Building multicultural responsiveness into outdoor recreation management

Thinking and talking about human beings in juxtaposition to the natural world has created something of a paradox in outdoor recreation management. On the one hand, recreation land managers are taught to think of themselves as servants of the public in whose trust they oversee the public lands. On the other hand, they are cast in the role of protectors of those same lands from that same public. When focus only on biodiversity exclude other aspects of humankind which also value—namely cultural, reflective, and spiritual selves. The uniqueness of species goes beyond biological contributions. The challenge facing outdoor recreation managers is to enter into a more open, accepting, and interactive relationship with people of diverse cultural perspectives and heritage. To be lasting, this relationship must be rooted in a bonafide appreciation of the significance of cultural diversity—as well as biodiversity—for preserving the natural environment in a way that includes all peoples of the world.