From culture and nature as separate to interconnected naturecultures

In this chapter, the author explores the challenges in preparing a truly integrative management plan. He begins by considering the history and heritage of the Western nature-culture dualism and the ways in which the idea of cultural landscapes has both exacerbated the separation and gone some way towards bettering natural and cultural heritage integration. The author also considers collaborative work by the international organisations International Union for the Conservation of Nature and International Council on Monuments and Sites. Additionally, nature cultures have always evolved one with the other in ways that are so intertwined as to be impossible to meaningfully disassociate. ICOMOS works for the conservation and protection of cultural heritage places, and is dedicated to promoting the application of theory, methods, and scientific techniques to the conservation of heritage places and landscapes. Nevertheless, the category of cultural landscape has furthered work on nature cultures integration and, in particular, in the field of protected area management.