Nature Park Management I

Distance Education Course in Park Management

• gazetted wilderness areas such as a national park
• wildlife reserves
• forest reserves
• zoos and wildlife parks
• botanical reserves
• certain public parks and reserves

"A great course, prepare to be challenged! This is a growth area and more specialists will be required in the future. This is sound course that will encourage you to start gaining the skills and knowledge required to work in this field.” - Adriana Fraser Cert.Hort., Cert.Child Care, Adv.Cert.App.Mgt., Cert IV Assessment and Training, Adv.Dip.Hort, ACS Tutor.

Lesson Structure

There are 12 lessons in this course:

1. Introduction to Nature Park Management
   • the role and scope of nature parks; the importance of indigenous vegetation in nature parks.
2. Basic Ecology
   • the environment, plants and animals; ecosystem concepts.
3. Soil Management in Nature Parks
   • soil characteristics and problems; earthworks.
4. Plant Maintenance
   • basic gardening techniques; natural gardening; plant selection; succession planting; equipment.
5. Design of Nature/Wilderness Parks I
   • collecting site information; preparing concept plans.
6. Design of Nature/Wilderness Parks II
   • drawing the final plan; construction estimates; designing animal enclosures.
7. Weed Management
   • characteristics of weeds; weed control; environmental weeds.
8. Pest and Disease Management
   • management strategies; chemical safety.
9. Culture of Indigenous Plants
   • techniques for establishing vegetation; planting design.
10. Tree Management
    • role of trees in nature parks; tree maintenance plans; pruning and tree surgery.
11. Turf Care
    • turf varieties in nature parks; lawn preparation, establishment and maintenance.
12. Rehabilitation: Problems and Solutions
    • aims and strategies; soil problems and solutions in degraded sites.

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Aims

• Explain the importance of the interrelationships between various components of a natural environment within an ecosystem.
• Develop management strategies for soils within a natural ecosystem.
• Develop management strategies for plant maintenance practices, in nature parks.
• Design a nature park, or a section within a nature park.
• Develop management strategies for the control of weed problems in a nature park.
• Develop management strategies for the rehabilitation of degraded sites in a nature park.

What You Will Do

• Differentiate between different categories or types of nature parks.
• Determine thirty living components of a specific ecosystem, studied by you.
• Determine ten non-living components of a specific ecosystem, studied by you.
• Prepare a labelled diagram to illustrate the interrelationships between at least fifteen different components of an ecosystem.
• Explain the possible impact of removing two different specified organisms from a specified ecosystem.
• Explain the potential impact of adding non indigenous organisms, to a specified ecosystem.
• Explain how different soil characteristics can impact upon an ecosystem.
• Describe the physical characteristics of at least three different soils, which are of significant to the stability of their ecosystems.
• Assess aspects of soil dynamics on a site, including: Topography -Soil life -Susceptibility to degradation -Sunlight (canopy penetration).
• Compare the likely implications of using three different types of fertilisers, including:
  • Benefit to plants -Method of use -Environmental impact.
• Explain the use of different soil conditioners including: pH modifiers -Ameliorants -Organic matter.
• Determine the plant maintenance requirements of a specific nature park visited and assessed by you.
• Develop guidelines for the care of new plantations in a nature park visited by you.
• Compare the suitability of three different types of grass cutting equipment, for mowing a specific park.
• Compare the likely environmental impact of different types of pesticides used on a specific site.
• Determine the significance to plant populations, of containment of different outpus, on a specified site, including: -water runoff -chemical spray drift -effluent -pollutants.
• Prepare a plant collection of sixty plants.
• Determine categories of landscape developments which are carried out in different types of nature parks, including: Wildlife Reserves -Zoos -Sanctuaries -National Parks -Forest
  • Reserves -Vegetation corridors.
• Evaluate the designs of two different sections, of different nature parks, against given criteria.
• Collect pre-planning information for the development of a site, within a nature park.
• Prepare two concept plans for a nature park development, including:
  • -existing features -clear labelling -legend -scale -north indicator.
• Compare features of two nature park concept plans.
• Plan the construction of a landscape development within a nature park, including: -materials lists (types and quantities of materials); -plan of proposed landscape development; list of manpower and equipment requirements; -a work schedule.
• Estimate the cost of construction in accordance with a specified landscape plan.
• Estimate the cost of maintaining a specified section of a park, for a three month period.
• Explain the impact of weeds on two natural environments in the learners locality, using examples.
• Prepare a weed collection, of twenty different weeds.
• Describe two different weed problems, in two different nature parks.
• Explain five different weed seed dispersal mechanisms, for weed species collected.
• Compare alternative control methods for a specified weed problem.
• Select appropriate control methods for ten different specified weed problems.
• Develop guidelines for weed control, in a nature park inspected by you.
• Develop a management plan to reinstate indigenous flora on a specific site.
• Explain the causes of three specified types of site degradation.
• Describe five different techniques for controlling site degradation.
• Describe five different techniques for repairing site degradation.
• Describe degraded sites at two different natural areas, you inspect.
• Prepare construction details for work to be undertaken in the rehabilitation of a degraded site you inspect.
• Develop a management plan for a degraded site, in a natural area you visit.

