Van wie is de Limburgse natuur?

Natuurbescherming in Limburg (1900-1940)

Samenvatting

Who is responsible for Limburgish nature? Nature conservation in Limburg, 1900-1940
In the founding phase of the nature conservation movement in the Netherlands in the early twentieth century, organisations at the national level, such as Natuurmonumenten and the Nederlandsche Botanische Vereeniging, played a leading role. The framing of natural monuments as parts of Dutch natural and cultural heritage and their protection as a national duty or endeavour, however, was at odds with the efforts to create a regional basis for nature conservation in the different Dutch provinces.
This article analyses the history of nature conservation in the province of Limburg between 1900 and 1940 as a case study to describe this inherent tension between understandings of Dutch and Limburgish nature. If a natural area in Limburg was endangered, should it be protected as a unique part of Dutch nature, or was it essentially the responsibility of regionally-based organisations, such as the Natuur- historisch Genootschap in Limburg and the Stichting Het Limburgsch Landschap, to initiate and co-ordinate such actions? The article follows a number of controversies between Dutch and Limburgish nature conservation organisations in the time period under scrutiny, during which the issue ‘whose nature?’ emerged several times. This was ultimately a question of power: who gets to define the selection of endangered or protected areas and who decides about the suitable methods and strategies?