Bas is a Dutch freelance researcher and project coordinator and core member of EarthCollective, an international peer-to-peer network of social and environmental entrepreneurs, making positive ideas happening. Since 2006 Bas serves as a co-Chair to the IUCN Specialist Group on Cultural and Spiritual Values of Protected Areas under the World Commission of Protected Areas.

Bas has over 15 years of experience in doing applied research and supporting biocultural conservation projects with a wide range of local and indigenous communities, conservation NGO’s, governments and research institutes on a variety of projects around the world. Bas holds an MSc. in Environmental Systems Analysis, a BSc. in Forest and Nature Management and is currently a PhD candidate focusing on worldviews and indigenous sciences in conservation practice, management and policy.

Bas has worked on sacred natural sites for quite some time and he gives talks at international conferences and lectures at universities on the topic. He has published widely, authoring websites, articles, reports and books. He is the lead editor of “Sacred Natural Sites: Conserving Nature and Culture” and also a member of the Editorial Board of “PARKS, The International Journal of Protected Areas.” He enjoys inspiring and being inspired by the diversity of people, nature and knowledge represented by the world’s sacred natural sites.