Nature Park Management II

Expand Your Expertise in Nature Park Management

This course is a natural progression from Nature Park Management I, but can be taken in its own right. It concentrates more on 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 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.

What Does a Nature Park Manager Do?

• Preservation of natural habitats
• Land rehabilitation
• Wildlife management
• Control of feral pests
• Management of natural hazards
• Visitor management

 “This course will help you to round off your skills! Couple this course with the previous one to provide you with broader plant skills. It also enables you to understand all the components that make up a nature park.” - 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 10 lessons in this course:

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.

Aims

• Explain the role of nature parks in preserving natural environments.
• Explain the role of nature parks as a recreation resource.
• Explain the issues of managing wildlife in nature parks.
• Explain the design of visitor amenities in nature parks and their impact on the environment.
• Explain the role interpretative facilities in nature parks.
• Explain the design and construction of trails within nature parks.
• Explain the importance and management of natural water areas in nature parks
• Explain the importance of effective marketing in promoting nature parks.
• Explain safety issues and hazard management in nature parks.
• Explain the use of risk management plans in nature parks.

WHY STUDY THIS COURSE?

This course builds on knowledge obtained in Nature Park Management I, but can be taken as a stand-alone module by people who have some level of awareness of land management and nature park design. The course examines nature parks in greater depth, from the components of parks to impact of human visitors and how to overcome this. Elements of design are reviewed as well as risks associated with poor design and inappropriate use of materials and features. Upon completion students will have greater insight into the key strategies for good nature park management.

This course will be of interest to people working, or aspiring to work in:

• Conservation
• Ecotourism
• Land management
• Parks & gardens