EarthCollective http://www.earthcollective.net Positive Ideas. Happening. Thu, 17 May 2012 22:08:55 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Sacred Natural Sites at the ISE Congress in Montpellier, France http://sacrednaturalsites.org/sacred-natural-sites-at-the-ise-congress-in-montpellier-france/ http://sacrednaturalsites.org/sacred-natural-sites-at-the-ise-congress-in-montpellier-france/#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 22:20:26 +0000 Sacred Natural Sites http://sacrednaturalsites.org/?p=3049 th of May, 2012). These are links to resource documents whilst short descriptions of the sessions are provided below: Monday 21 May, from 14:30 – 16:00 Academic Session: “Sacred lands – dynamic archetypes for changing times” (Session 35). The Session will focus on aspects such as public awareness; oral history and linguistics; threats and dialogues between groups and social, cultural and ecological connectivity in the landscape. The venue for this session is the Botanical Institute at 158 Rue Auguste Broussonnet, 1 km walk from Le Corum , click here for a map with directions. Tuesday 22 May, from  9:00 – 17:30. Indigenous Forum: “Sacred Sites and their custodians: restoring culture and strengthening voices”. The Sacred Natural Sites Initiative will host the Indigenous Forum together with The Gaia Foundation and the Sacred Land Film Project. The Indigenous Forum aims to build resilience to deal with the threats of climate change, extractive industries and loss of ancestral territories. The objective of the day is to share strategies for supporting sacred natural sites to face today’s threats. For more information on this day, look at the programme overview on our website. The venue for this Forum is the House of International Relations which is next to Le Corum. The address is 49 Descente en Barrat.]]> http://sacrednaturalsites.org/sacred-natural-sites-at-the-ise-congress-in-montpellier-france/feed/ 0 MNE #14: Landscape Comes Alive http://eyes4earth.org/mne-14-landscape-comes-alive/ http://eyes4earth.org/mne-14-landscape-comes-alive/#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 01:00:14 +0000 eyes4earth http://eyes4earth.org/?p=3271 “A few years ago I was on a secluded beach in the Tsitsikamma area, when I became acutely aware of repeated patterns in the sand along the edge of the water. There was a distinctly rhythmic quality in the way the sand dried out with each wave that retreated back into the ocean. It was accompanied by a rhythmic throbbing sound of the ocean, which was echoed by the cliffs along the beach. It felt as if the whole beach was pulsating and as if all the separate elements, the water, the sand and cliffs, were all part of one entity. I had never before or since had the same experience, even though this is a place I visit once a year. It feels as if I had a glimpse of how alive the landscape is.” - Story & Images submitted by “Monkey”

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]]> http://eyes4earth.org/mne-14-landscape-comes-alive/feed/ 0 A Maya Vision Beyond 2012, The Awakening of the Sun http://sacrednaturalsites.org/a-maya-vision-for-2012-the-awakening-of-the-sun/ http://sacrednaturalsites.org/a-maya-vision-for-2012-the-awakening-of-the-sun/#comments Wed, 02 May 2012 10:48:17 +0000 Sacred Natural Sites http://sacrednaturalsites.org/?p=3011 Oxlajuj Ajpop. During a long ride at the back of a lorry, Oxlajuj Ajpop’s director Felipe Gomez explains how Mayan people are currently struggling to restore a network of ancestral sacred natural sites that are increasingly threatened by resource development and religious groups.

Chu Sagrib-al, in in north western Guatemala, is a sacred mountain to the Maya described in the Popul Vuh as the place of the awakening of the sun. Photo: Bas Verschuuren.

