In the conservation world, the two faces of nature and culture have become more a dichotomy than a duality. And yet, there is growing recognition that only by taking a more holistic approach can the field address the most urgent issues facing our planet - climate change, urbanization, and the transformations wrought by globalization. At the 2016 World Conservation Congress on Hawaii, participants joined in a Nature - Culture Journey of over 50 sessions to explore the forces that shape our landscape sharing both scientific and traditional knowledge in the management of these critical resources. Selected reports from this nature-culture dialogue are now available in the most recent issue of the George Wright Journal titled Nature - Culture Journeys: Explorations on Shared Terrain, which is shares some of the key intersections from multiple perspectives. Read more here.

The Trump administration has indicated a change in direction in efforts to provide landscape scale conservation for the endangered sage grouse. This multi state and multi agency effort has been touted as one of great conservation partnership success stories. It was featured in the 2015  National Academy of Science report  "An Evaluation of the Landscape Conservation Cooperatives", which concluded that a landscape approach is needed to meet the nation's conservation challenges. See this story in the

January 2016 Living Landscape Observer. 

In developing a new Historic Preservation Plan for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania a public survey uncovered some fascinating links between how preservation of cultural resources, and conservation of the natural environment are interpreted. The results showed little distinction between the results of both 'worlds' and the beneficial impact on their communities. Read more on this in a blog post by David Maher of the PA State Historic Preservation Office.

England's National Parks are truly lived in landscapes home to over 450,000 people.   A recent study documents the added value to property owners of living in a National Park, which is good news for existing owners. But does make it more difficult for  young families and other new home buyers to get into the market.