Long-time EarthCollective collaborators Dr. Bas Verschuuren and Dr. Matthew Zylstra have teamed up again with the release of the book “Cultural and Spiritual Significance of Nature in Protected Areas” edited by Verschuuren & Brown and published by Routledge.
The book emphasises that cultural and spiritual bonds with ‘nature’ are among the strongest motivators for conservation; yet they are seldom taken into account in the governance and management of protected and conserved areas.
Therefore the book as a whole aims to provide a starting point for emphasising the wide range of beliefs, values and experiences that motivate action to conserve earth’s diversity. It makes a compelling case for these intangible values as key drivers underpinning our sense of connectedness with human and non-human nature.
Matthew Zylstra contributes a chapter entitled “Meaningful nature experiences: Pathways for deepening connections between people and place” as well as one of the book’s front cover images, featuring the Baviaanskloof Nature Awareness group (an EarthCollective initiative)
Order the ebook and hardcopy here »
