This book demonstrates that to be sustainable, effective and equitable, the management and governance of protected and conserved areas need to be grounded in solid scientific research and practice alongside deeply held cultural, spiritual and aesthetic values and ideas capable of inspiring conservation of biological and cultural diversity.

1. Cultural and Spiritual Significance of Nature in Protected and Conserved Areas: The 'deeply seated bond' PART I: CONCEPTS 2. Implications of the Diversity of Concepts and Values of Nature in the Management and Governance of Protected and Conserved Areas 3. Meaningful Nature Experiences: Pathways for deepening connections between people and place 4. Mainstream Faith Participation in Protected and Conserved Areas 5. Spiritual Governance as an Indigenous Behavioural Practice: Implications for protected and conserved areas 6. Exploring the Usefulness of Nature/Culture Convergences in World Heritage: The case of authenticity 7. Buddhism and the Management of Sacred Sites for Biodiversity 8. The Significance of Indigenous Nature Spirituality 9. The Cultural and Spiritual Significance of Nature: Involving the general public in the management and governance of protected areas PART II: POLICY AND PRACTICE 10. Connecting Practice: Defining new methods and strategies to further integrate natural and cultural heritage under the World Heritage Convention 11. Entangled Landscapes: Connecting conservation practices for naturecultures in the Mongolian Altai 12. Culture and Nature: The case of the Ramsar Convention on wetlands 13. Developing Guidelines for Integrating Cultural and Spiritual Values into the Protected Areas of Spain 14. Managing Religious Pilgrimage to Sacred Sites in Indian Protected Areas PART III: CASE STUDIES 15. China’s Community Fengshui Forests: Spiritual ecology and nature conservation 16. Father Forest: Batwa culture and the management of national parks in Uganda’s Albertine Rift 17. Kaio, kapwier, nepek, and nuk: Human and non-human agency and 'conservation' on Tanna, Vanuatu 18. Exploring Spiritual and Religious Values in Landscapes of Production: Lessons and examples from Italy 19. The Nature of Attachment: An Australian experience 20. Reflections on the Situational and Relational Contexts of Nature in Protected and Conserved Areas

'At the heart of this book is the contributors' desire to make conservation more sustainable, equitable and effective by engaging with deeply held cultural and spiritual values to inspire action to conserve cultural, geological and biological diversity. In many places their passions for this mission shines through' - Helen Schneider, Fauna and Flora International, Cambridge, UK (https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605319000462)