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Protected Areas Are One of the Earliest and Most Widespread Conservation Tools Used by Human Societies

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Protected Areas Are One of the Earliest and Most Widespread Conservation Tools Used by Human Societies 10/1/2015 This Week: EVOLVING STORY Long-term history of societal protection of some resources for aesthetic, food security, religious purposes Mismanagement and corruption in resource consumption – giving rise to roots of conservation in North America (not possible to arise just anywhere) Environmental values rising to a greater dominance in industrialized countries 1 Today’s Outline of Topics 1. Differences between large scale, top-down control, versus small scale, bottom-up control, of protected areas? 2. What resources do sacred groves provide communities? 3. Why have sacred groves persisted to today? 4. Why did the National Park model develop in post colonial US? 5. How US citizens drive the development of the National Park model? How did the ARTS contribute to the formation of the US conservation movement? 6. So what do 2 guys have to do with the formation of the first US National Park model? Why does a worm have to do with the conservation movement first being implemented in the US [even though the ideas developed in Great Britain, Germany, India?] 7. Why did the conservation movement not develop in Spain or Portugal? 8. Introduce idea why Parks as protected areas continue to face many problems in achieving their conservation goals? 2 Protected Areas are one of the earliest and most widespread conservation tools used by human societies Wintu Sacred Site, Medicine Lake, CA 3 1 10/1/2015 Today’s Outline of Topics 1. Differences between large scale, top-down control, versus small scale, bottom-up control, of protected areas 4 http://dealerserviceacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/204-King-Crown.png Protected Area: Small scale, bottom up control Sacred groves = • few trees to several acres of forests or natural vegetation dedicated to local folk deities or tree spirits; • set-up & controlled by local communities, village NOTE: People believe that any kind of disturbance or upsetting local deities or spirits will offend them RESULT of Disturbing spirits: they will cause diseases, natural calamities or failure of crops 5 Protected Area: Small scale, bottom up control TYPES OF SACRED GROVES: 1. Traditional Sacred Groves –place where village deity resides and protects community, also has survival resources that community controls, protects its uses 2. Temple Groves –created around a temple and conserved 3. Groves around burial or cremation grounds 6 2 10/1/2015 1. Traditional Sacred Groves Once widespread practice to establish sacred groves outside all settlements Last remnants of primary forest left in Southern Nigeria; abode of fertility goddess 7 http://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/public-speaking-practice-and- ethics/section_18/35e8bd11efe30d8b6b38b8a576175401.jpg Osun Sacred Grove has last remnants of primary forest in southern Nigeria. Grove lands have many sanctuaries, shrines, sculptures and art works in honor of Osun - fertility goddess - and other Yoruba deities. Is probably last sacred grove in Yoruba culture. NOTE: primary forest means is old forest that has not been cut down - not young forest that has regrown back and looks old! 8 http://www.joannalipper.com/sites/default/files/gallery-images/46dee1032b0e6c62e812949ced7933d0.jpeg; http://nigerianwiki.com/images/2/2d/Oshogbo1.jpg 2. Temple Groves Suan Mokh monastery, Thailand Sacred Forest Shrine, India 3 10/1/2015 2. Temple Groves India still has ~13,270 sacred groves existing today QUESTION? What does this tell you about whether they are still revered today? Above Ayyanar idols near Gobi, Sri Lanka • Located at boundaries of rural villages • Guardian deities eternally fights demons, evil spirits Ayyanar temple near that threaten a village Pondichery, India http://m9.i.pbase.com/o3/75/648575/1/121939169.L1arHdm6.Ayyanartemplene http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Ayyanar_i10 arSalem4.JPG dols_near_Gobichettipalayam.jpg 3. Groves around burial or cremation grounds Burial cairn at Dunchraigaig, Argyll, Scotland • housed many burial chambers [one opened had bones, many ancient artifacts] • can be 5,000 years old • always surrounded by a grove of trees Dunchraigaig, Scotland 11 http://www.megalithic.co.uk/a558/a312/gallery/Spirit_of_Place/Middle- earth/NLargieS.jpg Protected Areas: Large- scale, top-down control Emperor Ashoka Mauryan Empire, 273-232 BCE India 321-185 BCE Strong military – largest empire at this time, united region of what is present day India under one flag http://bladams.tripod.com/empire/mauryan_g/Picture015.jpg 4 10/1/2015 Protected Areas: Large- scale, top-down control Ashoka converted to Buddhism - established edicts for how to interact with nature • developed a policy of protecting natural resources • assigned specific officials tasked with protection duty • first ruler in history to advocate conservation measures for wildlife Emperor Ashoka http://www.mrdowling.com/images/612chandragupta%20.png Protected Areas: Large-scale, top-down control Reference to his edicts are inscribed on 34 stones