16 March

• Paris (France) in GIGAPIXELS
  Paris 26 Gigapixels is a stitching of 2346 single photos showing a very high-resolution panoramic view of the French capital (354159x75570 px). Dive in the image and visit Paris like never before!
  More information: http://www.paris-26-gigapixels.com/

• Yosemite National Park (USA) in GIGAPIXELS
  Yosemite-17-Gigapixeles.com documents artist Gerard Maynard's composited photographs taken between May 30 and June 5, 2008 at five different locations within Yosemite National Park. Gerard was invited by xRez to participate in the shooting of their Yosemite Extreme Panoramic Imaging Project. Gerard's 17-gigapixel photograph of Glacier Point is the largest known stitched panorama. Gerard Maynard is an artits working in Harlem, New York. Most recently his work has been exhibited at John Connelly Presents, New York; the Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York; Deitch Projects, New York; and D'Ameilo Terras, New York. Gerard's work is in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum of Art and is part of other noteworthly national and international private collections.
  More information: http://www.yosemite-17-gigapixels.com/

11 March

• Town hall of Gembloux (Belgium)
  Italy-based demogo studio di architettura was one of the winners of the Europan 10 Architecture Competition. Their project, Town Hall of Gembloux is located in Belgium (Between Bruxelles and Namur), in a city of 22,600 inhabitants.
  More information: http://www.archdaily.com/52492/town-hall-of-gembloux-demogo/

• First conference of the European project INTERREG IVC VITOUR Landscape. Cinqueterre, Riomaggio (Italy) February 2010
  The first conference of the European project INTERREG IVC VITOUR Landscape took place in Cinqueterre (Riomaggiore) from 3rd to 6th February 2010. The topic for this meeting was the preservation and the promotion of UNESCO World Heritage Wine Landscapes.
  More information: http://www.valdeloire.org/?SectionId=51&CHANGELANG=en&publiid=6301

• A joint website for 18 Loire châteaux. Val de Loire (France)
  The 18 major heritage sites of the Val de Loire committed to an excellence initiative now have a joint website to attract and win over a new clientele. Overseen by the SEM régionale des Pays de la Loire, this project is conducted in partnership with the 18 sites, the Centre and Pays de la Loire regions (through the SEM, Centre Tourist Board and Val de Loire Mission) and Maison de la France. The purpose is to shed the international spotlight on these tourist sites, by focusing on the historical and cultural wealth of the Loire châteaux as well as their location in the Val de Loire, which is listed as a World Heritage Site between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes.
  More information: http://www.valdeloire.org/?SectionId=330&publiid=5679

• Jaeger-LeCoultre launches its second online auction for the preservation of World Heritage sites. 18 March 2010
  After last year's groundbreaking Tides of Time campaign, Jaeger-LeCoultre's second online auction on March 18, 2010 will benefit the preservation work of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. This year, the Manufacture is offering an iconic and unique timepiece: one of two vintage 1958 Geophysic Chronometers tested by professional climber Stephane Schaffter and his team during their recent Geophysic Expedition to the Himalayas. Their successful expedition culminated in the official naming of a virgin peak, Mt Antoine LeCoultre.
  More information: http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/595/

10 March

• Grand Hotel Casselbergh Brugge / BURO II. Brugge (Belgium)
  With its central location and rich history, this site is of major importance to the World Heritage City of Bruges. Tourism is an important engine of the local economy. The conversion of this building into a hotel with conference facilities will finally, after many years, remove an eyesore from the Hoogstraat. The project consists of two parts: the renovation of the three historic buildings on the Hoogstraat and a new development on the Groene Rei. The modern development replaces a property of little value built in the 20th century. The new addition to the cityscape of Bruges is conceived as a bronze treasure chest set with gems. The architectural form of a box with a chamfered roof can also be found in the Bruges Belfort (which houses a treasury as well as the town accounts).
  More information: http://www.archdaily.com/51946/grand-hotel-casselbergh-brugge-buro-ii/

