Geotourism, science transfer, popularisation and geo-education, communication, networking and sustainable development are important additional parts of her advisory expertise.

Her orientation: connecting UNESCO World Heritage Sites and Geoparks to serve future generations needs by her world-wide expertise in existing and potential geopark territories and World Heritage Sites.