A gardener among flowers in the historic gardens of Kholm, Afghanistan
Kholm · Afghanistan · Gardens · Photo CIE / Dilip Banerjee

Heritage Ecology Journeys

Landscapes are not backdrops. They are lived archives.

Heritage Ecology Journeys connects heritage to landscapes, oceans, routes, environmental change and local-global relations, showing how heritage is lived through land, water, climate, memory and movement.

It brings together living landscapes, ecological memory, maritime and water-related heritage, transoceanic routes and community-based environmental storytelling—without reducing heritage to environment alone.

People with small boats among mangroves at low tide on Ilha de MoçambiqueIlha de Moçambique · Mozambique · Photo CIE / Robert Parthesius

Role in CIE

A bridge between people and place.

The cluster links Dhakira’s questions of memory and justice, HeritageLab’s methods, Heritage Futures’ public experiments and EduHub’s learning resources.

It provides a shared home for work where environmental change, cultural memory and digital presentation meet.

Connecting programmes

Routes through the cluster

Each programme gives a broad question enough structure to support several projects, outputs and partnerships.

ProgrammeLandscapes

Heritage, Memory & Landscapes

Places shaped by memory, ecology, labour, migration, conflict, climate and everyday practice.

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ProgrammeWater

Global Ocean Heritage

Maritime, underwater, coastal and water-related heritage connected to living communities.

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Shared methodStories

Ecological storytelling

Community narratives that connect environmental change to identity, care and belonging.

Explore the method ↗

Projects

Work on the ground

Focused initiatives give the cluster a tangible public life.

TreeRouted filming beneath palm trees
ActiveGlobal

TreeRouted

Trees as living archives of memory, routes, conflict and care.

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Filming The Golden Harvest
FilmScreenings

The Golden Harvest

Ancient olive trees, family, conflict and Mediterranean landscapes.

View film project ↗
Consultation2026–27

MUCH Better

Locally grounded better practice for maritime and underwater heritage.

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DocumentationGaza

Documenting Gaza’s Archaeology

Rapid documentation for coastal and underwater archaeology at risk.

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Historic view of the harbour of Surat
ResearchDatabase

Historic Shipping Networks

Maritime routes, colonial histories and searchable shipping data.

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2026–2027 focus

What comes next

  • Define and publish the cluster profile across CIE platforms.
  • Develop TreeRouted, Gaza documentation and MUCH Better with partners and funders.
  • Connect project outputs to HeritageLab, Heritage Futures and EduHub.
  • Create public stories, documentation templates and practical learning resources.