Members of the Protected Landscapes Task Force (TF) came from North America, South America and The Caribbean, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Several people from our Task Force on Cultural and Spritual values of protected Areas (CSVPA) were invited to participate by Jessica Brown, the TF leader on Protected Landscapes: Rob Wild, leader, Guillermo Rodrígez-Navarro, deputy-chair; Josep-Maria Mallarach, for the joint co-ordination of The Delos Initiative, and Gloria Pungetti, for the 3S Initiative and CCLP (Cambridge Centre for Landscape and People). Nigel Dudley also participated as leader of the TF on PA Categories.
Themes of common interest and positives synergies between all Task Forces and the Theme on Indigenous and Local Communities, Equity and protected Areas (CEESP) were pursuit throughout the workshop. The Symposium at the last day, gathered a good representation of managers from several national parks of England and Scotland.
Guillermo made a presentation about Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. Gloria presented the 3S Initiative on Sacred Species and Sites, with the Conference organized by CCLP last year, and related activities of the Delos Initiative. Josep-Maria presented the work done by The Delos Initiative during the last four years, including the proceedings of the first workshop as well as the volume on Cultural and Spiritual Values of Protected Landscapes he is currently editing, the second volume of the Values of Protected Landscapes Series.
In addition, several participants discussed sacred natural sites during their presentations: Gregorio Ch’oc focused in the struggles of native people of Belize to conserve sacred sites and the significance of using the concept of “Mother Earth” instead of nature. Neema Pathak presented a number of sacred groves of India found in community conserved areas. Prabdhu Budhathoki discussed the significance of sacred values of nature in Nepal. Finally, Carmen Miranda, WCPA Regional Vice-Chair for South America presented sacred wetlands in the Peruvean Andes, which had been carefully managed during centuries by indigenous people, some of which are under threat because of modern mining activities.
During the Symposium, an unexpected debate arouse about the role of the spiritual values of nature conservation, and the fact that most of these values are more or less present but hidden, in present day protected areas of Britain. A number of suggestions were discussed, mainly the possibilities that arts may offer to reconnect people with the deepest values of nature. Moreover concern was raised about IUCN categories and in particular II and V based on different assumptions of nature in an environment where human intervention is a fundamental component, leading to the need of further discussion.
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