http://en.wikipedia.org/w iki/Edicts_of_Ashoka#/m edia/File:EdictsOfAshok a.jpg 15 5 10/1/2015 Protected Areas: Large-scale, top-down control Ashok’s Edict on Fifth Pillar: Protect parrots, ruddy geese, wild ducks, bats, queen ants, terrapins, boneless fish, fish, tortoises, porcupines, OR squirrels, deer, bulls, wild translated asses, wild pigeons, domestic pigeons, etc and all four-footed creatures that are neither useful nor edible Forests not to be burnt or creatures killed without reason One animal is not to be fed to another Large-scale, top-down control Pliny the Elder (23-79 CE) tells us: Roman Emperor Hadrian (117-138 CE) worried about dwindling timber supply of the Lebanese and Ammanus Mts [will hear about later - Epic of Gilgamesh]. He declared a portion of this area as: “Timber Reserve of the Roman Empire.” “ARBORUM GENERA EST CETERA PRIVATA” Bronze head from a statue of Hadrian, British Museum 17 https://www.google.com/ Large-scale, top-down control “Timber Reserve of the Roman Empire.” “ARBORUM GENERA EST CETERA PRIVATA” Rock Boundary of the forests of Emperor Hadrian said: “four tree species are reserved, the rest are for private use” Imagine! A timber reserve! BUT not to conserve the environment & timber didn’t belong to Hadrian 18 6 10/1/2015 Today’s Outline of Topics 2. What resources do sacred groves provide communities? 19 Sacred groves resource uses & protected Materials collected or protected in Traditional Sacred Groves were human survival resources: Non-timber products: grazing for domesticated animals, honey, beeswax, medicinals (Forestris, Germany, 556 CE) Hunting grounds - Normans England 1079, China, Persia, Romania 1457 Conservation of soil and water : (1) Japan 1500’s; (2) Switzerland and Austria 1800’s Community rules conserved an intact forest. Allowed community to collect or harvest from Protected Areas: SOME SACRED GROVES: No dry foliage & fallen fruits to be touched Deadwood or dried leaves may be picked, but no cutting of live tree Sacred Forest or branches Shrine, India Hunting and logging usually strictly prohibited Honey, medicinal plants can be collected by the community 21 7 10/1/2015 TODAY many ECOLOGICAL BENEFITS OF SACRED GROVES: • Conservation of Biodiversity – NOTE: often the last refuge of endemic species in a geographical region • Recharge of aquifers – Ponds, streams or springs to meet water requirements of local people. The vegetative cover helps recharge aquifers. • Soil conservation – Vegetation cover in groves improves soil stability & prevents soil erosion. 22 ECOLOGICAL BENEFITS OF SACRED GROVES: Benefits of protected areas still being provided to society … 1/3 of the worlds largest cities rely on protected watersheds for their water supply Parts of West Africa, the only forest remaining is in protected areas (Furniss 2005) Where do you think the city of Seattle gets its water??? Today’s Outline of Topics 3. Why have sacred groves persisted to today? 24 8 10/1/2015 Globally, sacred groves have survived for more than two thousand years Sacred Forest Shrine, India http://www.e- pao.net/education/images/Scientific_paper/2009/Groov es_200910.jpg; http://www.sacredland.org/wp- ~13,270 in India today content/gallery/sacred-groves/sacred-groves-map.jpg 25 Why Early Protected Areas Survived: Locally controlled by small, flexible societies Community members protect the grove Protection of sacred sites and natural resources inseparable Regulated by cultural taboos, constraints passed down through oral history 26 Today’s Outline of Topics 4. Why did the National Park model develop in post colonial US? 27 9 10/1/2015 Large-scale, top-down control OUR NEXT STORY: Why did the National Park idea develop in the US and not in some other country? The Park Concept vs Sacred Groves : • Parks designed as public space using public lands held in trust by a government • Parks designed for public recreation, or as wilderness areas - not to protect locally consumed resources by local communities • Parks are large scale, top-down controlled THE STORY: Why US is Credited with Developing the Model of Parks still Used Today We have to go back to European colonial period in North American!!! Lets pick up these threads and connections …. 29 THE STORY: Why US is Credited with Developing the Model of Parks still Used Today 2 NEGATIVES: Colonization of North America by European colonialists [1] did not pay attention to indigenous community rights (stole their lands & resources) [2] was over-exploiting publicly owned forests & resources in un-environmental way 1850 1810 1775 30 10 10/1/2015 THE STORY: Why US is Credited with Developing the Model of Parks still Used Today 1st NEGATIVE: Indigenous Peoples were Dispossessed 31 SLIGHT DETOUR to understand 2nd Negative To control new conquered lands, US government gave federal or public domain: • Land given away in place of money • Land given away to US citizens to settle it for the US government: sovereignty – Dispossess land from American Indians – Establish and control borders against the Spanish, Mexicans, French, British, and Canadians • Privatization: minimize government control of citizens How the land was disposed off is what stimulated the development of conservation values!!! 32 Title: "Horse Shoe Curve." On Burlington and Missouri River.
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