Saying nature is culture implies that one cannot be without the other. Nature gave rise to culture, and culture perceives nature, interacts with it.
Nature was in the universe long before us, but we are part of this nature. After the big bang, the atoms scattered in the universe, they began to condense and form clusters of these atoms. So the planets appeared. On one of them, oxygen and nitrogen atoms formed the air, hydrogen and oxygen atoms formed water, and other elements formed the earth. 94 elements found in nature, and 60 are formed of man. Oxygen 65%, Carbon 18.5%, Hydrogen 9.5%, Nitrogen 3.2%, Calcium 15%, Phosphorus 1% and others. This part of the Mendeleev’s table that shaped our being. Further, under the influence of climate and geographical features of the area, a man formed his foundations, religions, culture.
Therefore, the concepts of nature and culture are not separable. If we imagine that there is no culture, then we can return to the stage of the animal world in which consciousness and reason are absent. And if there is no reason, then there is no one to discuss the significance of nature and give it meaning. Without man, of course, the rivers will not stop flowing and the seasons continue to replace each other, but we are what create the meaning of the existence of nature.
But can we talk about binary opposition to this union (nature and culture)?
On the one hand, it can be said so if these two concepts are considered as conscious (culture) and unconscious (nature), or, for example, as intangible (culture) and tangible (nature). The very concept of culture does not have a body, there is nothing that could be touched, it has only signs - educated, competent, etc., or the results - the city, clothing. And nature can be touched, emanated (the number of rivers, mountains), can be seen.
But on the other hand, because culture comes from nature, as was logically indicated above, we cannot put culture in contrast to nature. It is as if I have put my arm or leg as opposed to the whole body for comparison.
In the end, even if nature has no consciousness in such an understanding as man has, it has its laws and systems, for example, animals (which are part of nature) are endowed with reason. Therefore, rather, culture is not the opposite (not a binary opposition) in meaning to nature, but it is a part of it.
Bibliography and references
1. Wikipedia Composition of the human body [online] At: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composition_of_the_human_body#/media/File:201_Elements_of_the_Human_Body.02.svg (Accessed on 17.10.19)
2. Wikipedia Chemical element [online] At: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_element (Accessed on 17.10.19)