The village of Tafi Atome is located within the Hohoe District of the Volta Region of Ghana. Residents and is surrounded by a sacred grove of approximately 28 ha. The grove fits into the IUCN protected area Category IV, a habitat and/or species management area. The area is protected by a 2006 Hohoe District bylaw for its main value as habitat for sacred mona monkeys (Cercopithecus mona mona).

The village of Tafi Atome is located within the Hohoe District of the Volta Region of Ghana. Residents and is surrounded by a sacred grove of approximately 28 ha.

According to residents, approximately 200 years ago, the ancestors of the residents of the Tafi Atome area are said to have migrated from Assini in central Ghana to the Hohoe District. They brought with them an idol or fetish that was placed in the sacred forest in Tafi Atome, in order to keep it safe and cool. The forest was immediately considered sacred and therefore protected.

In the 1980s, a local Christian leader brought opposing views to traditional law, which led to the deterioration of spiritual connections with the fetish forest and erosion of traditional protection. Residents cut down economically viable trees, particularly around the sacred grove, until an environmental organization helped re-affirm protection of the grove in the 1990s. There is ongoing pressure from local residents to clear the forests for farmland and to cut trees.  There is also tourism pressure to feed the mona monkeys.

Read more about how tourism promotion at Tafi Atome helped curb threats to their sacred forest.

Traditional Maya elder Don Miguel Castro from the community of Buena Vista Sacjabja is being interviewed and filmed by his fellow community members as part of the training on participatory video making. Source: Lorna Slade.

The training involved 19 members from the communities of Buena Vista and Rij Juyub, in the municipality of San Andres Sajcabaja, and 2 from the community of Chupol in the Chichicastenango municipality.   Four members from San Andres Sajcabaja completed the entire training, while 2 members from Chupol completed the technical aspects of the training in preparation for carrying out their own participatory video training at a later date.

The primary video focused on the value and conservation challenges of local mountain forests for the population as a whole, and on their spiritual importance for the Mayan people in particular.  The second shorter video documented the ceremony carried out at the local important natural sacred site of Chusaqrib’al on the 13^th April.  The videos were planned and filmed by the participants themselves.

Forest in the area is under continued pressure for agricultural land and timber as communities cook extensively on firewood. Many areas of forest have also suffered from fires, particularly during the dry season whilst other areas are being threatened by mining.

Even though it is sometimes a fight, we must not give up.  Thanks to Oxlajuj Ajpop we are starting to organise ourselves and are talking about these issues.’ Don Miguel Castro traditional Maya elder from San Andres Sacjabja.

Village elders and custodians were interviewed and opinions and recommendations sought as part of the film-making.  The training exercise culminated in participatory editing and showing to community members.  The films are in the local language of Quiché and will soon be subtitled in both Spanish and English.

During the participatry video training the villagers of San Andres Sacjabja prepare the story board for their film. Source: Sophie Conin.

The importance of mountain forest cover for protection of springs and provision of water to local inhabitants is stressed during the main film, emphasizing the need for water in all aspects of daily life. Lorna Slade participatory video trainer.

Recommendations have been given by villagers for actions needed to conserve remaining forests and sacred natural sites with a great emphasis on awareness raising and community organization.  The application of local and national laws relevant to forest and sacred site protection is key to this and has been discussed by the villagers as part of the film and the participatory process that lead up to it.

Thanks goes out to all the villagers, Oxlajuj Ajpop and PV trainers Lorna Slade and Sophie Conin.  A screening, including the local authorities, has already been scheduled in the village for May 26th.

Located in the administrative center of Bandjoun, Tchuep-Poumougne is a scared area of hight spiritual value. In the past the area of its infuence covered the whole of Pete Quarter. Because of urbanisation its surrounding ecological values have drastically declined and only the core of the sanctuary remains. Photo; Sébastien Luc Kamga-Kamdem (2008).

