NATURE PARK MANAGEMENT II

Open Learning Course -Learn to Manage Wilderness areas

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

COURSE STRUCTURE

There are 10 lessons as follows:

1. Natural Environments – preserving natural environments; plant associations and environment rehabilitation

2. Recreation and the Environment – impact of recreation on natural environments

3. Wildlife Management in Nature Parks– impact of park visitors on wildlife; managing wildlife

4. Visitor Amenities in Nature Parks – design; provision of visitor amenities including picnic areas and campgrounds; management of facilities

5. Park Interpretation – interpretative facilities including signs and education programs

6. Trail Design and Construction – designing access routes in parks; designing and constructing walking tracks

7. Water Areas – conserving and managing natural water bodies in nature park; impact of humans on water areas

8. Marketing Nature Parks – strategies used to promote nature parks

9. Risk Management I – identifying, minimising and managing natural hazards; safety issues

10. Risk Management II – preparing a risk management plan

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.

PLANT COLLECTION
With each assignment you will need to find four different plants, press(ie: preserve) a small piece of the plant ideally including a flower, identify it (include genus and species name where possible), attach the pressed specimen to a sheet of paper and write it's name and a brief description/commentary on that plant beside the pressing.
You should include details on its cultural requirements ie: feeding, watering etc, its uses ie:windbreak, flowers, shade etc, it's propagation, any common pests & diseases etc.

WHAT THE COURSE COVERS
You will learn a wide variety of things, through a combination of reading, interacting with tutors, undertaking research and practical tasks, and watching videos. Here are just some of the things you will be doing:

• Explain how by changing drainage patterns man can damage a natural environment? Consider both urban and rural areas.
• Why would you plant trees several years before planting lower plants in an area you are attempting to return to natural bush?
• How would you go about rehabilitating or establishing an area?
• Present your notes and sketches from a study of natural rock areas.
• Present photos or sketches of rockeries you have inspected.
• In what situations would you be likely to create rockeries in a wildlife enclosure? Why?
• Prepare a list of 30 Australian native plants stating how you would propagate them and why you would use that method in preference to others.
• Prepare a table of at least 20 different recreation activities that you may be familiar with that indicates how compatible these activities are with each other.
• Design a magazine or newspaper advertizement to promote a park you visited.
• Name a nature park which you know of through their marketing, though you have never visited it. What aspect(s) of their marketing have made you aware of this park?
• Describe step by step everything you need to do to grow a eucalypt from seed into a healthy plant over a ten year period.
• Select 25 different species of Eucalyptus which you have details about and write a description and notes for each of these species.
• Write descriptions for six different species of wattles which will grow successfully in your locality.
• What are the principle uses of the Proteaceae and leguminous plants as you see them in a park situation.
• Make up a list of at least 30 Myrtaceae species which will grow well in your locality.
• Draw a concept plan for the development of a wildlife park.
• Draw a detailed plan for the construction of an animal enclosure.
• Design a picnic area.
• Submit the drawing (or photo) of the picnic area you looked at with your comments on the design of that facility.
• Design a piece of park furniture and prepare a costing for the production of the item.
• List six different types of park furniture you looked at.
• Collect catalogues from lawn seed suppliers, instant lawn companies etc.
• Contact several quarries in your area. Collect samples of the materials they supply.
• Contact artificial turf companies and make up a list of materials available.
• Find three examples of bad selection of surfacings in a landscape.
• List freshwater and saltwater animals that can be farmed under aquaculture management in your locality.
• Design a water feature of your choice.
• Compare the alternative methods of sign production to show the differences between methods with respect to cost, durability, the situations where it would be appropriate or inappropriate to use each type.
• Design a sign which will enable visitors to distinguish between the different animals in an enclosure.
• Write a short piece of literature for children which relates what you can observe in an enclosure.
• Suggest a supervised activity for children which could be used in a wildlife park during school holidays.
• Design a trail.

Course Duration:  approx. 100 hours

Open learning environment school -Online courses, certificates and education in biology, sustainability, ecology, marine studies, water, earth, animal, wilderness management, and environmental science.