Evoking narrative elements of The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, this essay discusses the apperaring and development of environmental history since 1970, in consonance with serious natural imbalances that have threatened the contemporary society. Environmental history enables historians to dialogue with environmental groups, scientists and researchers from various fields of social, cultural and political history. Large and promising research opportunities provide transdisciplinary and transnational approaches. One of the stimulating approaches relates to heritage, opening up perspectives for the study of the urban environmental heritage - as in the case of the ficus in Belo Horizonte city - and also the natural heritage represented by protected areas, such as the Trindad Island, in Brazil.
historical narrative; environmental history; natural heritage