In the Bandjoun territory in the West of Cameroon lie various sites perceived as sacred by the local people. They are the core remnants of sites that were historically a lot more extensive representing the identity of tribes and communities in the region such as family shrines and community gathering places. The shared function of most sites is worship of the gods. Even though the ecology of these sacred natural sites has received little attention to date, they are known to harbour animals and plants which have largely disappeared from the surrounding areas.

Traditional leaders stated that the survival of sacred areas is not threatened because these areas are strongly linked with the community identity and thus well taken care off. Nevertheless, they worry about the strength of the cultural fabric that has upheld sacred natural sites. Changing attitude of young people who are becoming increasingly materialistic cause them to disobey toboos and show lest respect for ancestral beliefs. Today, many people use sacred areas without informing their custodian, indicating the erosion of cultural norms. More key threats have been identified, yet most are under debate among the local people themselves.

Over the centuries, the Bandjoun people have developed an ancestral management system of sacred natural sites. The location of natural and semi-natural sacred sites is identified by the initiated spiritual leaders (MkamSi). While most have been long-established, the location of a sacred area is not immutable and  can be changed for reasons like road construction or socio-political reorientation. Generally, each sacred area comes under the responsibility of a custodian called Nongtchuép. He is responsible for making offerings and sacrifices, for which he can also mandate a representative. The initiated elders are universal custodians. They have the right to work in all worship sites.

The greatest progress supporting the conservation of sacred areas would be their legal recognition, increased public awareness, reduced negative changes in land use and a better recognition of their socio-cultural and ecological importance. To achieve all of the above will require involvement of stakeholders at local, national and international levels. Read more.

The first meeting focused on the role of cultural, spiritual and sacred values in sustainable forest management. The meeting, organised by Oxlajuj Ajpop, the Sacred Natural Sites Initiative (SNSI) and supported by Natural Justice served to capacitate participants from three indigenous communities on the development of Biocultural Community Protocols as a tool to help protect their sacred natural sites and forests.

“Sacred sites are places of ceremony, central to peoples spirituality. It therefore didn’t take long for them to be termed the heart of ICCAs” Grazia Borrini Feyerabend, Global Coordinator of the ICCA Consortium.

From Little things big things grow. This is true, even for the majestic forests of Totonicapan. Here at the tree nursery community members explain how local seed selections helps with growing trees that are just right for their forest. Source: Bas Verschuuren, 2013.

The second meeting was the first regional meeting of the ICCA Consortium that was co-organized by Oxlajuj Ajpop, Ut’z Che, the Global Diversity Foundation and SNSI. A range of presentations on indigenous and community conserved areas from the region showed a richness of experiences in traditional, use and conservation and governance of ecosystems:

-      The indigenous territory of the Xpujil in Mexico,

-      The importance of sacred natural sites in Guatemala,

-      The marine community reserve Tarcoles in Costa Rica,

-      The Indigenous territory of the Kuna in Panama,

-      The law and the Mayagna in Nicaragua,

-      Indigenous territories in El Salvador.

Although most ICCAs in Central America are understood under different and often local or regional names the participant agreed that a common plan and strategy should be shaped in order to preserve these unique and biodiverse territories.

Almost all of the presentations made reference to sacred sites being sources of spiritual well-being located in indigenous and local communities’ territories. After a sturdy climb, the participants of the first meeting experienced a local sacred natural enclosed by vast community managed forests and located on top of mountain overlooking Totonicapan. Later the tragic news arrived that the sacred natural sited and its surrounding forests had been allocated to families to harvest and farm as they see fit.

The faith of this sacred natural site is one of many examples of threats that face ICCAs and SNS. Because these places are often not recognised sufficiently my municipal planners and administrators they often get lost when legal title of community ownership is taken away. In addition, unbridled forestry, mining, urbanisation and infrastructural development scored high on the list of threats across the region. Other threats were noted to creep up more slowly such as state education and religious conversion that systematically do away with people’s indigenous knowledge and worldviews.

