NATURE PARK MANAGEMENT I BEN120

How do you get a career working in national parks or nature parks?

This is a growing area with many opportunities and in order to work in this field you need to develop an understanding of the natural environment and basic ecological principles, and learn a variety of skills ranging from basic gardening and nature park design, to erosion control, weed control and tree surgery.  This course offers you those skills and knowledge. 
 
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

Develop an understanding of the natural environment and basic ecological principles

Learn a variety of skills ranging from basic gardening and nature park design, to erosion control, weed control and tree surgery.   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

Course Structure and Contents

  • The Environment: Plants & Animals - Introduction to basic ecology and the interrelationship between living and non-living components of ecosystems.
  • Introduction to Australian Native Plants.
  • Soils -Different types of soils, soil properties, improving soils, compost making.
  • Gardening Skills & Techniques
  • Basic Landscape Design Procedures - Landscape principles & elements, pre-planning information, preparing a landscape plan.
  • Landscape Drafting and Contracting - Basic drawing skills, introduction to contracts and specifications.
  • Design of Nature/Wilderness Areas - Minimising human impact, providing for different activities.
  • Weed Control -Chemical and non-chemical methods.
  • Pest & Disease Management In Plants - Identifying the problem, control methods.
  • Culture of Native Plants -Cultural methods, plants for problem areas.
  • Plant Nutrition - Plant nutrient requirement, types of fertilisers, nutrient problems.
  • Pruning & Tree Surgery - Tree problems, techniques to overcome problems.
  • Turf Care - Terminology, lawn varieties, preparing a lawn, maintaining lawns, turf care equipment, turf problems.
  • Rehabilitation: Problems & Solutions -Soil degradation, rehabilitation techniques, etc.

Duration: 100 hours

 

Lesson 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.
  • Gain an insight into 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.

 


WHAT THE COURSE COVERS

Here are just some of the things you will be doing:
  • 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 two specified, 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 three different types of pesticides or herbicides, if used on a specific site.
  • Determine the significance to plant populations, of containment of different outputs, 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. 

CAREER TIPS

Ensure your skills are up to date, by pursuing further studies or attending professional development activities. Keep up to date with what's happening in the field of Nature Park Management. What are the most pressing issues and where is there likely to be more work? Join a networking group to meet people who are working in the field.
Get some experience. Whether paid or unpaid, experience will always make your CV look more impressive and give you some practical knowledge to apply in your interview.

Online Studies in Environmental Science, with Australian Correspondence Schools, Environmental Management Department and lay a foundation to work in the sustainability and environmental industries.


Bookshop

If you are not sure you want to commit to a course right now, another option is to start by reading a book. A range of Horticulture and Environment books are available from the college Bookshop. Following are just a few examples of ebooks written by the principal (John Mason) and staff of the school, are available as downloads through our online book shop. Read them on a computer, lap top, i pad, iphone, or book reader.