SACRED SPACES: Exploring the cultural and spiritual heart of grasslands

This chapter focuses on the cultural and spiritual significance of grasslands in diverse cultural landscapes worldwide. It does so by drawing from science and expertise—notably, the IUCN best practice guidelines on the cultural and spiritual significance of nature in protected areas—to underscore the importance of recognizing these dimensions in the management and governance of grasslands. The chapter uses examples of different types of grasslands based on a global distribution of natural grasslands from Guinea-Bissau, Mongolia, Australia, Argentina, and the Netherlands. This diversity provides the reader with an impression of the global distribution of grassland cultures and their spirituality while drawing common lessons learned. Ultimately, this chapter offers a perspective, or perhaps a plea, for making the plural values and worldviews that underpin a diversity of knowledge systems and their related biocultural diversity central to our understanding of the management and governance of grasslands.