The earth from above! At 2700 meters the ceremonial centre of a sacred natural site offers impressive views of Totonicapan. In the foreground to the right you can see the impact of the allotment of community forest to local residents that prefer to cut trees for timber and agriculture. Before the end of the meeting the participants learned that community governance is not always well respected, allotments had recently been handed out that include the sacred natural site form which this image was taken. Source: Bas Verschuuren, 2013.

Despite the challenges participants from both workshops were energised and motivated to counteract the forces against them and their territories. Supported by a decent quantity of lawyers the meetings allowed the participants not only to get an outlook on international environmental and human rights law but also to get detailed information on cases and jurisprudence from the region. Much of this had direct relevance to the problems the communities face and especially the Biocultural Community Protocols were seen as good first step to start structuring the communities’ traditional knowledge, use, values and assets within a framework of local, national and international law.

The Biocultural Community Protocols are not a panacea for solving all the problems a community has. They are however mentioned in international law and when initiated and developed by local communities they can be an important tool for strengthening the community from the inside and negotiating their interests with outsiders. Eli Makagon, International Environmental Lawyer with Natural Justice.

Oxlajuj Ajpop supports the communities to gain control over their sacred forests and helps them find ways for their management and co-management through dialogue and building bridges between the communities, the government and other stakeholders. Felipe Gomez, Mayan healer and spiritual leader with Oxlajuj Ajpop.

Ceremony held at the sacred natural site; “Chu Sqrib’al” located on top of the mountain which also hosts the communities “Rij Juyub’ y Buena Vista” part of the municipality “San Andres Sajcabaja” in the “Quiché” district. The sacred natural sites is of great spiritual and historic significance to the Maya as it is also mentioned in the “Popul Vuh”, one of the Mayas ancient spiritual scriptures. Source: Bas Verschuuren, 2012.

The project is supported by Hoja Verde, a Swiss Foundation promoting education and innovation for sustainable forestry whilst improving living conditions of local people. Within the project, Oxlajuj Ajpop and the SNSI are teaming up with several other partners  organisations such as the COMPAS Network,  the ICCA Consortium and Natural Justice. The later is also supporting the work on community protocols that is part of the focus of the project’s inception workshop to be held in Totonicapan, Guatemala, March 18-21. Read more bout the project, view earlier related news items, and watch videos on the dedicated project page.

The workshop will serve to bring the representatives of the three Quiche communities together for a visioning and planning exercise on the projects rather ambitious objectives. The project will develop over the course of one and a half years and aims to gain experience that wil last into the future. Together with Oxlajuj Ajpop and its partners the communities will develop:

-      community protocols for the safekeeping of their sacred places and forests

-      their own community action plans for forest and NRM management

-      forest value indicators for forest stakeholders,

-      dialogues about their forest values with forest related stakeholders,

-      education materials on forests and NRM for schools,

-      participatory videos for sharing with other communities and forest stakeholders

The community representatives will receive help from several national and international experts who have gained experience with developing community protocols and community conservation planning in various places in the world. Taking the community protocols as a starting point for the project is therefore a strategic choice. As the communities become aware of their rights and develop a common vision it is hoped that this will also be reflected in the NRM planning and the selection of cultural and spiritual forest value indicators to be developed for other forest stakeholders. In Guatemala forests are frequently used for ceremony, prayer and healing and are in cases regarded as sacred or holy. There is some recognition of cultural values in the sustainable forestry sector for example by the ITTOs, but this needs to be expanded.

One specific focus of the work is to elicit and promote community based indicators for the cultural, sacred and spiritual importance of forests through a series of dialogues ranging form the local to the national level. Bas Verschuuren, Coordinator for the Sacred Natural Sites Initiative.

Near Totonicapan several sacred natural sites are found in the community managed forests. The largest share of forests has been under community governance for over 300 years. Although pressures on the forest has gradually been increasing. In the photo, on the hill in the background you can see a privately owned forest on the left and the community forests, including important sacred natural sites, on the right. Source: Bas Verschuuren, 2012.

Read more bout the project, view earlier related news items, and watch videos on the dedicated project page.

