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Nara Nikoghosyan-Monte egli Biosphere Reserve

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Nara Nikoghosyan-Monte egli Biosphere Reserve

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I interpret Heritage as the natural, cultural, and historical assets that connect us to our past and shape our identity.

In the Monte Peglia area, heritage includes its forests, endemic species, historic villages, and traditional practices that reflect centuries of human-nature interaction.

Heritage is important because it provides the legal and ethical basis for conservation, ensures intergenerational equity, and promotes sustainable development.

Protecting heritage helps maintain biodiversity, preserve cultural identity, and guide responsible use of natural and cultural resources

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Maria Peroni - Maiella UNESCO Global Geopark

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Maria Peroni - Maiella UNESCO Global Geopark

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According to me, heritage (and cultural heritage in particular) is a richness that must be preserved, enhanced and promoted and in the place where I live (and work) it is truly remarkable. For me, cultural heritage is what people have created to meet their needs by using the resources and features of the surrounding environment. This heritage, which reflects the deep connections between nature and the culture of a territory, includes both tangible elements (such as abbeys, buildings, artefacts, monuments etc.) and intangible ones (stories, myths, proverbs, crafts, traditions, songs and much more).

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For me, heritage is the natural and cultural legacy found in our living environment that shapes our lives and personalities, often in perfect harmony with our surroundings.

The example of heritage that I will give here perfectly combines these two aspects of culture and nature.

The “sacred forest” is an often wooded area that serves as a retreat for cultural and religious practices, initiations, etc. for many ethnic groups here in Senegal and throughout traditional societies around the world.

It is a legacy received from our ancestors. Its absence will create an irreversible cultural divide, as it is the designated place for certain training and for ensuring the transition to adulthood, enabling individuals to take on responsibilities within their community.

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Le Bukut de Diatock 2015 a vécu avec succès – Au Sénégal, le cœur du Sénégal

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Des milliers de jeunes du village de Diatock (Casamance) sont entrés dans le bois sacré comme prévu le samedi 15 août dernier pour vivre leur initiation du Bukut. Après un séjour de deux semaines,…

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Cultural heritage is something to be preserved and protected. It is something that forms the foundation of our culture. It is something to be shown to everyone.

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For me, heritage is what makes a place feel like home: the memories, traditions, and everyday details that shape our identity. I was born in Vlore, and I often think of heritage as the city’s connection between sea, history, and local life: the coastline, the old parts of town, and the way people gather and live the city every day. It matters because it creates belonging and something we can pass on.

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It means an important inheritance give to you.

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For me “heritage” means the traditions, culture, and history that are passed down from one generation to the next. On the mountains, heritage can be both tangible, like old stone shelters like “cretan mitata”, and intangible, like local stories, traditional festivals, farming techniques, or skills connected to livestock. The “University of Mountains” (panoreon.gr) is a great example for me as this NGO tries a lot to highlight and to protect the knowledge and the experience of the local people on the mountains of Crete.

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“Heritage” in my view is the inheritance of meaning a community carries forward. Its everything we receive from the past that shapes who we are today, and what we choose to pass on next.

In many homes across UAE, the majlis isn’t just a room, it’s a social institution. The way guests are welcomed, seated, offered coffee/tea and dates, and included in conversation reflects values like generosity, respect, community responsibility, and social cohesion.

Heritage is deeply important because it gives people a shared story, along with traditions and spaces that build social trust, strengthen belonging, and reinforce community bonds. It also carries traditional knowledge that often holds practical wisdom and time-tested solutions, many of which can be adapted and applied in today’s world.

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Heritage is everything you can see in front of you, good and bad. You are made from the area you are from, containing within us the very rock from the mountains that tower us. We drink from ancient waters, un be knowing. Are ancestors roamed the lands we call home today, 100 thousands of years ago. What do we leave behind as heritage for the next

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Heritage, to me, represents both the tangible and intangible values inherited from previous generations that shape our cultural identity. In my area, Gjirokastër, heritage is reflected in its stone architecture, the Castle, and local traditions that have been preserved over centuries. These elements connect the past with the present and give the community a strong sense of belonging. Heritage is important because it helps us understand our history and protects our cultural identity for future generations.

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To interpret heritage is to look at the "inheritance" of a people. It isn’t just dusty artifacts in a museum; it is the living bridge between the past and the future.