We are on our way to Chu Sagrib’al, an ancient sacred mountain described in the Popul Vuh – the ancient  holy book of the Mayas – as “the place where the sun awoke”, literally indicating the dawn of an era. As Felipe talks, the sacred mountain slowly grows in size as we move towards it. The lorry is filled with ceremonial regalia and Maya in ceremonial dress that have flocked from around the area, anxious to get back to the mountain to maintain the sacred bonding with their special places. Whilst climbing up the mountain, Felipe explains that after the civil wars many community lands were subdivided and ownership was passed on to individuals in the community. Oxlajuj Ajpop acquired the mountain from local landowners several years ago in order to protect it from overgrazing and mineral exploitation. The top of the mountain is now fenced and around the ceremonial site, local people are making plans to collect native seeds and restore the natural vegetation so that the forests and streams can be protected once again. Oxlajuj Ajpop worked tirelessly for over 14 years to develop a law on the management of sacred sites. This law was finally welcomed by Guatemalan parliament in 2008. In accordance with international laws such as ILO 169 and UNDRIP, the law passes the responsibility for sacred sites into the hands of indigenous Maya, Garifuna and Xinca people and seeks to secure access the right of access, to perform ceremony and to the cultural management of sacred natural and constructed sites. Despite the fact that the law gains increasing support from various ministries, it has still not officially been adopted. This appears mostly due to ambiguous opposition from those who protect private interests in fear of companies losing access to the natural resources found in areas where sacred sites occur. Although many of these interests help spur a free market in economy, it often so happens that they also add to even more examples of the violation of indigenous peoples rights to their territories and ways of life. Fortunately, the Mayan sacred natural sites are also found increasingly important to others in parliament says Felipe Gomez:
The ministry of culture supports the protection of sacred natural sites, but it endorses the status of “national monument” only to the altar on top of the mountain while to us Maya, the entire mountain – including its forests, waters and biodiversity – is sacred.

This publication describes the proposed law on sacred sites in Guatemala.

In an attempt to explain the potential impacts of the law to various ministries, Oxlajuj Ajpop has developed a booklet that delineates implementation pathways and explains the potential legal reforms required in the areas of forestry, water management and nature conservation. In order to make a case for reinstitution of indigenous rights, Oxlajuj Ajpop is building on the constitution that envisions Guatemala as a pluri legal and multi cultural state. On top of Chu Sagri’al, the ceremony had come to a close. As customary to Mayan tradition, people conferred about the future of their sacred sites in contemporary society. Subsequently, there was time for recognition for the role of Oxlajuj Ajpop.  It became increasingly clear that Oxlajuj Ajpop is playing a vital role in voicing local concerns at the national level. Bringing local people and their voices into dialogue with policy makers and sectors of industry in a successful and constructive manner is a respectful task. As The Sacred Natural Sites Initiative is working to assist Oxlajuj Ajpop with the further protection of sacred sites beyond 2012, we are looking towards the future with a view of sharing more of these rich experiences with other custodians around the world. Learn more about sacred sites in guatemala, view the video in the Media Gallery. Read more about the formation of the law in the case study archive or in IUCN’s ‘Policy Matters’ ]]> http://sacrednaturalsites.org/a-maya-vision-for-2012-the-awakening-of-the-sun/feed/ 0 PotterTALKS: Facilitating Change http://www.earthcollective.net/pottertalks-facilitating-change/ http://www.earthcollective.net/pottertalks-facilitating-change/#comments Sat, 28 Apr 2012 12:04:29 +0000 EarthCollective http://www.earthcollective.net/?p=5913 Living Lands director and social change facilitator Dieter Van den Broeck has been invited to present experiences from working within the Baviaanskloof catchment at this year’s PotterTALKS which are to be held between the 7th-9th May in Cape Town.  Dieter will speak on “facilitating change within social-ecological systems for the mitigation of and adaptation to climate change in rural areas”. His presentation will be part of a session on “Our Changing Ecology” which will focus on motivating more positive attitudes and encourage creative thinkers from all fields to engage with the problem and help find solutions. The problems are not constrained to science, neither are the solutions likely to be.

Potter TALKS are a series of exciting and thought-provoking short lectures given by prominent academics, thought leaders, innovators and students on issues affecting civil society in South Africa. PotterTALKS II will take place over three successive evenings focusing on the lessons learnt in the first 18 years of South Africa’s democracy and where we are going from here; reflections on Cape Town and its past and future; and finally the biology of global change. The goal of the talks is to inspire, educate and engage. Talks are open to the public and all who are interested may attend.