Neyshabur is a township in North East Iran. A large part of it is located in a vast plain surrounded by hills and mountains. There are different sacred natural sites in the township, ranging from sacred trees and sacred springs to a sacred boulder and sacred gardens. The area houses several endemic plant and animal species. It also contains protected eco-tourism destinations such as waterfalls, springs, rivers and eye catching geographical features like mountain summits.

Qadamgah Garden in Neyshabur township at Khorasan Razavi province in Iran attrackts many pilgrims that follow the footsteps of the 8th Imam of Shiites, a male spiritual leader thought to be a descendant of Muhammed, divinely appointed to guide humans. The word Qadamgah means footprint and refers to this narration. Source: Maryam Kabiri Hendi, 2011.

Local people respect natural features as they are rooted in their religious belief. Qadamgah in Neyshabur for instance, is a Persian garden where nature has been imbued with spiritual values. It contains a mansion, trees, pools and streams. One of the walls of the mansion contains a black stone on which two footprints have been carved. People believe these prints belong to the 8th Imam of Shiites, a male spiritual leader thought to be a descendant of Muhammed, divinely appointed to guide humans. The word Qadamgah means footprint and refers to this narration.

Although there is formal management strategy, local people still conserve lesser-known sacred sites. Values of such sites are taught to the younger generations and religious ceremonies and practices are performed communally, as they have been for centuries. This way, the next generation learns to protect them.

The Iran legislation has no mention of sacred natural sites so far. Some sacred natural sites have been officially conserved because they are located in protected areas or in a national monument. Others have been specifically registered as national natural monuments. The Cultural Heritage and the department of the environment authority have a say in the protection of national natural monument. They advocate mainly for rare flora and fauna or remarkable land formations, landscapes or even ancient trees. They are then brought under protection by designating a suitable perimeter.

If sacred natural sites they are to survive, current measures need to be supported by legal protection. For this purpose, taking an integrated approach based on joint criteria and policies in the fields of nature and culture can play a key role in the conservation of sacred natural sites. Kabiri Hendi (2011) identified such criteria for the conservation of sacred natural sites in the township of Neyshabur, read more.

Work over the past year and a half has included a biological survey of 10 sacred forests in 6 villages of the southern region of Zanzibar Island, a social survey of their guardians and communities, the holding of a stakeholders planning workshop for 43 people drawn from different stakeholders and the development of management plans for two of the sacred forests.  Also accomplished has been the making of two community films and the collection of Swahili language oral histories in both film and written transcripts. English translations have been also made.

Guardianship of the Sacred Groves from Sacred Natural Sites on Vimeo.

Stakeholder workshop guided by forest guardians: On the 14th December 2012, the key organisations came together to review these activities and reflect on what the next steps might look like.  Importantly the guardians of the forests themselves guide this process and they have been actively involved in the programme and planning for the future.  One participant Musa Hassan Mwambe, Guardian of the Marembwe Sacred Forest, located in Makanduchi village said; “We guardians are pleased with the collaboration and would like to meet with more guardians and discuss forming a network or perhaps an association”.   Other activities during the week were meetings, focus group discussions and field visits.  The workshop included the forest guardians, key government departments, supporting civil society organisations, while in the villages important discussions were held with other guardians, local community members and tourism operators.

Challenges of Sacred Groves from Sacred Natural Sites on Vimeo.

20,000 years of human use: Socially the forests are often linked to the historic establishment of particular villages, or related to the origins of particular families and the ancestors are respected by visits to the groves to hold prayers and make offerings. In some cases annual gatherings include ‘ngoma’ which are dances with specific drum rhythms. Often the sacred site itself is a limestone cave frequently with a spring, well or pool, formed within ancient raised coral reef rock.  Recent archeological evidence has shown a much older human connection with evidence of occupation as long ago as 20,000 years.

Technically known as a ‘karst system’ the caves can go for miles and much of the island is riddled with such systems often supporting important water lens.  The water provides fresh water for dry season community use and in some cases have become the main village water supply.   Kast caves have their own specialist wildlife and are home to bats and unique cave creatures that have yet to be explored.  Thus while the cave or geological feature is usually the cultural focus and forest provides the ‘clothing’ offering cool and shady conditions.  Within local protocols it is prohibited to cut trees or hunt animals in the groves and so they have been, at least until recently, a safe haven for wildlife.

