03/12/2021

Archive

Mountains & tourism a very real challenge

The theme of this year’s International Mountain Day (IMD) on 11 December is – sustainable mountain tourism. According to FAO : “Sustainable tourism in mountains can contribute to creating additional and alternative livelihood options and promoting poverty alleviation, social inclusion, as well as landscape and biodiversity conservation. It is a way to preserve the natural, cultural and spiritual heritage, to promote local crafts and high value products, and celebrate many traditional practices such as local festivals. Mountain tourism attracts around...

World heritage sites & climate change

Climate change is the defining issue of our time, and among the greatest threats facing cultural and natural heritage today. One in three natural sites and one in six cultural heritage sites are currently threatened by climate change. ( from https://whc.unesco.org/en/review/100/ ) In recent months and years, we have seen cultural and natural heritage sites, including many World Heritage sites, threatened by wildfires, floods, storms and mass-bleaching events. We have also seen how climate change puts living heritage – oral...

Animals of Christmas: reindeer

The classic ‘puller of Santa’s sleigh’ is a special type of deer…. The reindeer – also known as caribou in North America – is a species of deer with circumpolar distribution, native to Arctic, subarctic, tundra, boreal, and mountainous regions of northern Europe, Siberia, and North America. This includes both sedentary and migratory populations.   Fun  facts about reindeer Reindeer and caribou are the same animal (Rangifer tarandus) and are a member of the deer family. In Europe, they are...