For example, in my case, a rock (geological history), it uses and histories related with it.

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Heritage is what we carry in ourselves. Our traditions, our culture. It cacrerises our personality and our way of thinking and our way of life. The way we grew up, the common history of our country and our familly.

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Heritage is what belongs to the entire community and enriches it, making it distinctive.

One of the many examples of heritage found in my area is its legends, which encapsulate the imaginative world of this Archipelago.

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The word “heritage” refers to the traditions, culture, and history that are passed down from one generation to the next. In the mountains, heritage can be both tangible, like old stone chalets, barns, mining sites, or mountain paths, and intangible, like local stories, traditional festivals, farming techniques, or skills connected to forestry and livestock.

For example, the old mining buildings tell the story of the people who worked and lived in these highlands. Locals are proud of these sites because they reflect the history, skills, and lives of previous generations. Even traditional festivals or historic hiking trails are part of this mountain heritage.

Heritage is important because it creates a sense of “pride of place” and belonging. Most importantly, it is something we want to transmit to future generations, so they can understand their roots, respect the mountain environment, and continue the traditions and knowledge that make this region unique.

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M’Goun UNESCO Global Geopark records more than 200 million years of Earth’s history, including fossils, dinosaur footprints, and impressive mountain formations.Beyond its geological value, the geopark also hosts rich biodiversity and a strong cultural heritage linked to local Amazigh communities. It promotes conservation, environmental education, sustainable tourism, and local development, making it a key example of sustainable management of natural heritage in Morocco.

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M’Goun UNESCO Global Geopark records more than 200 million years of Earth’s history, including fossils, dinosaur footprints, and impressive mountain formations.Beyond its geological value, the geopark also hosts rich biodiversity and a strong cultural heritage linked to local Amazigh communities. It promotes conservation, environmental education, sustainable tourism, and local development, making it a key example of sustainable management of natural heritage in Morocco.

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Heritage is what builds us as a community. Our identity is the result of our cultural heritage, but also of our natural heritage, which has shaped how we relate to our environment and how we use the resources available in our region. It is necessary to preserve it, as cultural and natural diversity makes us more resilient to new and current challenges. The healthier our natural heritage, the greater our capacity for ecological resilience. But if we also have a rich cultural heritage, we can look at the problem from different perspectives until we find the best solution.

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To me, heritage is not just “what we inherit,” but what we keep alive and treasure as a tool for life: not as a museum object, but as a social good that serves to a purpose, contributing to building a just society. Shared memories, skills, rituals and values that shape who we are and how we belong especially when they’re practiced together.

A dance-based example I connect with is Momoeria (West Macedonia, Greece). By this tradition, during the Christmas–New Year period, a troupe of dancers, actors and musicians moves through village streets and visits homes, dancing and performing satire to welcome the year. This reinforces community and solidarity. It is recognised in UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

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To me, heritage is something we live with, not something we only look at. It comes from memory, everyday life, and the way people connect with places, their surroundings, and with each other. It carries a responsibility to care for what came before without keeping it stuck in time, and to let it remain part of the present. In this way, the past helps shape more thoughtful and inclusive futures.

Fatjon Mlloja

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Understand the past and who we are today

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Understand the past and who we are today

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Heritage is everything, both tangible and intangible, that we have inherited from our ancestors. It helps us understand the past and who we are today, and it is something we must preserve for future generations — whether it is a monument, a landscape, a song, a recipe,... One example that is very close to me—and that many of us in this course probably share—is the Mediterranean diet. Since 2010, it has been recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. One of the key motivations behind the joint nomination by Spain, Greece, Italy, and Morocco was to protect this healthy dietary model from the sociocultural changes driven by globalisation.

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To me heritage represents a distinctive set of values, beliefs & traditions that certain people have/ have had in a specific period of time.

I believe heritage is helping in forming a national/ cultural identity, but I don’t really like the concept of heritage as it is right now.

To me heritage feels dead, outside of everyones everyday life and I am also sceptical about which social groups are represented in heritage.

