Sacred Natural Sites: Conserving Nature and Culture

Edited by Bas Verschuuren, Robert Wild, Jeffrey McNeely and Gonzalo Oviedo

This book illustrates that sacred natural sites – the world’s oldest protected places – although often under threat, exist within and outside formally recognised protected areas and heritage sites. They may well be some of the last strongholds for building resilient networks of connected landscapes as well as forming important nodes for maintaining a dynamic cultural fabric in the face of global change.

The diverse authors bridge the gap between approaches to the conservation of cultural and biological diversity by taking into account cultural and spiritual values together with the socio-economic interests of the custodian communities and other relevant stakeholders.