Silene is a non-profit association aimed to the study, dissemination and promotion of the spiritual and intangible cultural heritage values inherent in Nature, particularly in relation to the conservation of nature and natural protected areas

2. Member of PALNet, Protected Areas
Learning Network of IUCN, linked to the
Specialist Group on Cultural and Spiritual
Values of Protected Areas, IUCN World
Commission of Protected Areas
What is Silene?
It is made up by an interdisciplinary
team: biologists, environmentalists,
geologists, documentalists, physicians,
political scientist, sociologists, etc.
Silene is a non-profit association based in Catalonia, Spain,
aimed to the study, dissemination and promotion of the
spiritual and intangible cultural heritage values inherent in
Nature, particularly in relation to the conservation of nature
and natural protected areas

3. What kind of services and resources does it offer?
It offers services and resources to
assist in the incorporation of the
spiritual and intangible cultural
heritage values of nature in diverse
areas, for example in education,
dissemination, public use, planning
and management of natural
conservation, and, especially, in
natural protected areas and
protected species.

4. The Delos Initiative
 Silene, in association with Mediterranean
Institue for Nature and Anthropos (Greece),
coordinates The Delos Initiative, within
Specialist Group on Cultural and Spiritual
Values of Protected Areas of IUCN World
Comission on Protected Areas, since 2006.
 It has organized three international
workshops (Catalonia, Greece and Finland)
and it has participated on the edition and
publication of the corresponding proceedings.
 Currently is preparing the 4th International
Workshop on the Middle East.
THE DELOS INITIATIVE

5. Among the studies and reports developed it should be noted:
 Case study of the Delos Initiative: Montserrat Natural Park - 2006
 Case study of the Delos Initiative: Montsant Natural Park - 2008
 Proposal of the contemplative park Pou de Llum (Manresa) - 2012
 Study of "Aplecs" in the Alt Pirineu Natural Park and its socioeconomic
environment - 2013
 Restoring the silence in the natural reserve of La Fageda d’en Jordà, La
Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park- 2013
 Project on a new cultural tourism website of protected natural areas in Spain -
2013-14.
Studies, proposals and reports

6. Workshop and seminars
Examples of workshops and seminars organized:
• First Seminar on Intangible Heritage of Protected Areas of Catalonia (Poblet
- September 20, 2011)
• Seminar on cultural and spiritual values ​​of nature: approach from natural
protected areas (Universitat de Barcelona - 17 May 2013)
• Second Conference on Art, Nature and Spirituality (Farrera, Lleida - 6, 7 i 8
September 2013)
• Presentation on “Aplecs” and Pilgrimages in the Pyrenees in Pyrenades
Festival (Salardú, Lleida - April 17, 2014)

7. Editorial coordination and publications
www.silene.es/publicaciones.asp
 Since 2006, Silene has published or co-published 6 books in English, Spanish
and Catalan, with national and international broadcast.
 Silene’s members have published numerous articles in national and
international journals and books, in Spanish, English, French and Catalan.
 They have also developed various audiovisual presentations.

8. The Silene Association has developed:
• Strategic programs to integrate the intangible heritage in the planning
and management of protected areas.
• Plans to recover the silence and improve the quality of experience in
natural reserves with large attendance of visitors.
• Proposals to integrate cultural and spiritual heritage values ​​in new
protected areas or their planning instruments.
Plans and strategies

9. Training and awareness
Silene’s members give classes ,lectures
and workshops on cultural and spiritual
values ​​of nature in natural protected
areas and environmental ethics in:
 Postgraduate courses, master degrees
and PhD from diverse universities and
technical schools of the European
Union.
 Informative conferences for
interested organizations, general
public, cultural centers, civic centers,
naturalists and environmental groups,
forums, conferences, etc.

10. Documentation Centre
 Silene’s website hosts the Documentation Centre of Specialist Group on Cultural
and Spiritual Values ​​of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas.
 It contains hundreds of documents classified in thematic areas: policy documents,
planning and management, awareness documents, reflections and statements.
 Each document is accompanied by a fact sheet drawn up in the official
languages ​​of IUCN (Spanish, French and English) in addition to Catalan.

11. Colaborations
In 2008 Silene established a collaboration
agreement with EUROPARC-Spain to introduce
the cultural and spiritual values ​​of protected
areas.
It regularly collaborates with:
 Specialist groups of the World Commission
on Protected Areas of the International
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
 Public agencies from Germany, Spain and
Finland responsible for protected areas.
 Custodians of sacred or holy places,
monasteries and hermitages Catholics,
Orthodox and Buddhists in protected areas.
 NGOs and private foundations in Spain,
France, Greece, Italy, Morocco, Mexico and
Romania with common interests.

12. Contact
silene@silene.es
+34-972273930