Learn more about Managing Natural Areas
This course develops your knowledge, awareness and networking within this industry sector.
This course is a natural progression from Nature Park Management I, but can be taken in its own right. It concentrates more on indigenous plants and using them to create natural, balanced ecosystems. Learn to create nature trails, build rockeries and pathways, construct ponds and watercourses, design picnic grounds and animal enclosures, market a nature park, and lots more.
Understand how humans impact on natural environments, and how park
management seeks to provide quality recreational and educational
experiences without compromising the parks’ natural environment.
Lesson Structure
There are 10 lessons in this course:
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Natural Environments
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Functions of Park Management
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Natural Environments
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Plant Associations
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Basic Ecology
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The Ecosystem
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Constiuents of the Ecosystem - Abiotic, Biotic
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Ecological Concepts
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Web of Life
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Habitat and Niche
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Conservation of Natural Resources
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Facilitate or Rehabilitate
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Flowering Grasslands
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Strategies for Grassland Preservation
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Trees in Natural Environments
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Recreation in Nature Parks
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What is Recreation in the EnvironmentalContext
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Environmentally Based Recreation Activities
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Recreation Impacts on Environment
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Vehicles in Nature Parks
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Noise Pollution
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Water Based Recreation Activities
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Snorkelling & Scuba
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Sailing
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Speed Boating and Jet Skis
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Canoeing
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White Water Rafting
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Water Skiiing
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Land Based Recreation Activities
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Abseiling
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Hang Gliding
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Rock Climbing
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Snow Skiing
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Motorised Vehicles
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Ecotourism
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Ethical and Legal Concerns with Ecotourism
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Wildlife Management
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Approaches to Managing Wildlife
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Managing Wildlife Habitats
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Habitat Classification
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Habitat Change - Physical, Bi
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Habitat Modification - Fire, Vegetation Management
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Habitat Modelling
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Population Monitoring
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Captive Breeding and Release
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Culling and Cropping
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Harvesting
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Visitor Amenities in Nature Parks
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Impact of Visitor Amenities
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Design of Structures in the Landscape
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Elements of a Recreational Landscape
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Play Structures - Design, Function, Aesthetics, Cost, Safety
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Plants in Playgrounds
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Accommodation Facilities
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Tents, Caravans, Buildings
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Cooking Facilities
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Park Interpretation
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What is Park Interpretation
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Five Principles of Interpretation
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Planning for Interpretation
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Interpretation Techniques
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Site Design
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Designing Environmental Trails
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Trail Design and Construction
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Park Access
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Track Design
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How to Make Trails
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Planning a Trail
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Trail Types
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Fun and Fitness Trails
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Environmental Trails
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Puzzle/Activity Trails
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Water Areas
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Natural Water Bodies
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Dams
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River Catchments
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Wetlands
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Estuaries
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Water Pollution
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Recycling Water
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Desalination
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Water Based Activities
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Planning and Environmental Impact
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Marketing Nature Parks
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Determining Advertising Budgets
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Advertising and Promotion
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Message Generation
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Message Evaluation and Selection
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Message Execution
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Publicity Marketing
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Media Releases
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Sales
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Customer Types
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The Salesperson
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Market Research
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Marketing Tips
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Risk Management I
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Hazard Management
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Accidents
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Accident Prevention
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Safety in Wilderness Areas
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Hazards
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First Aid
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Know when to Cancel
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Search and Rescue Services
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Surevival Strategies
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Risk Management II
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Developing a Risk Management Plan
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Collecting Background Information
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Preparing Visitors/Participants
Aims
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Explain the role of nature parks in preserving natural environments.
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Explain the role of nature parks as a recreation resource.
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Explain the issues of managing wildlife in nature parks.
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Explain the design of visitor amenities in nature parks and their impact on the environment.
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Explain the role interpretative facilities in nature parks.
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Explain the design and construction of trails within nature parks.
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Explain the importance and management of natural water areas in nature parks.
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Explain the importance of effective marketing in promoting nature parks.
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Explain safety issues and hazard management in nature parks.
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Explain the use of risk management plans in nature parks.
Growing Australian Native Plants in a Nature Park
There is a vast selection of natives that are just as easy as any other plants to cultivate. Indeed, many are among the easiest of all plants to grow.
The golden rule for growing natives is to select plants that have a record of doing well in your area. If you are in doubt, seek the advice of your local nursery and talk to fellow native plant lovers. But don’t forget that any plant in a garden needs some on-going care to give you its best – you can’t just plant and turn your back!
The following points are general comments about natives and shouldn’t be considered iron-clad rules:
- Don’t feed natives with fertilizers which contain a high percentage of phosphorus (including superphosphate).