For more information on PotterTALKS, visit: www.pottertalks.org

]]> http://www.earthcollective.net/pottertalks-facilitating-change/feed/ 0 MNE#009: The Energizing Effect http://eyes4earth.org/mne009-the-energizing-effect/ http://eyes4earth.org/mne009-the-energizing-effect/#comments Wed, 11 Apr 2012 01:00:12 +0000 eyes4earth http://eyes4earth.org/?p=3194 The local security guard at Playa Ostional (Costa Rica) gingerly walked out onto the beach and took a seat nearby us. Being the centre of one of ‘nature’s wonder’s’, we felt compelled to question the gentleman about everything we could in relation to Ostional’s fame for being one of the few locations in the world which is home to the periodic mass nesting of the Olive Ridley Turtle. Though it was not the information which we received which energized us back to ‘waking life’… http://eyes4earth.org/the-energizing-effect/

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]]> http://eyes4earth.org/mne009-the-energizing-effect/feed/ 0 Mountains Revered, Indigenous Revival and the Conservation of Sacred Sites http://sacrednaturalsites.org/mountains-revered-indigenous-revival-and-the-conservation-of-sacred-sites/ http://sacrednaturalsites.org/mountains-revered-indigenous-revival-and-the-conservation-of-sacred-sites/#comments Mon, 09 Apr 2012 21:05:54 +0000 Sacred Natural Sites http://sacrednaturalsites.org/?p=2936 the Neothropical Montology Collaboratory led by Fausto Sarmiento, most of the work focused on sacred mountains with examples drawn from around the world and in particular the Andes. High altitude archaeologist Constanza Ceruti  shared her work on the interpretation of sacred places of the Inca as interpreted through investigating mummies and ceremonial sites above 5000m across South America. Although the Inca civilization no longer exists mountains are still sacred to many of the living Andean cultures today.

Superintendent Dorothy Firecloud explains about managing competing claims and interests between climbers, residents and the Indian tribes at Devils Tower, National Monument in Wyoming. Photo: B. Verschuuren.

In Ecuador for example, eleven sacred mountains are known to embody the spiritual heartland of the Atawalakuna. Cesar Cotacachi, an Indigenous Kichwa Otavelano person explained the importance of regulating tourism and restoring the natural integrity of these sacred natural places in relation to the well-being of all Otavelano people. The Sacred Natural Sites Initiative delivered a key note address outlining the need for collaboration between conservationists, scientists and NGOs in support of custodians that are protecting and managing their sacred natural sites. Putting the control over conservation of sacred natural sites in the hands of local and indigenous peoples also provides new perspectives on the role of science. According to Bern Guri, indigenous ways of knowing are themselves sciences. He made the point that these “indigenous sciences” are at the basis of local communities way of life and should be the starting point of any conservation work or scientific work on sacred sites at the community level. Himself a Dagara person from Ghana, Bern presented CIKOD’s work on saving the sacred places of the Tancharra community (Tanchara meaning “in between mountains” in Dagara language).

The conference participants listen to scholar and lawyer Mr. Jace Weaver, who is also a member of the Cherokee Eastern Band. Here he is seen explaining the significance of the mound that once accommodated part of the traditional settlement of Mikwasi. Photo: B. Verschuuren.

Community and Archaeologist Ben Steere presented his work for the Eastern Band of Cherokees who’s territory is close to where the conference was being held. This band employs archaeologists to regain information on their past in order to carefully restore the physical and intangible importance of their sacred places. Cherookee leaders guide the work and are closely involved with the activities on the ground themselves leading to what is perhaps best described as community or participatory archaeology. The party continued on to visit the Cherokee Museum and the Cherokee interpretative trail at Chattahoochee National Forest. The trip came to a close at the mound which is regarded the sacred origin site of the Cherokee. This particular mound was lost to the Cherokee as the area came under the laws of South Carolina. It was later ploughed down for farming in the 1920’s and was bought by the Cherokee Eastern Band for approximately 3 million dollars in 1996 who are now keeping it safe from further damage.]]> http://sacrednaturalsites.org/mountains-revered-indigenous-revival-and-the-conservation-of-sacred-sites/feed/ 0 In the Running: The Humanitarian Water and Food Award http://www.earthcollective.net/living-lands-official-applicant-for-the-humanitarian-water-and-food-award/ http://www.earthcollective.net/living-lands-official-applicant-for-the-humanitarian-water-and-food-award/#comments Sat, 31 Mar 2012 22:45:10 +0000 EarthCollective http://www.earthcollective.net/?p=5791 It is with great pleasure to announce that Living Lands is an official applicant for The Humanitarian Water and Food Award. Water and food are essential to mankind, yet over 1 billion people are starving every day and 1.4 billion do not have access to clean water . Without access to water and food human’s will perish and entire communities are at risk of collapsing.  This is why The Humanitarian Water and Food Award (WAF) was created. Its goal is to empower needy communities to create their own solutions, as well as to reward groundbreaking projects that are effective in modelling solutions.

