Guide to nature-inclusive monuments | residential buildings. Knowledge, tips and examples.

Steunpunt Cultureel Erfgoed Noord-Holland

What do monuments and ecology have to do with each other? In this guide, developed by Steunpunt Cultureel Erfgoed Noord-Holland in cooperation with the municipality of Amsterdam, you will discover how heritage and nature can go together. Biodiversity is under pressure, and the heritage sector must also take nature into account.

Many historic buildings are already nature-inclusive: church towers provide shelter for barn owls and peregrine falcons, old chimneys are breeding grounds for storks, and forts and bunkers are home to bats. Monument owners themselves can also contribute to nature inclusiveness, for example through nest boxes, green roofs or involving flora and fauna in restoration and sustainability projects.

In this practical guide you will find tips for making buildings more nature-inclusive, without compromising the monumental values. The guide is specifically intended for officials in North Holland who work on heritage, ecology, sustainability and permits, so that they can better advise monument owners on nature-inclusive measures.