- “Advanced” native trees and shrubs often don’t transplant well. Smaller plant specimens are not only cheaper; they are much more likely to succeed.
- Many natives require good drainage. It is often a good idea to plant them on a raised mound of soil.
- Mulching is generally desirable to keep roots cool and minimize water loss in summer
- A camellia may live for centuries, a rosebush for fifty years, but many of the most desirable natives are relatively short-lived. If you have a ten year old acacia or grevillea that is looking miserable, chances are that it is just suffering from old age. Harden your heart, remove the plant and replace it.
There are three main things which affect the way a plant grows. They are:
- Environmental factors such as temperature, light or moisture.
- Nutrition (i.e. the supply of nutrients to the plant).
- The influence of pest and diseases on the plant’s health
An understanding of how these three factors affect plant growth will improve your ability to make decisions about how to grow a particular plant in a particular place.
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
Consider where the plant grows naturally. This will give you some idea of its requirements. For example, most banksias tend to occur in well-drained soils, indicating that they need good drainage; while plants which grow above the snowline will tolerate very cold conditions.
A plant which is grown outside of its natural environment can often still be grown successfully, but you may find that it will grow differently, for example tropical plants which are grown in the southern states tend to be smaller in size and may need more protection than they do in tropical areas.
Growth characteristics such as foliage colour, flowering, fruiting, and the rate of growth are largely controlled by temperature and light conditions. All plants have optimum, tolerable and intolerable temperature ranges. For instance, for a particular grevillea, optimum growth may be achieved if temperatures stay between 200Cand 300C. The same plant may tolerate temperatures as low as minus 50C and perhaps as high as 500C, but above or below these extremes the plant will die.
Many plants will lose the brilliant colour in their leaves if they do not get ample light. Flowering and subsequent fruit development will also be affected by low light levels for many plants.
Similarly, rainfall, wind, hail and frost will all affect plant growth.
NUTRITION
Both northern and southern rainforest species tend to require reasonably fertile soil conditions.
A large number of sclerophyll plants have evolved in relatively infertile soil conditions. Many of these plants will grow better in soil which is not overly fertile with many plants in the Proteaceae family in particular, prefer soils low in phosphorus.
SOILS AND PLANTS
Soil is important to the plant in providing the following:
- Nutrition: the plant derives most of its nutrients from the soil.
- Support: the soil holds the plant firm and stops it from falling over.
- Water and air: the roots absorb both water and air. The soil must contain both. A soil with too much air leaves the plant starved for water. A soil with too much water leaves the plant starved for air.
Different soils have different characteristics with respect to the above factors. For example, a sandy soil provides less support than a clay soil, although fast growing plants often fall over in heavy clay soils, due to poor root penetration from a pot-pound root system. A clay soil provides less air, but a greater capacity to hold water than sand. A soil high in organic matter has a good ability to hold water, but doesn’t always provide good support and so on.
Improving Soils
While many native plants are hardy and adaptable with regard to the soil conditions in which they grow, most will benefit if a little effort is taken to improve the soil, in particular prior to planting.
Common Soil Problems
Poor soil structure.
Usually heavy soils, like pottery clay, which do not have the desirable crumbly structure; the crumbly structure means that there are pores between the crumbs, which allow air, water and roots through easily. Soils with poor structure do not allow water in easily, but when enough water gets through, they become waterlogged. Compaction by people, pets or heavy machinery makes these problems worse.
Poor drainage.
This is often a problem in areas with soils high in clay content. The problem is often due to poor soil structure, impervious layers in the soil or low lying areas.
Poor water retention.
In some soils, particularly sandy ones, drainage is excellent, but moisture retention can be a major problem.
Low fertility.
Many Australian soils, in particularly sandy ones, have low levels of fertility. Many ancient soils (eg. much of Austrakia), are low in phosphorus.
Salinity.
Occurs inland due to tree clearing and irrigation; in coastal areas it is caused by salt-laden winds.
Wrong pH
Calcareous (alkaline) soils in some coastal and limestone areas, acid in agricultural areas or high organic soils. Acid soils are commonly associated with high rainfall and leaching (draining) of alkaline materials, while low rainfall areas are usually alkaline. Most natives prefer mildly acid to neutral soils, pH 5.5 to 7.
Non-wetting soils
Some soils contain lipid compounds from plants (eg oils) which repel rather than absorbing water.
DIVERSITY IS IMPORTANT
Different plants and animals are adapted to survive best in different environments. To maintain the diversity of plant and animal life that we have; we need to maintain a diverse range of environments. This is a complex thing to do; and requires a lot of study in order to simply have the foundation to properly understand the intricacies that you observe in different environments.
This course helps develop that foundation.
Without the foundation, it is hard to make proper decisions about how to manage and achieve sustainability in different environments.
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