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Heritage can take many forms, such as architecture, food, dance, and special celebrations that represent the identity of a specific community or country. It reflects past ways of life and connects the past with the present and future

For example, in Ethiopia, we have the Rock-Hewn churches of Lalibela (a total of 11 churches ), built in the 12th century from a single piece of rock, the Konso Cultural Landscape (terraced farming, stone-walled settlements mainly to prevent soil erosion )and others (Tangible).

Intangible: Ethiopian Epiphany, Commemoration of the Finding of the True Holy Cross, Gada system (indigenous social-political system), and others.

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Heritage can be something palpaple, something that you can touch (tangible) or a living tradition and knowledge(intangible).

Where I work (Troodos Geopark), in Pedoulas, there is one remarkable painted Byzantine church, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage cultural heritage in Cyprus. A physical heritage I often visit with my students.

In the same area local communities developed skills and techniques related to stone terracing for centuries. Maintaining terraces requires community cooperation and traditional knowledge of land management — this in itself is part of the intangible cultural heritage of rural mountain life.

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A dynamic relation between past, present and future. Landscapes that we have here in Crete made from stones and garrigue ecosystems are an example of heritage.

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I see heritage as something you inherit from people who were before you. It is something of significance that one can be easily identified with by another group of people. I can be inherited by either a small group (family) or a large group (community/ national).  It can be tangible, such as paintings, artifacts, archaeological sites and monuments. Examples from Zimbabwe are the Great Zimbabwe (cultural),  Mana Pools (Natural), Khami Ruins National Monument (Cultural), Victoria Falls Natural) and Matobo Hills (Cultural).

On the other hand, intangible aspects covers issues like values, norms and tradition.

Heritage is important as it defines who we are, it teaches us about our history and we conserve and protect it for future posterity.

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For me, heritage is not just something I read about in books, but something I live with every day. Living in Thessaloniki, a city full of history from the Byzantine times and beyond, feels like walking through the past. I pass by ancient walls, old churches, and monuments that remind me of the many lives that existed before mine. This makes me feel connected to something bigger than myself. Our heritage gives me identity, strength, and a sense of belonging, and it helps me understand who I am and where I come from.

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For me the heritage (in all its meaning and forms) is a treasure to be cherished, respected and protected. it's our history/identity, our present and our legacy to the future generations, heritage it's a kind of refusal of the past to stay "dead" and static, to make it alive and durable. The roots to have strength to go further in the future.

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In Castro Verde, a clear example of heritage is the Cante Alentejano (Alentejo singing). It is more than music. It reflects rural life, collective work, and a strong sense of community. These songs were born in the fields, sung by workers to mark rhythm, share stories, and cope with hardship. Today, Cante Alentejano is recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage, but its true value lies in the people who keep singing, teaching, and listening.

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In Castro Verde, a clear example of heritage is the Cante Alentejano (Alentejo singing). It is more than music. It reflects rural life, collective work, and a strong sense of community. These songs were born in the fields, sung by workers to mark rhythm, share stories, and cope with hardship. Today, Cante Alentejano is recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage, but its true value lies in the people who keep singing, teaching, and listening.

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Another strong example is the Campo Branco landscape, shaped by traditional agriculture and extensive farming. The open plains, the cereal fields, and the coexistence with birdlife are the result of centuries of human activity. This landscape is not “natural” by chance; it is cultural heritage created through balance between people and nature.

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A 11.ª Reserva da Biosfera em Portugal reconhecida pela UNESCO e a primeira a sul do Tejo.

A Reserva da Biosfera de Castro Verde está situada no coração do "Campo Branco", nas longas e extensas planícies do Baixo Alentejo. Terra chã de relevo suave, onde a vista se perde até ao horizonte, detentora de uma grande diversidade de valores naturais e culturais, únicos e de elevado interesse à escala regional, nacional e internacional. Estes valores resultam de uma relação Homem-Natureza milenar, cujo processo histórico de evolução da ocupação e uso do solo deu origem a um agroecossistema de elevado valor de conservação.

Atendendo à orografia suave, às caraterísticas dos solos predominantemente xistosos e delgados e ao clima tipicamente mediterrânico, a exploração da terra em Castro Verde esteve desde sempre associada à criação de gado e mais tarde ao cultivo de cereais de sequeiro. As práticas agropecuárias evoluíram para um esquema tradicional de rotação das parcelas, em que após dois anos de cultivo com cereal, as terras ficam em pousio (i.e. sem cultivo), para que recuperem a fertilidade e funcionem como prados para o gado. Aqui, nesta vasta planície, a agricultura e a pastorícia coexistem desde há muito tempo, tendo moldado uma paisagem de rara beleza e de alto valor de conservação: as estepes cerealíferas.

