[Printer Friendly Version]   [How to E-mail This Article to A Friend]

WEEKLY NEWS 1: Endangered Cultural Sites

Endangered animals are on the verge of extinction, usually as a result of human activities. Similarly, Endangered Cultural Sites are threatened by human activity. These are irreplaceable locations with great value to the entire world. Recently listed by the World Monuments Fund, the 100 most Endangered Cultural Sites in the world include places from America to Antarctica.

Widely different places are endangered in New York, including a Shaker village, a skyscraper, an Ellis Island dormitory, and a Dutch Reformed church. These locations are endangered as a result of neglect, or because of plans to alter their design and replace their historical and cultural significance with modern facades.

America has other endangered locations, too. The Bluegrass Cultural Landscape of Kentucky is threatened by overdevelopment. The Hanging Flume built into canyon walls in Colorado has suffered years of neglect, and the Ennis Brown House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright has been declared unsafe due to earthquakes and floods. All of these locations need preservation and attention.

Other locations across the world are also endangered. A hut in Antarctica, one of the first built during explorations of Antarctica, is endangered by almost 100 years of blizzards and freezing temperatures. A palace in Nepal, the Patan Royal Palace, is also endangered as a result of 300 years of decay. As a consequence of neglect, vandalism, and tourism, the West Bank of the Nile River in Egypt is an endangered location. Moreover, the entire country of Iraq is an Endangered Cultural Site.

The irreversible loss of any of these sites would be tragic; the World Monuments Fund tries to heighten awareness and preservation efforts.

--Written by Katheryn Troyer

Write your own story telling us what you think about this article!

Read WEEKLY NEWS 2: Missing Boy Scout Found