WAF is about human beings, human lives, human survival and building human solidarity. Founded in 2008, WAF is a Danish initiative and contribution to the people of the world for an effective solution to the humanitarian crisis related to primary needs of human beings, which have been identified to be water and food.

Living Lands has been nominated for the work done within the Baviaanskloof Mega-Reserve (BMR) with the western section of the Baviaanskloof acting as the pilot. In the past four years great momentum surrounding the restoration and conservation of the area’s natural capital and biodiversity was gathered.

Living Lands‘ philosophy is to listen to everybody with a stake on the landscape – bringing science, implementers, NGOs, landowners, communities and governmental agencies together, listening to their respective needs, and acting as a collective to realise those needs. Landowners in the area, who were previously adverse, are now interested, willing, and open to exploring concepts of restoration, conservation and sustainable land use. A collective awareness, as well as greater understanding and knowledge has developed – not only amongst landowners in the area, but also amongst other crucial stakeholders from and involved in the area. This entire process has resulted in the mobilization of the Baviaanskloof civil society to take collective action in achieving the vision of a living landscape.

]]> http://www.earthcollective.net/living-lands-official-applicant-for-the-humanitarian-water-and-food-award/feed/ 0 How to Make the River Do What the River Does Best http://www.earthcollective.net/how-to-make-the-river-do-what-the-river-does-best/ http://www.earthcollective.net/how-to-make-the-river-do-what-the-river-does-best/#comments Wed, 28 Mar 2012 23:00:13 +0000 EarthCollective http://www.earthcollective.net/?p=5695 River erosion along the upper-middle reaches of the Baviaans catchment over the last 40 years has resulted in a loss of floodplain wetlands. This has reduced the ability of the river-floodplain to supply important catchment (ecosystem) services to local and downstream communities. These communities strongly depend on the catchment to supply sufficient quantities of water for domestic and commercial agricultural purposes, in a sustained way.

One of the objectives of the PRESENCE Learning Network (PLN) Integrated Catchment Restoration Programme is to repair the healthy functioning of the river-floodplain to improve delivery of these catchment/watershed services. The primary aim of this research is to understand the natural river processes that drive the behaviour and functioning of the river and its ability to provide these services, and the environmental factors that have promoted recent degradation.

During the course of 2010 and 2011 several catchment field trips were conducted towards fulfilling this aim. Activities included:

Investigating the geomorphic character and functioning of the river-floodplain

This has involved surveying the geomorphology of the river and floodplain, monitoring river erosion along degraded reaches and walking along the river and floodplain to map features that tell us something about past river conditions and human influences on the present-day functioning of the river (Figure 1). This has given insight into how the interaction of different processes of water and sediment movement over space and time influence the behaviour and functioning of the Baviaans River-floodplain.

Figure 1: Images of river-floodplain field investigations: top left image: Local farmer representative, PLN Coordinator, and the Working for Wetlands co-ordinator collaboratively planning restoration options for the river and floodplain; bottom left image: Surveying the river and floodplain geomorphology; right image: local scientists and students investigating the character of the river and the nature of floodplain sediments.

Understanding landscape history and human-river relationships 

This has involved interacting with local lifestyle and commercial farming communities who have been settled in the valley for generations to document their accounts of the history of land-use and large floods in the catchment, responsible for causing major changes in the character and functioning of the river-floodplain. Informal conversations have been held sitting under a fig tree, beside the river or during long walks through the floodplain (Figure 2). These interactions have enabled greater understanding of how local people value and depend upon the ecosystem services the river-floodplain provides and how humans have influenced the behaviour and functioning of the river over time.