Entre a biodiversidade extraordinária que aqui ocorre, sobressai uma comunidade de aves estruturada e diversificada, com cerca de 200 espécies, onde se destacam as emblemáticas aves estepárias, como a Abetarda, e as aves de rapina, como a Águia-imperial-ibérica. Com uma área de 569,4 km2 e uma população aproximada de 7 500 habitantes distribuída em cerca de uma vintena de localidades de pequena e muito pequena dimensão, a Reserva da Biosfera de Castro Verde tem um caráter rural, que se reflete nas tradições culturais e nos costumes que, ainda hoje, estão presentes e marcam a identidade das gentes deste território.

A vasta planície de Castro Verde inclui um mosaico de sistemas ecológicos, ricos em habitats e espécies, específicos da Região Biogeográfica do Mediterrâneo. De um modo geral, o ecossistema estepário é predominante, estando presente numa grande proporção do território, sendo apenas descontinuado pelos vales das ribeiras que "rasgam", aqui e ali, as estepes cerealíferas. Na parte mais a sul da Reserva da Biosfera ocorrem algumas manchas de montado e de matos mais densos. Com muito pouca expressão surgem de forma pontual zonas húmidas (naturais e artificiais), povoamentos florestais de pinheiro-manso ou azinheira (puros ou mistos) e exíguas zonas de culturas permanentes (nomeadamente, manchas de olival tradicional e vinha recente), e algumas hortas familiares.

Dos habitats presentes merecem especial atenção as subestepes de gramíneas e anuais da Thero-Brachypodietea, as áreas de montados de azinho ( Quercus rotundifolia) e aos charcos temporários mediterrânicos, cuja salvaguarda é prioritária para a conservação de populações de fauna e flora selvagens, em especial, do território da União Europeia.
Biosfera/Biosphere/Castro Verde

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A Reserva da Biosfera de Castro Verde está situada no coração do "Campo Branco", nas longas e extensas planícies do Baixo Alentejo. Terra chã de relevo suave, onde a vista se perde até ao horizonte, detentora de uma grande diversidade de valores naturais e culturais, únicos e de elevado interesse à escala regional, nacional e internacional.

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Built and natural places as diverse, unique and full of values, to be protected, so that future generations can appreciate and enjoy them.

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For me, heritage is the combination of natural characteristics (such as biodiversity and geodiversity) and the culture of a territory. These influence each other and change over time. It can also be linked to the concept of roots – understood as a sense of belonging – but not in the static sense of the term.

For me, the heritage of my land, the Julian Alps Biosphere Reserve, is given by the multitude of different cultures that mix and have coexisted (more or less peacefully) around these white limestone mountains, green valleys of woods and coloured with flowers and emerald waters.

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Heritage is something lived & experienced in the way we are brought up, not always consciously. An example of heritage is families' recipies' cooked on special occasions passed down in generations. For example Easter cookies in Greece: Each region> family> home has its own recipe (that is considered the best by its family members : ).

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Heritage means roots, it means spiritual, heritage means identity.

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For me, heritage goes beyond what is tangible. It is, above all, the feeling of belonging to something or some place of enormous value. It is fundamental to preserve it so that so many traditions and knowledge are not lost and so that future generations can also enjoy them.

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For me, heritage is something that has been preserved for millennia, and we have no right to destroy it.

A typical example of this within the biosphere reserve “Red Wall” in the Rhodope Mountains of Bulgaria includes the numerous prehistoric settlement mounds, Thracian burial mounds, rock sanctuaries, chapels built upon Thracian sanctuaries, and one especially valuable treasure that has survived to this day—the Haberlea rhodopensis, also known as the Orpheus flower, which endured even through the Ice Age and was about to be destroyed because of a stone quarry.

All of this astonishing cultural and botanical heritage, used over thousands of years by many cultures—whether permanently settled or passing through—demonstrates our connection to the past and shows how essential it is that this entire wealth be preserved for the future.