Rich in wildlife: Biological survey work that has confirmed that the forests are far richer in biodiversity than the surrounding forest and agricultural lands, much of which is becoming increasingly degraded.  They provide refuges for local animals such as the endemic Zanzibar Red Colobus Monkey and two species of Elephant Shrew.  They are also rich in plants with the 10 forests that together total less that 10 hectares in extent support over 70 plant species, many of which are becoming increasingly rare.  10 species have been noted that cannot be identified locally.  Given that Zanzibar is part of one of the most important global hotspots for nature the biological riches of the forests may not be so surprising.

What is perhaps more surprising that despite their importance the sacred forests have remained hidden and often over looked.  The do not figure widely in conservation or other government policies and the forests are easy to miss.  Villagers tend not to talk about them much, even amongst themselves, and new residents can live right next to them for years without knowing their significance.  Given Zanzibar’s tourist boom the island has a large number of new residents from many places in the world who are unfamiliar with this aspect of Zanzibar culture and life.

“We guardians are pleased with the collaboration and would like to meet with more guardians to discuss forming a network or perhaps an association” Musa Hassan Mwambe, Guardian of Marembwe Sacred Forest, Makanduchi village, southern, Zanzibar.

Biodiversity hotspot under threat: Places of high animal and plant variety are also termed ‘hotspots’ because they are critically threatened.  Zanzibar is no different and rapid economic development, tourism expansion population growth has put significant demands on the social and ecological systems.  Cultural changes mean that some, particularly the younger generations, are losing interest in culture and religion, demand for land for tourism development has dramatically risen, while the need for construction materials has developed into a hunger!  This hunger combined with the real poverty of many rural inhabitants has left most of the areas forests no more than a low scrub.  This has meant that attention has turned to sacred forests for timber, poles and firewood and the taboos that have stood the test of time are breaking down, large trees are being felled and poles from them sold to Zanzibar town.  Hundreds if not thousands of years of history are being extinguished for a few Tanzanian shillings to no meaningful gain in comparison to the diverse cultural and biological riches that are being lost.  Often the cutting is being carried out by the youth of the same families whose elders despair at their loss of control and the changing culture around them.

Sacred Groves starting to count:  Now, however, is perhaps the time is ripe for a better understood of the ‘Misitu ya Jadi’ and them start to count.  In fact starting to count them has been the first step.  This work has been led by the local non-government organisation ZAZOSO the Zanzibar Zoological Society.  A team of ZAZOSO biologists and foresters has been working with the site guardians to map and record the locations, boundaries, social values and biology of the 10 sites.  It is important that the guardians not only give their permission for this but guide the process so that the local regulations and norms are followed.  All the data will be returned to the guardians in a form that is useful to them and they guide how it can be stored and used.

Community Films:  Another Zanzibar non-government organisation Mwambao Community Coastal Network (http://www.mwambao.or.tz) has taken a lead on the social development component training guardians and other community members in film making.  This has used a specific technique call ‘Participatory Video (PV)’ that means in around 10 days 12 community members can plan and film two community videos – an impressive feat for those that in most cases have never held a video camera before.  See also news item: http://sacrednaturalsites.org/resources/news/page/4/

Strategy Workshop:  The key workshop recommendations are as follows:

• The guardians to meet and considering forming a network to communicate together and take coordinated measures to safeguard their sites,
• To continue listing and survey work to better understand the sacred forests,
• To develop an awareness and communications programme at both village and national level especially working with the youth and policy makers,
• To develop a sacred forest conservation strategy,
• Take steps to reverse the shrinking of the forests by promoting forest restoration at their edges.
• Improve policy and legal measures to protect sacred forests.