• Kew’s GIS Unit releases interactive global map of plant family and genera data
  Kew’s Vascular Plant Families & Genera Database is the fruit of two years exclusively spent trawling through millions of Herbarium specimens and reference materials. Now, in a first for Kew, the information it holds has been given a visual and interactive presence through the use of Google’s mapping technology. The new interactive map, produced by Kew’s GIS (geographical information systems) team, shows at-a-glance which regions of the world are the most – and least – diverse in terms of the numbers of plant genera and families they contain, and makes it possible to explore visually the diversity of plant life across the world. It also allows scientists to interact with the data in new and novel ways, and helps to reveal spatial relationships which may otherwise have remained hidden.
  More information: http://www.kew.org/news/families-and-genera-map.htm

• Kew Gardens Magazine - Spring Issue (United Kingdom)
  The spring issue of Kew magazine welcomes in the International Year of Biodiversity with features on how new species are discovered, how Kew’s GIS team maps plants from space (and on the ground) to help conserve entire habitats, seed collecting in Tasmania, and a walk through the wonderful Japanese cherry collection at Kew.
  More information: http://www.kew.org/about-kew/kew-magazine/current-issue/kew-magazine-current-issue.htm

• University of Tsukuba, World Cultural Heritage Studies. Tsukuba (Japan)
  The "World Cultural Heritage Studies", a three-year program in the Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, is inaugurated in April 2006 as the first and only doctoral program in the world particularly relating to the studies of the world cultural heritage. Students of this doctoral program are expected to develop, widen, or deepen their academic experience in the "World Heritage Studies", a two-year master's program in the Graduate School, or in order institutions of similar specialty and standard.
  More information: http://whc.unesco.org/en/partners/391/

• University of Queensland, Master of Environmental Management (MEnvMan) Brisbane - Queensland - Australia
  The School of Integrative Systems offers programs that enable our graduates to impact the international food and fibre business, manage the natural environment and mold rural communities for the future. The School focuses on biologically, economically and socially sustainable approaches to management.
  More information: http://whc.unesco.org/en/partners/281/

9 March

• World Heritage Management MSc - University College Dublin (UCD)
  A multi-disciplinary programme in World Heritage Management intended for managers responsible for World Heritage sites, or for the conservation and management of similar properties. The Master of Science is a two-year, full-time degree course designed to provide theory and practice of conservation and management of natural World Heritage. During the second year of the programme, a six-month research component is carried out at a World Heritage site. The Diploma/Higher Diploma is a one-year full time course organized over 24 weeks.
  More information: http://whc.unesco.org/en/partners/397/

• Natural and Cultural Heritage Lecture Course - Moscow State M.V. Lomonosov University, Moscow, Russian Federation
  Designed for future regional policy designers, tourism and landscape planners, this course teaches the concept of heritage as a vector of sustainable development. Content includes the history of heritage conceptions and their origins, from the notion of outstanding universal value to intangible heritage and heritage management. Objectives of the course are to study geography of natural and cultural heritage in favour of its conservation and as a development factor. It also aims at developing practical skills in heritage analysis and management.
  More information: http://whc.unesco.org/en/partners/396/

• Cooperation between UNESCO's World Heritage Centre and ®MIT TU Delft. The Netherlands
  Cooperation between UNESCO WHC and Delft Research Centre ®MIT in particular in the World Heritage Cities Programme. Under this thematic programme ®MIT will provide for input in the fields of research and design in urban conservation and management.
  More information: http://whc.unesco.org/en/partners/352/

• Masters Degree in Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies - Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia
  Deakin's courses in cultural heritage and museum studies cover the key issues,concepts and knowledge required by professionals working in the area of heritage conservation, access, interpretation and management. Units of study are constantly reviewed to maintain professional relevance, and materials in study guides, online folders and related teaching media are informed by practical experience and the ongoing involvement of staff in cultural heritage research.
  More information: http://whc.unesco.org/en/partners/394

• Master's Degree, "World Heritage Studies" - Brandenburg University of Technology (BTU), Cottbus, Germany
  On 16 November 1972 the general assembly of the UNESCO adopted the convention for the protection of the cultural and nature inheritance of the world. By World Heritage, the UNESCO understands nature and cultural properties with exceptional universal importance. It is a task for present and future generations to receive these goods, preserve them and make them world-wide accessible.
  More information: http://whc.unesco.org/en/partners/393/