Figure 2: Interacting with local people from the Baviaans catchment: left image: Piet Kruger, a local farmer explaining floodplain land-use history and recent changes in the form and functioning of the floodplain; right image: members of a local church community, Zaaimanshoek, who have been settled in the valley for over 80 years.

It is hoped that these investigations and time spent in the Baviaans catchment will help inform a holistic approach to floodplain restoration and catchment management planning in the future  - improving the well-being of human, ecosystems and allowing the river to do what it does best.

Text: Rebecca Joubert (Ed: Matthew Zylstra)
]]> http://www.earthcollective.net/how-to-make-the-river-do-what-the-river-does-best/feed/ 0 MNE#007: On the Horizon http://eyes4earth.org/mne007-on-the-horizon/ http://eyes4earth.org/mne007-on-the-horizon/#comments Wed, 28 Mar 2012 01:00:28 +0000 eyes4earth http://eyes4earth.org/?p=3165 Photo: N. Daamen As it turned out, the rhinos were pretty chilled. The path we need to walk was actually exactly where the rhino were grazing and our guide gently approached them and they were content to eventually scurry off over the hill. But that’s where for me this experience got extra special. If the rhinos were unexpected, I could have never guess what else was in store. As the rhino trotted back up and over the hilltop, we were momentarily stunned with the manic shake of the wildebeest head suddenly appearing from behind the hill crest…and galloping amongst the retreating rhino heard. I know I will never forget that image. It is just engraved into my recollections. It was one of those indelible moments that have a certain something illuminating them. It was a combination of the sheer surprise, the first time of seeing a wildebeest, the fact that I’ve always been fascinated with that animal  – one of my African favourites –and all of that just infused into ‘a moment’ of perceptual focus and wonder. This story unfortunately ends on a tragic note: Last year (2011) I heard that every single rhino pictured in this photo was callously slaughtered as part of the rhino poaching epidemic to hit South Africa. I was devastated, especially because this time it was personal. This more than anything hammers home the realization of the implications of biodiversity loss. Over and above the intrinsic value of the rhino and their right to co-exist, what is the lost existence value and the knowledge that these creatures can and do shape memories and change lives?

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]]> http://eyes4earth.org/mne007-on-the-horizon/feed/ 0 Estranged to Engaged: Drawing Municipalities into Relationships http://www.earthcollective.net/estranged-to-engaged-drawing-municipalities-into-relationships/ http://www.earthcollective.net/estranged-to-engaged-drawing-municipalities-into-relationships/#comments Wed, 28 Mar 2012 06:53:14 +0000 EarthCollective http://www.earthcollective.net/?p=5708 The annual C.A.P.E. L.I.K.E conference was held in the picturesque Baviaanskloof at the World Heritage  Interpretive Centre on the 13th March 2012. Amidst morning sunshine introductions and expectations of each delegate were symbolized by throwing a ball of string from the one person to the next, creating a network-like web between one another.

After introductions, the program for the day was explained and then the real learning began. The initial exercise was centred on a discussion session in groups of landscape initiatives, with each landscape initiative reflecting on their engagement and relationship with the local municipalities. The exercise allowed the delegates’ creative sides to emerge with this relationship being graphically depicted with crayons and paint on a poster.  Together with their related landscape initiatives the municipal representatives drew a poster depicting their view of the relationship.

C.A.P.E L.I.K.E C.A.P.E L.I.K.E C.A.P.E L.I.K.E

Then came the sharing of everyone’s poster… and it was immediately apparent why such an estranged relationship exists between some of the landscape initiatives and the municipalities. Many lessons were learnt and insights about engagement, particularly with regard to municipalities. These ranged from  being ever mindful of the chains-of-command which exist when integrating conservation plans and strategies into a municipality’s IDP, to aligning priorities and the necessity of speaking a “common  language” that is understood by each other.

During the next two days, an outlook that was previously viewed with despondence and apprehension, gradually turned around to one of anticipation at the prospect of building new and fruitful relationships with the municipalities. Fresh knowledge, insights and truths were shared during this experience and opened the door to new strategies which can enable more effective communication with municipalities. All attendees departed the workshop with high hopes and a newfound agenda for effective engagement and interaction with their local municipality.

Text: Eberhard van der Merwe (Ed: Jennifer Foley & Matthew Zylstra)
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