The Zanzibar Forest Department has been providing oversight and support to the activities, as has the Tourism Department and the Department of Archives – in recognition of the historic and cultural values.  Technical advice and fund raising has been provided by the Sacred Natural Sites Initiative a member of the IUCN Specialist Group on the Cultural and Spiritual Values of Protected Areas.  The work has been funded by the Christensen Fund, (USA) the New England Biolabs Foundation, (USA) and Terralingua (USA and Canada).

For more information contact info@sacrednaturalsites.org

The Nyldy-Ata Gorge is situated in the rocky area in the Echkilüü Mountain gorge of Ozgorush village, Talas province, in the North of Kyrgyzstan. The entire gorge is connected to a complex of twenty-two sacred sites. Photo: Cholponai Usubalieva-Gryshchuk.

The Nyldy-Ata gorge is situated in the rocky area in the Echkilüü Mountain gorge of Ozgorush village, Talas province, in the North of Kyrgyzstan. The entire gorge is connected to a complex of twenty-two sacred sites. The water emerges from a cone-shape hollow in a big flat stone and streams through a waterfall eastwards where it ultimately leaves the valley. Below the waterfall is a cave in the mountain with sacred water dripping from the wall also called ‘the court’ by local custodians. There are sitting mats and cookware and three hearths suitable for big cauldrons for pilgrims and custodians.

Kyrgyz people look at themselves in unity with the universe and the surrounding nature. Sky, plants and water are the building blocks of nature. For traditional practitioners it is not possible to see a person distinct from nature. When connected with nature a person can be healed by it. There are different opinions about the use of a sacred site’s healing potential. According to some visitors “it is helpful when you come to the site with will and belief”. If there is a close connection between a person and the place, then results are often positive. Thus, people who feel the connection and understand it have common visions on how to protect the sacred site. Key ideas are raising public awareness, getting legal recognition and keeping the place clean and nourished.

One of the priorities of Aigine is to develop legal protection for sacred sites. According to the experts and carriers of traditional knowledge, central issues are the rules regulating behavior in the sacred sites of Kyrgyzstan, and the recognition of their cultural and ecological significance. Since the outset, Aigine has been seeking to form a balanced team representing all stakeholders to develop these laws. The majority of sacred sites in the country are unique in their beauty and the cleanliness of the environment. There is great potential to turn such zones into sites of popular rest and spiritual tourism. 

Aigine Cultural Research Center, which leads conservation and promotion of the Nyldy-Ata gorge, collaborates with international organizations with expertise and interest in cultural and biological diversity, religion, spirituality, folklore and education, but also with students from Talas State University and with local custodians.Read more.

But what happened to the Maya? Of course, most Maya quickly denounced the false publicity that was raving across the world like wildfire. So did the Guatemalan National Council of Maya Spiritual Leaders and Elders, Oxlajuj Ajpop, partner to the Sacred Natural Sites Initiative. According to Felipe Gomez, director of Oxlajuj Ajpop, these false predictions and publicity are indiscriminately villanising the Maya as a people.

The Map of Guatemala marking the 20 sacred natural sites and 5 sacred cities at which Oxlajuj Ajpop celebrated the turn of the Maya Calendar. Source: Oxlajuj Ajpop

“We have never been appropriately consulted by the government or other outsiders about the true meaning of the event. Many of the performances that took place were based on historic reconstructions and painted a folkloristic picture of our ancestors” says Felipe Gomez. “No one ever asked how we see ourselves today as Maya or how we think the event should be celebrated, not the government and neither did the tourism industry”.

Just to be clear on this, the Maya are very excited about the celebrations for the turn of Calendar and the misinformed tidings hardly spoiled their party. Through their own networks they had been planning their activities for quite some time, see this website for example. The importance of the event did not go unnoticed to those who understand the indigenous and religious significance of this sacred time. Letters of support were received from the twelfth Kenting Tai Situpa – The Supreme head of Palpung Monastic Seat of Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism -  as well as from indigenous Aboriginal Australians who were celebrating ceremony at  the same time as the Maya. Much of the excitement of the Maya however has to do with the entry into a new cycle of sacred time which will favour their cosmovision, sciences, social and spiritual life for the benefit of all of humanity.