• Garoua Wildlife School, Cameroon
  Certificate and Diploma in Wildlife Management
  Started in 1970, the Garoua Wildlife School is the French-speaking counterpart of the Mweka College of African Wildlife, and trains professionals who will be responsible for managing natural World Heritage sites such as protected areas and wildlife parks. A crucial part of the curricula of the School is spent on field safaris of up to several weeks. Assignments and field exercises on the management of World Heritage sites are programmed to occupy approximately a quarter of the time at the Garoua Wildlife School.
  More information: http://whc.unesco.org/en/partners/392

• Bournemouth University - MA World Heritage Resource Management (United Kingdom)
  The MA World Heritage Resource Management, while taking the Convention as its guiding text, uses examples of both local and world heritage. The primary focus of the course is on the research, management and policy issues that challenge the integrity of heritage sites in different world cultural, biological and geophysical settings. An understanding of the term heritage, its definitions, meanings and philosophical base is key. Emphasis will also be given to the problems and the mechanisms for protecting the heritage through international, national and local statutory measures and practical management initiatives.
  More information: http://whc.unesco.org/en/partners/390

• University of Minnesota College of Design, Center for World Heritage Studies (USA)
  The Center for World Heritage Studies is dedicated to research and education in the protection, conservation, and enhancement of global heritage. In 2005 the University of Minnesota College of Design (formerly College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture) created the Center for World Heritage Studies, in conjunction with a formal agreement signed with UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre in Paris. The relationship is unique among American universities. At the same time, The School of Architecture established a M.S. degree program with a concentration in Heritage Conservation and Preservation—the first and only such program in the state of Minnesota. The Center works in cooperation with the programs of UNESCO, the School of Architecture, and in partnership with others in the academic community, as well as practitioners.
  More information: http://whc.unesco.org/en/partners/386/

• MA in Cultural Heritage Studies - University College London (United Kingdom)
  This degree programme covers practical and theoretical approaches to the key issues and working practices in the field of cultural heritage. It is aimed at both those who wish to study cultural heritage as an academic subject, and those who might wish to obtain employment in the broad sector. The degree caters for students from a wide range of academic disciplines who wish to study a rapidly growing interdisciplinary field.
  More information: http://whc.unesco.org/en/partners/388/

• Wildlife Institute of India - Post Graduate Diploma in Wildlife Management
  The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) was established in 1982 with a mandate to support nature conservation and foster the development of wildlife science in India. It was assigned the direct responsibility for training wildlife managers in their challenging mandate of managing protected areas, many of them isolated or small, and under severe pressure from incompatible land-uses. The WII's mission is to (i) Build capacity and develop human resources in Wildlife Science; (ii) Develop as a center of excellence in Wildlife Science; (iii) Provide consultancy and advisory services in Wildlife Conservation; (iv) Advocate issues relevant to Wildlife Science and Conservation; (v) Develop as a regional center for South Asia and South-East Asia for training and research in Wildlife Conservation and (vi) Develop as a Deemed University in Wildlife Science.
  More information: http://whc.unesco.org/en/partners/282/

• The Malua Expedition – a journey to making a difference - Shell Philippines newsletter
  "If you get killed by a rhino in the forest, you’ll be famous", Simon Amos of the UK based FieldSkills expedition training company (www.fieldskills.com) bluntly remarked to an amused group of participants during the Health & Safety Briefing on Day 1 of the Business Planning Training for World Heritage Sites programme. A sobering instance, since not only are rhinos typically not inclined to approach humans but, more importantly, they have become greatly endangered in recent years. Very few rhinos now survive outside protected areas (PAs)1, including natural world heritage sites – a stark reality that depicts serious biodiversity2 challenges facing our world today.
  More information: http://www-static.shell.com/static/phl/downloads/news_and_library/
  shell_world/swp_issue_04_2009.pdf (Page: 26)

8 March

• Damage to Chilean heritage sites evaluated after earthquake
  The UNESCO World Heritage Centre expresses its condolences for the victims of the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that occurred in Chile on 27 February. While providing humanitarian relief remains the absolute priority for the Chilean Government, recent information has been received on the state of certain heritage sites: Historic Quarter of the Seaport City of Valparaíso and Sewell Mining Town, properties inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2003 and 2006, respectively, and the Juan Fernández Archipelago National Park, property submitted to the Tentative List in 1994. According to the National Copper Corporation (CODELCO), Sewell Mining Town, built in 1905 to house workers at what was to become the world's largest underground copper mine, El Teniente, has not suffered major damage.
  More information: http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/594