A large part of our society today is concerned with the idea of becoming wealthy at the expense of biosphere reserves.

I believe the time has come for these areas to be strictly protected, including the introduction of international sanctions against those who violate them.

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or me, heritage is mainly about spiritual values – the way of thinking, the ability to cope with everyday life, and to create. It gives us strength, resilience, and inspiration. In the Chervenata Stena Biosphere Reserve, this heritage is reflected in the strong connection between people and nature, as well as in the preserved traditions and customs that shape local identity.

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or me, heritage is mainly about spiritual values – the way of thinking, the ability to cope with everyday life, and to create. It gives us strength, resilience, and inspiration. In the Chervenata Stena Biosphere Reserve, this heritage is reflected in the strong connection between people and nature, as well as in the preserved traditions and customs that shape local identity.

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I am Asefa from Ethiopia Heritage means the natural and cultural values comes  from previous generations that shape our identity and way of life. It includes that landscapes, biodiversity, traditions, knowledge, beliefs, and social practices that connect the past with the present and guide the future. The area where I live in Ethiopia, Heritage is the strong connection between communities, culture, and nature. Traditional practices such as communal land use, indigenous knowledge of farming, and respect for sacred natural sites are part of our living heritage. In many areas, forests, rivers, and mountains are protected not only for their resources but also because of cultural and spiritual values passed down through generations. Heritage is important because it strengthens identity, social cohesion, and sustainability. Protecting both natural and cultural heritage supports biodiversity conservation, sustainable livelihoods, and the transmission of valuable knowledge to future generations.

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Heritage is what we inherit from the past and pass on to future generations that is, our traditions, knowledge, values, places and ways of life that shape who we are.

From my opinion, own life and area, an example of heritage is local indigenous knowledge on land, forests and water use, such as traditional farming practices, sacred forests, and community rituals tied to nature. Indigenous knowledge has been passed down through elders and are still used today.

Heritage is vital because it preserves identity, strengthens community bonds and guides sustainable living. It connects people to their history while helping them make informed choices for the future.

Nevil Sigana

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Heritage refers to the set of tangible and intangible assets,including objects, practices, knowledge systems, expressions, landscapes, and values,that are transmitted from one generation to the next. These elements carry historical, cultural, and social significance and shape collective identity, providing continuity over time. Heritage holds intergenerational value, as its preservation enables future generations to access, reinterpret, and sustain cultural meaning and practices, ensuring the ongoing transmission of culture and memory. In the context of the country where I live, Portugal, heritage can be observed across multiple scales and expressions: from physical features such as mountain ranges and river systems, to culturally embedded practices including traditional food processing methods, olive oil production, wool processing, and local culinary knowledge, such as the preparation of traditional dishes like bacalhau. These tangible and intangible elements are deeply interconnected and collectively shape local identities, livelihoods, and relationships with the territory.

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Heritage is something we value, something that must be preserved, promoted, studied and experienced, whether natural or historical-cultural. It is a legacy that we must conserve and keep alive, passing it on to current and future generations. In my region, natural heritage (biodiversity and geodiversity) is still largely preserved, as it is a rural area in the interior of the country. There are many species of fauna and flora with conservation status and geosites of international importance, allowing for the existence of classified and protected areas of supranational and national character.

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I see heritage as something we inherit from the past, culturally, socially, and environmentally, and how it continues to influence our identity and our choices today.

Where I live, heritage can be seen in how local communities have historically interacted with their surrounding landscapes—through farming, plant use, and shared traditions. These practices may have changed over time, but they still shape the character of the area today.

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Heritage, to me, is the collection of traditions, values, language, and memories that connect me to my past and shape who I am today. It is not only monuments or historical places, but also everyday practices passed down through generations.

An example of heritage in my life is the Iraqi culture I grew up with, especially our language, food, family traditions, and respect for elders. Even while living outside Iraq, these elements remain part of my identity and influence how I see the world. Heritage is important because it gives us a sense of belonging, helps us understand our roots, and allows us to appreciate both our own culture and the cultures of others.

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I interpret heritage as a legacy, which can be tangible or intangible and which must be preserved by current generations for future generations. It is a defining feature of a region's identity. In the Santana Biosphere Reserve, I would highlight the Festa dos Compadres, an intangible heritage event that takes place every year around Carnival time.