Scope of Nature Parks

National Parks

National parks are relatively large areas of land set aside by government designation. In most cases, the land is relatively undeveloped and has significant natural landscape value.

The main role of national parks is to preserve the natural features of the landscape, including topography, flora and fauna. National parks are also important for their roles in education and recreation.

National parks are usually managed by state, shire or territory government bodies. Rangers are employed to look after the park. Their role is to protect the flora and fauna in the park and to ensure visitors safely enjoy the features of the park without significantly impacting on the environment.

Public access is usually limited to areas that are specifically designed and managed to cope with visitors. Within these area there may be boardwalks, scenic lookout platforms, and natural features of interest (e.g. waterfalls, valleys, or a unique geological or historical feature). Access within the park may be via walking trails, roads, car parks, picnic areas and campgrounds.

Zoos and Wildlife Parks

Zoos and wildlife parks and enclosed areas where animal species are cared for and housed for the purpose of conservation, education and research. These may be privately owned, managed by a private conservation trust, or managed by the government. In about 1500 BC Queen Hatshepsut of Egypt decided to build a zoo, and about 500 years later the Chinese emperor Wen Wang founded the Garden of Intelligence. Many small zoos were set up between 1,000 and 400 BC by leader from Africa, India, and China to display power and wealth. The ancient Greeks established public zoos to study animal and plant life. Near the end of the 1,400's, global exploration brought Europeans to the New World and explorers brought back with them exotic species to be housed in zoos.

The above shows how many different reasons there are for establishing a zoo. Today conservation, research and education are the primary reasons for developing and maintaining wildlife parks (wildlife parks focus on these goals whereas some zoos still have animals on display purely for interest, education, and profit). Being able to house different species on one given park provides the ability to study these creatures up close and give visitors the opportunity to experience some interaction with species in order to appreciate their fragility and importance in the grander scale of things. These establishments often have animal hospitals, trained vets, animal carers, and researchers who are dedicated to preserving species and housing them in best possible environments whilst educating the public on their importance. A lot of the parks provide volunteering opportunities, educational programs for school and other visitors, and research opportunities.

Reserves

These are usually smaller areas of land, either owned and managed privately or managed by council, shire or state departments. Reserves are set aside for many different reasons:

• They may have significant natural features, such as remnant vegetation or wetlands.
• They may be important for cultural or historic reasons; for example, the site may contain relics of previous inhabitants.
• They may offer opportunities for passive and active recreation, such as bushwalking, nature studies, bird watching, camping, boating, orienteering.
• Its purpose may be to rehabilitate a degraded site, such as a disused quarry or landfill.
• They offer people special opportunities to study or learn about nature or simply to enjoy it.