4 March

• 2009-2010 World Heritage map now available
  The latest version of the World Heritage map, produced by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and National Geographic Maps with support from the United Nations Foundation, can now be ordered for a modest fee from the World Heritage Centre website. All proceeds from sales of the maps will go toward the preservation and promotion of World Heritage sites. The map is an extremely valuable learning and awareness-raising tool that gives a rich and initial contact with the World Heritage concept, allowing UNESCO to communicate its work in this field on a large scale. The original versions of the map are English, French and Spanish, but through the partnership with National Geographic and its local magazines the map has so far been published in Czech, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Romanian, Serbian and Swedish language versions.
  More information: http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/582

• THE MILKY WAY-A Network for the creative management of the Heritage of the Ways of Santiago of Compostela
  The pilgrimage to Santiago of Compostela was among one of the main cultural events of European identity in the Middle-Ages. Its influence was key to the development of various western European countries thanks to the circulation of ideas, knowledge and arts, the meeting of different peoples and the creation of a collective memory. Three of the main ways, The Tours route, the Vézelay route and the Puy route in Velay converge in the French Basque Country, in the vicinity of Ostabat and Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to later go past the Roncesvalles pass towards Puente de la Reina in Navarra. Other two itineraries, the Arlés route and the Piedemonte Pirenaico route go through the Somport pass, in Jaca, Aragón and they also arrive to Puente-la-Reina. It is precisely here where the “French Way”, which continues towards Santiago-of-Compostela, begins.
  More information in Spanish: http://www.chemins-compostelle.com/Interreg/descriptionES.html

• Exhibition- World Heritage, Humanity’s Gift to Future
  This exhibition on the World Heritage offers essential information to understand the challenges for the protection of heritage and the managing practices that the UNESCO has been doing for 30 years. The exhibition was prepared by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre for the state members of the World Heritage Convention on the occasion of their 30th Anniversary and the ACIR Compostela brought it to a close with a specific panel entitled: “The Ways of Santiago of Compostela” in France. There were light mobile panels easily adaptable to the different spots in the exhibition.
  More information in French: http://www.chemins-compostelle.com/Expositions/PM-expo-intro.html

• Exhibition-From the Ways towards Compostela to the European cultural itinerary
  April 6th-13th, 2010. Toulouse (France)
  This didactic exhibition describes the history of the pilgrim ways of Santiago of Compostela, it evokes the magic of the legends and it also sketches the timeless shadow of the pilgrim. It focuses on the influence of this heritage in the creation of the territories and of a common culture for the people of Europe. While describing the development that the pilgrimage has undergone and the current revitalisation of these memorable places, it singles out the modernity of this European cultural itinerary and urges us all to connect again with the spirit of pilgrimage, with the curiosity and that sense of searching. An invitation to delve into its knowledge or to set off for our journey...
  More information in French: http://www.chemins-compostelle.com/Agenda/Agenda-2010-ICE2.html

• Pilgrims killed in stampede at Djingareyber Mosque in Timbuktu
  During the evening of 25 February 2010, in Timbuktu (Mali), a stampede occurred amidst a crowd gathered outside Djingareyber Mosque. Among the crowd were local citizens and other pilgrims who had assembled there to pray on the occasion of the Mawlid festival, celebrating the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. This stampede caused 22 deaths and at least 45 persons were injured. Timbuktu, a city in Mali in the middle of the Sahara Desert, was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1988 due to its history as an intellectual and spiritual capital and a centre for the propagation of Islam throughout Africa in the 15th and 16th centuries. Its three great mosques, Djingareyber, Sankore and Sidi Yahia, recall Timbuktu's golden age.
  More information: http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/592

The World Heritage List currently comprises 1,890 properties in 148 States: 689 cultural, 178 natural and 25 mixed properties. There are 33 sites in France located throughout French metropolitan and overseas territory (30 cultural, 2 natural and 1 mixed site).
http://www.worldheritage-france.com/