En Estonia, en torno a 2500 sagrados tradicionais sitios naturais, cubrindo grandes áreas de terra son coñecidos por conteren significativas espiritual, cultural e natural valores do patrimonio. Investigación e documentación espérase para revelar unha rede de ata 7000 sagrados sitios naturais no país só.
Co apoio do Ministerio de Medio Ambiente de Estonia, a ONG “Casa de Estonia Taara e relixións nativas (Taarausuliste ja Maausuliste Maavalla Koda)” traduciu a UNESCO IUCN “Sacred Sitios Natural, Directrices para Xerentes de Área Protexida” en estoniano. Maavalla Koda en colaboración coas institucións ambientais estatais agora é capaz de usar as Directrices para mellorar o recoñecemento, protección e promoción da sagrada sitios naturais. As Directrices contribuirán á aplicación do ministerio do plan de cultura de conservación nacional de sitios naturais sagrados e será apoiada por formación de funcionarios estatais e gardiáns do sagrado sitios naturais. Para iso un grupo de apoio foi formada por 17 membros do parlamento de Estonia, na primavera de 2011.
As Directrices son o número 16 na Comisión Mundial de Áreas Protexidas’ Serie Mellores Prácticas (vista aquí) e foron desenvolvidos polo grupo de especialista en valores culturais e espirituais de áreas protexidas. "As orientacións están en alta demanda. Dende o seu lanzamento en World Conservation Congress en IUCN 2008 eles foron traducidos do inglés para ruso, Spanish and Estonian whilst French and Japanese versions are in the making” says Mr. Robert Salvaxe, co-author of the Guidelines and chair to CSVPA. With support of the WCPA and the Christensen Fund the Guidelines are currently being translated, tested, reviewed and expanded with new case studies by the Sacred Natural Sites Initiative.
The Estonian case of sacred natural sites conservation is one of approximately 35 cases that are part of the Delos Iniciativa, an initiative working to improve the conservation of scared natural sites in technologically developed countries. “During the third workshop of the Delos Initiative in Inari in 2010 I learned about the efforts of IUCN’s Specialist Group on Cultural and spiritual Values to protect and conserve sacred natural sites world wide. I realised that the IUCN UNESCO Guidelines would be a very effective tool for conserving sacred natural sites in Estonia” says Mr. Atho Kaasik the elder of Maavalla Koda.
Although the total area of Estonia is no more than 47.000 km2, several different linguistic and cultural areas are found within its territory, and hence there are also regional variations in the types and names of sacred natural sites. Por exemplo, rocks and trees used for healing are common in the western part of the country. Communal sites bearing the name of estes (sacred grove) are spread in the northern and western parts of the country. The tradition of cross-trees associated with funeral customs is preserved only in South-East Estonia.
From a wider perspective, Estonian sacred natural sites form part of Fenno-Ugric sacred site traditions. For historical reasons, Estonian traditional religion maausk has largely evolved as familial, personal and confidential. Sacred natural Sites are used for praying, healing, asking for blessing to one’s marriage, giving a name to one’s child, counselling, making offerings and carrying out various rituals, especially on holy days of the folk calendar. Hoxe, sacred natural sites are under threat of extinction mainly because of lack of legal regulation and awareness about sacred natural sites.
