Non-Material Values of Protected Areas

The journal PARKS is a periodical published by the IUCN’s World Parks Commission. This number – the first monographic edition – is totally dedicated to intangible values and was coordinated by Allen Putney, the then leader of the Commission’s Task Force on Cultural and Spiritual Values of Protected Areas. After an initial introduction, the volume presents four case studies from Australia, Canada, the United States and Peru, an article by Lawrence S. Hamilton describing guidelines for planners and managers when taking decisions regarding cultural and spiritual values in protected mountainous areas, and an article by Edwin Bernbaum on the cultural and spiritual significance of mountains for developing interpretative material in national parks.

All the contributions argue for and defend (albeit from different standpoints) more holistic ideas than those that are habitually adopted in the management of protected natural areas, as well as the need to recognise the true value of each example of intangible values, be they cultural, identitary, symbolic or spiritual. Finally, this publication includes summaries in Spanish and French of all the articles.