NATURE PARK MANAGEMENT I BEN120

Develop skills to undertake the management of practical aspects of nature parks.

Course Content

This module covers the following:

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.

Duration: 100 hours 

COURSE AIMS

• Investigate the scope and role of nature parks and explain the importance of indigenous plants in nature parks.
• 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 pest and disease control in nature parks.
• Investigate the culture of indigenous plants as a useful resource for nature parks.
• Discuss techniques used for tree maintenance including pruning and tree surgery, with respect to nature parks.
• Develop management strategies for turf maintenance in nature parks.
• Develop management strategies for the rehabilitation of degraded sites in a nature park.

Example from Course Notes:

THE ROLE OF NATURE PARKS

A nature park is any area that aims to preserve a natural environment or natural plant or animal life. It includes the following:

• · gazetted wilderness areas such as a national park
• · wildlife reserves
• · forest reserves
• · zoos and wildlife parks
• · botanical reserves
• · council parks
• · recreation reserves

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.

Most reserves are open to the public, but not always. Some are managed by private trusts or landholders, and access is restricted for privacy reasons. Some are manage by local councils or botanical gardens. Environmentally-sensitive areas may also be restricted to protect threatened species or fragile landforms.

Lesson Structure

There are 12 lessons in this course:

1. Introduction to Nature Parks
   • Role of nature parks
   • National parks
   • Zoos and wildlife parks
   • Reserves
   • Role of community groups in nature parks
   • Using indigenous plants
   • Benefits of indigenous remnant vegetation
   • Naturalised plants
   • Plant identification: plant reviews
2. Basic Ecology
   • Ecology and its application
   • Constituents of an ecosystem: biotic and abiotic
   • Ecosystem function
   • Heterotrophic vs, autotrophic
   • Ecological concepts
   • Ecology relationships
   • Climatic zones
   • Climate: soil: vegetation interrelationships
   • Plant association
   • Living things
   • Classification of animals
   • Plant classification
   • Using keys
   • Botanical families for different genera: a framework for identifying plants
3. Soil Management in Nature Parks
   • Soil Management Overview
   • Earthworks in nature parks
   • Soil degradation
   • Erosion
   • Causes, types and control of erosion
   • Salinity
   • Sources of salinity
   • Control methods for soil salinity
   • Soil acidification, and causes
   • Compaction of soil
   • Chemical residues
   • Soil and plant growth
   • Naming the soil
   • Improving soils
   • Sampling soils
   • Nutrient availability and pH
   • Fertilizers and nutrient components
   • Terminology
4. Plant Maintenance
   • Plant maintenance in nature parks
   • Plant selection
   • Economics of planting
   • Ongoing costs
   • Longevity
   • Aesthetic criteria for plant selection
   • Natural gardening techniques
   • Using hardy, pest free plants
   • Planting for a succession
   • Equipment: a more sustaainable and natural approach
   • Avoiding problem materials
   • Disposing of waste
   • Composting
   • Planting procedure
   • Staking plants
   • When to plant
   • Machinery for park maintenance: overview
5. Design of Nature Parks I
   • Nature park design
   • Landscaping procedure
   • Pre planning information
   • Landscape plans
   • Design procedure
6. Design of Nature Parks II
   • Designing animal enclosures
   • Cages and pens
   • Open range enclosures
   • Designing and siting animal enclosures
   • Specifications and contracts
7. Weed Management in Nature Parks
   • Characteristics of weeds
   • Weed control options
   • Chemical control
   • Biological control
   • Non chemical control
   • Plants which take over
   • Environmental weeds
8. Pest and Disease Management
   • Pest and disease control: chemical and non chemical
   • Using chemicals safely
   • Understanding plant pathology
   • How to inspect plants for suspected problems
   • Insect biology and classification
   • Laws related to chemical use
   • Types of poisons
   • Understanding toxicity
   • Review of main types of plant pests
   • Review of common fungal problems affecting plants
9. Culture of Indigenous Plants
   • Growing indigenous plants in nature park
   • Plant establishment: direct planting, direct seeding, natural regeneration
   • Planting design
   • Planting techniques: pocket planting, slope serration, wattling, planting arid sites, direct seeding, spray seeding
10. Tree Management in Nature Parks
    • The role of trees
    • Tree maintenance plan
    • Arboriculture (overview)
    • Safety for tree surgery
    • Tree surgery techniques
11. Turf Care in Nature Parks
    • Introduction
    • Choosing turf grasses
    • Feature lawns
    • Picnic areas
    • Areas for sport
    • Gardens
    • Parks
    • Establishing a new lawn
    • Review of turf varieties
    • Turf maintenance procedures
    • Topdressing
12. Rehabilitation Problems and Solutions
    • Land rehabilitation in nature parks
    • Site plan information needed
    • Site management plan
    • Soil problems on degraded sites
    • Dry areas, overcoming dry soils, managing sandy soils
    • What causes wet areas
    • Overcoming problems with wet areas
    • Factors affecting rehabilitation: debris, mass plantings, water, topsoil, exotic organisms

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.

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