« On the Heritage Route – A Personal Experience » (Press)

« David Gasc shares his travels to more than 60 World Heritage sites as part of the project On the heritage route (Sur la route du patrimoine): Yosemite, Calakmul, Los Glaciares, Cusco, Colombian coffee landscapes, Trinidad of Parana… »

For more to read, download the full document and look at page 81 unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002482/248235e.pdf

Version en français : http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002482/248235f.pdf 

 

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VOYAGER AVEC SENS : PÉPITES POUR AVENTURIERS VOLONTAIRES

Le voyage peut-être l’occasion d’expérimenter et de vivre des cultures, des savoir-faire, des techniques, des cadres d’expression qui nous étaient jusque-là inconnus. C’est une formidable source d’inspiration dont je me suis abreuvé pendant quatre années à parcourir le continent américain à vélo, provoquant rencontres et échanges. Pour faciliter l’accès à ces opportunités presque infinies qu’offre le volontariat, voici cartographiés plus de 250 lieux où je vous recommande vivement de passer un bon moment et de « retrousser les manches ». Allez Surfer sur cette Carte!

THE JAGUAR : KING OF THE PARANA JUNGLE

Its power and ferocity have always impressed the population of all America, creating a confused mixture of fear, respect and veneration. The Jaguar (Panthera onca), the largest feline in America, is suffering from several threats, reducing its population to few individuals. In Argentina, its territory is limited to three corners on its northern borderline, with no more than 200 animals. This is the southern edge the jaguar’s range in America. The Jaguar Project “Proyecto Yaguareté” is developed in collaboration between Argentina and Brazil with the aim to protect the last individuals of the king of the jungle. (Para español, miren este articulo).

YAGUARETÉ : VERDADERO REY DE LA SELVA

Su poderio y ferocidad impresionaron desde siempre a los pueblos de toda América, creando una confusa mezcla detemor, respeto y veneracion. El yaguareté (Panthera onca), el felino mas grande de América esta padeciendo de varias amenazas, reduciendo su poblacion a pocos individuos. En Argentina, esta limitado a tres rincones fronterizos al norte, con no mas de 200 individuos. El « Proyecto Yaguareté » desarrollado en cooperacion entre Argentina y Brasil intenta salvaguardar los ultimos exemplares del rey de la selva.

PASIÓN POR (LA) NATURALEZA

La Peninsula Valdés es bien tranquila en ese mes de abril, poco antes de la altisima temporada de avistaje de ballenas e otros animales marinos. El recorrido de bicicleta por este sitio reconocido como Patrimonio de la Humanidad por la UNESCO no era de los mas agradables : viento,  llanuras secas como pocos atractivos paisajisticos y absencia de fauna! Es asi, la fauna en su habitat no se puede agendar para dar un encuentro como en un zoologico. Se debe respectar eso. Hector, un ermitano esteta viviendo « la belle vie », ilustra el necesario respeto de la naturaleza que nosotros seres humanos deveriamos adoptar.

ÁREAS NATURALES PROTEGIDAS ARGENTINAS

Algo en común entre las cataratas del Iguazú, el Yaguareté, la Peninsula Valdés, el Monte León? Hacen todos parte del sistema de protección de la biodiversidad mediante áreas naturales protegidas. Argentina posee una red de áreas naturales protegidas, 39 de las cuales son administradas nacionalmente reuniendo 3,7 millones de ha, esto es casi el 7 % de la Argentina Continental Americana (incluyendo un sector de la isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego). Forma parte del Sistema nacional de áreas protegidas (SNAP) administrado por Administración de Parques Nacionales.

SUR LA ROUTE DE 60 PATRIMOINES DE L’HUMANITÉ

Les 60 sites classés au Patrimoine de l’Humanité par l’UNESCO parcourus au cours de ces quatre dernières années à vélo, parmi les vingt pays traversés (galerie photos ci-dessous) : 19 comme Patrimoine Naturel, 39 comme Patrimoine Culturel, 2 comme Patrimoine Mixte, classés par ordre alphabétique:

• Argentine : Los Glaciares  (1981)/ Iguazú (1984) / Péninsule Valdés  (1999) / Córdoba  (2000) / Quebrada Humahuaca (2003)
• Bolivie : Potosí  (1987) / Missions Chiquitos  (1990) / Sucre (1991) / Samaipata (1998)

Last Untouched Lands Protection in El Salvador – Not Impossible for SalvaNatura!

The smallest but also the most densely populated country in Central America with 330 inhabitants per km ², El Salvador territory faces the gradual erosion of biodiversity and its natural habitats. Given the lack of involvement of government institutions more concerned by the development of the coffee and the tourism industries, a handful of men and women committed to maintain and protect the 3% of the territory still occupied by natural areas. Here I will present some of the activities of the SalvaNATURA organization in the Impossible National Park.

 

The Impossible National Park is located in the Department of Ahuachapán, southwest of El Salvador, Central America, specifically in the western end of the UNESCO’s Biosphere Reserve Sierra Apaneca-Llamatepec and next to the Ruta de las Flores, between the cities of Ataco, Tacuba and San Francisco Menendez. « Impossible »??? Interesting to check out what is going on this special rainforest, one of the last remnant untouched ecosystem of the over-populated El Salvador.

 

Despite my contact with SalvaNATURA in advance to organize my arrival, it was pretty complicated to reach the remote area. It is located between the top of the mountains and the coastal plain, between 250 to 1.425 meters. The road leading to public areas of the park is coming from Sonsonate and going towards the border with Guatemala’s Hachadura (this last was where I came from with my bicycle). The main entrance is in the sector of San Benito, after 13km of very (very) steep dirt road.

 

IMPOSSIBLE by bicycle for sure!  I had to take the slow bus to climb the mountain and arrive in the night at the Park entrance, just enough energy to open my tent in the wild campground, alone!

Meeting with Belize Audubon Society, Belize

Visit at the Belize Audubon Society, Belize City, Belize

In Live Destruction of Coastal Ecosystems by Mass Tourism: Take a Stand Against!

As we are following the Caribbean coast of central America, along the « Riviera Maya » in Mexico and now in Belize, we are sadly surprised by the quantity of big and ugly infrastructures for tourism purposes. Placencia Peninsula, Belize, here we are.

This is a long white sand peninsula, originally surrounded by beautiful mangroves, healthy biodiversity, terrestrial and marine. Now, it is turned into a succession of resorts, getting bigger and bigger, luxurious or midrange. The traditional village Seine Bight of Garifuna people (descendants of African slaves and Caribbean indigenous) is now encircled by Maya beach and Placencia urban developments. Between, we can see in live the newest developments: drastic natural habitat removal for grading, drainage of wetlands, landscaping using excavators, bulldozers…