Natural monument

Last updated
Cono de Arita, a natural monument in Argentina. Cono de Arita, Salar de Arizaro (Argentina).jpg
Cono de Arita, a natural monument in Argentina.
Boguslaw Oak, a natural monument in Ueckermunde Heath, located near Lesno Gorne, Poland. Wik Dab Boguslawa, Puszcza Wkrzanska SDC17003.JPG
Bogusław Oak, a natural monument in Ueckermünde Heath, located near Leśno Górne, Poland.

A natural monument is a natural or cultural feature of outstanding or unique value because of its inherent rarity, representative of aesthetic qualities, or cultural significance. [1] They can be natural geological and geographical features such as waterfalls, cliffs, craters, fossil, sand dunes, rock forms, valleys and coral reefs. Locations important to faith groups may be considered natural monuments. Archeological and historical sites linked to the natural environment are also included, such as cave art. [2] This is especially true when relevant to the land of Indigenous Peoples.

Contents

Protections

Under the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources [3] guidelines, natural monuments are level III, described as:

"Areas are set aside to protect a specific natural monument, which can be a landform, sea mount, submarine cavern, geological feature such as a cave or even a living feature such as an ancient grove. They are generally quite small protected areas and often have high visitor value." [2]

This is a lower level of protection than level II (national parks) and level I (wilderness areas).

The European Environment Agency's guidelines for selection of a natural monument are: [4]

Examples

See also

Related Research Articles

Protected areas of Tasmania consist of protected areas located within Tasmania and its immediate onshore waters, including Macquarie Island. It includes areas of crown land managed by Tasmanian Government agencies as well as private reserves. As of 2016, 52% of Tasmania's land area has some form of reservation classification, the majority is managed by the Tasmania Parks & Wildlife Service. Marine protected areas cover about 7.9% of state waters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protected area</span> Areas protected for having ecological or cultural importance

Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources is limited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kamay Botany Bay National Park</span> Protected area in New South Wales, Australia

The Kamay Botany Bay National Park is a heritage-listed protected national park that is located in the eastern part of Botany Bay in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The 456-hectare (1,130-acre) national park is situated approximately 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) south-east of the Sydney central business district, on the northern and southern headlands of Botany Bay. The northern headland is at La Perouse and the southern headland is at Kurnell.

Landforms are categorized by characteristic physical attributes such as their creating process, shape, elevation, slope, orientation, rock exposure, and soil type.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitefish Dunes State Park</span> State park in Wisconsin, United States

Whitefish Dunes State Park is a 867-acre (351 ha) state park of Wisconsin on the eastern shore of the Door Peninsula. This day-use park preserves the most substantial sand dunes on the western shore of Lake Michigan. The remains of eight successive prehistoric Native American villages are on the National Register of Historic Places as Whitefish Dunes-Bay View Site. Cave Point County Park is an enclave inside the state park, allowing visitors free foot access to the state park by the shoreline trail connecting the parks.

Hallett Cove Conservation Park is a protected area in the Australian state of South Australia located in the suburb of Hallett Cove on the coast of Gulf St Vincent about 22 kilometres south of the centre of the state capital of Adelaide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cronulla sand dunes</span> Sand dunes in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

The Cronulla sand dunes, also known officially as the Cronulla Sand Dune and Wanda Beach Coastal Landscape, are an open space, heritage-listed nature conservation, and visitor attraction located south of Sydney on the Kurnell Peninsula at Lindum Road, Kurnell, New South Wales. Formerly, it was a site for sand mining, film making, and had use as pastoral property. It is also known as part of Kurnell Peninsula Headland and Cronulla Sand Hill. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 26 September 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eco hotel</span> An environmentally sustainable hotel

An eco hotel, or a green hotel, is an environmentally sustainable hotel or accommodation that has made important environmental improvements to its structure in order to minimize its impact on the natural environment. The basic definition of an eco-friendly hotel is an environmentally responsible lodging that follows the practices of green living. These hotels have to be certified green by an independent third-party or by the state they are located in. Traditionally, these hotels were mostly presented as ecolodges because of their location, often in jungles, and their design inspired by the use of traditional building methods applied by local craftsmen in countries such as Costa Rica and Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monuments of Japan</span> Legally protected Cultural Properties of Japan

Monuments is a collective term used by the Japanese government's Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties to denote Cultural Properties of Japan as historic locations such as shell mounds, ancient tombs, sites of palaces, sites of forts or castles, monumental dwelling houses and other sites of high historical or scientific value; gardens, bridges, gorges, mountains, and other places of great scenic beauty; and natural features such as animals, plants, and geological or mineral formations of high scientific value.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IUCN protected area categories</span> International classification for protected areas

IUCN protected area categories, or IUCN protected area management categories, are categories used to classify protected areas in a system developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newland Head Conservation Park</span> Protected area in South Australia

Newland Head Conservation Park is a protected area located in South Australia within the locality of Waitpinga on the southern coast of the Fleurieu Peninsula 91 km south of the centre of Adelaide, and 7 km southwest of Victor Harbor. Its name is taken from Newland Head that feature prominently at the eastern boundary of the park. The conservation park is classified as an IUCN Category III protected area.

A sacred natural site is a natural feature or a large area of land or water having special spiritual significance to peoples and communities. Sacred natural sites consist of all types of natural features including mountains, hills, forests, groves, trees, rivers, lakes, lagoons, caves, islands and springs. They are often considered sacred spaces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Semenic-Caraș Gorge National Park</span> National park in Romania

The Semenic-Caraș Gorge National Park is a protected area situated in southwest Romania, in Caraș-Severin County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grădiștea Muncelului-Cioclovina Natural Park</span>

The Grădiștea Muncelului-Cioclovina Natural Park is a protected area situated in Romania, in Hunedoara County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bucegi Natural Park</span>

The Bucegi Natural Park is a protected area situated in Romania, in the administrative territory of counties Brașov, Dâmbovița and Prahova.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mirusha Park</span> Regional park in Kosovo

Mirusha Park is a regional park located in the central part of Kosovo on the eastern side of the Dukagjin Plain.

References

  1. "natural monument — European Environment Agency". www.eea.europa.eu. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
  2. 1 2 Konyn, Carol (2021-07-06). "What are Natural Monuments?". Earth.Org. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
  3. Day J., Dudley N., Hockings M., Holmes G., Laffoley D., Stolton S. & S. Wells, 2012. Guidelines for applying the IUCN Protected Area Management Categories to Marine Protected Areas. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN. 36pp.
  4. "Environmental Terminology Discovery Service — EEA". glossary.eea.europa.eu. Archived from the original on 2006-07-18. Retrieved 2006-06-22.