To commemorate the event the Mayas in Guatemala organised ceremonies at over 20 sacred natural sites and 5 sacred cities. The ceremonies were celebrations but they traditionally also marked a time for reflection, healing and looking towards the future.

Invitación a la celebración de la Nuevo Ciclo Maya – Invitation to the celebration of the New Cycle of the Maya Calendar from Sacred Natural Sites on Vimeo.

According don Nicolas Lucas Oxlajuj Ajpop’s principal Elder and indigenous expert on the Mayan Calender, the Baktun comes to an end but this also means that the new Baktun will start. The new baktun will last for another 144,000 days! The 13th Baktun was special because it completed a cycle which started 11, 3114 B.C. (in Maya, 13.0.0.0.0 4 Ajaw 8 Kumk’u) and spans 5,125.366 solar years.

Of course the world hailed the Maya for being excellent astronomers and mathematicians having provided the world with the most accurate calendar ever made. What is less known is that this calendar is composed of various cyclical calendars that operate much like cogs in a clock. The combinations made between the days on these cogs are known for the special events that took place during their occurrence in history. As the cyclical nature predicts these combinations of days repeat themselves in the future. Predictions for those dates had traditionally been inspired by historic events that marked those days and some had been inscribed in texts that are today known as codices.

As Mayanists increasingly shed light on these ancient scriptures les attention is paid to the 6 million Maya speaking people that inhabit Meso-America Today. The collapse of most Maya cities during the end of the classic period didn’t mean that the Maya vanished although much of their tangible culture was laid to rest. The Maya survived and adapted to colonisation but much of their scriptures did not.

Most codices were burned by the Spaniards or went underground together with the much of the traditional expression of spirituality and religiosity that marks the Maya cosmovisions. Today, after colonial history, the influence of Catholicism and civil war the Maya proved their culture to be very much alive and ready to serve the world for at least another big count.

Don Nicolas Lucas, principal Elder of Oxlajuj Ajpop, leads the Maya ceremony helt in Tikal, Peten, Guatemala.

The Indian Hornbill is one of the flag ship and indicator species used to promote the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems in the villages across the Wester Ghats. (Photo: Yajant Sarnaik 2008).

The north Western Ghats of India in Maharashtra state is an eco-region forming a global biodiversity hotspot. The high biodiversity of the region is complemented by a high diversity in local traditions in the region. Almost every village in the Sahaydri-Konkan region has at least one sacred grove with a surface ranging from just a few to hundreds of hectares. Sacred groves have survived for many hundreds of years, and today act as reservoirs of biodiversity harbouring many plant and animal species as a patched network of relatively undisturbed wildlife.

Threats to sacred groves stem mainly from acculturation and globalization. Small sacred groves are often considered as small negligible patches of forests that hinder development work. Many sacred groves have been destroyed, and only the man-made temples were preserved. Examples of reasons why these groves have been removed are encroachment, road construction, grazing, the building of dams and canals and urbanization. Decisions to alter or remove a certain grove often come from the nearby villages where increased western influences cause a weakening of religious beliefs that is spreading throughout the region.

The region is likely to benefit of an appropriate form of co-management of the sacred groves, by local custodians as well as by other regional stakeholders. The most promising way to achieve this is by re-establishing cultural norms and empowering custodians, local people and traditional governance bodies. Long term work is important to create solid alliances between different parties. Continuous financial support is needed together with strong ongoing facilitation of the processes involved. These could be effective means to pass on the sacred groves and their biocultural importance to the future generations.

AERF has initiated work within 250 sacred groves from the region and significantly improved the conservation status of 100 sacred groves within the last 15 years. They have recorded the conservation status of 230 sacred groves, completed biodiversity inventories of 142 sacred groves and developed an understanding of the cultural importance of sacred groves. Through the continuous facilitation and involvement of communities, AERF revived the traditional practice of protecting and managing for 13 sacred groves from the region. Furthermore, the awareness of the situation has increased in many communities.

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