scholarly journals Unusual Suspects: “Allies in the Park, Are Closer Than They Appear”

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
candace gossen

One season, 1039 hours, as a Park Ranger at Mesa Verde National Park. Interps we are called, observing, telling stories, being stewards of the past, present and future of wildness. Wildness in the animal world is reserved to only 4% of the planets millions of animals, Wildness is why people come to the National Parks, they are the last stronghold of beauty that bears presence in each of our souls. As a Field Scientist it is all about observation over time, and if you are lucky even, at the right time in the right place, a story makes itself known. This year, 2021, finally after the unlucky stall of 2020, we were back at work in the park and I am the lucky one to tell this story of how nature is working together as allies to regrow the burned forests of this place. Who are the characters in nature that are regenerating this burned landscape?I call them the “Unusual Suspects” and use the adage that we all have seen on our review mirrors “Objects in Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear.” I have rewritten those words as “Allies in the Park Are Closer Than They Appear.” Those allies, in this case, the Yucca baccata (banana yucca), the most important plant of cultural use by the Ancient Pueblo People at Mesa Verde, the Pinyon-Juniper forest and particularly the Juniperus utahensis, Pack rats and horses. There is much more than is visible going on, but these are the key players to the questions I asked: Why are the burned Juniper trees still standing after twenty years, some 90 years ago burned, still standing, how? And where are the new saplings, it appears that the trees are not growing back. The last 20 years the forests have stood still like an eerie Tim Burton movie. This field report includes my daily observations on the mesas over six months, data collection on 175 trees and new discoveries found that indeed new trees are growing back, with the help of their allies, the unusual suspects working together in regenerating life after wildfires. I can say for certain that regeneration takes communication, and in this case it is between nature through chemical signals, electrical impulses and heartbeats, neural networks working under the surface, deep in the earth that are keeping the ecosystem intact, strong and diverse. I’ve offered insight from these types of communication in ecology that we are just learning to understand that are intriguing and calling for all humans to pay attention.

2008 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 35-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina S. Roberts ◽  
Donald A. Rodriguez

Understanding outdoor recreation participation and national park visitation by members of ethnic minority groups has been a particular focus of outdoor recreation researchers for the past twenty years. Attracting ethnic minorities, and understanding their recreation needs and interests, demands a multi-faceted approach and sustained commitment not only by the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) but by other resource management agencies as well.


2012 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 161-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald Rudin

Until the mid-1970s, the creation of a national park in Canada meant the removal of the resident population whose presence was viewed as incompatible with the preservation of nature and its presentation to visitors. Like other high-modernist schemes of the time, park projects were conceived by agents of the state whose knowledge trumped that of the people on the ground whose lives were viewed as worthless. The first nineteen of Canada’s national parks were created in areas populated predominately by English-speakers so that it was only with the creation of Kouchibouguac National Park in New Brunswick in late 1969 and Forillon National Park in Quebec eight months later that French-speakers bore the brunt of forced removal. This essay explores the dynamics regarding the creation of the first two French-Canadian national parks, both of which emerged in the midst of révolutions tranquilles, one acadienne and the other québécoise. This context shaped both the process that led to the development of the parks and to the very different ways that they have been remembered over the past forty years.


Koedoe ◽  
1985 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
U. De V. Pienaar

All available rainfall statistics recorded for the Kruger National Park area since 1907, coupled with an analysis of all the historical climatological data on hand, appear to confirm the quasi-twenty-year rainfall oscillation in precipitation pattern for the summer rainfall area. This was first pointed out by Tyson & Dyer (1975). The dendrochronological data obtained by Hall (1976) from a study of growth rings of a very old yellowwood tree (Podocarpus falcatus) in Natal, also appear to indicate a superimposed, long-term (80-100 years) pattern of alternate below- average and above-average rainfall periods. The historical data relating to climate in the park, during the past century or two, seem to bear out such a pattern. If this can be confirmed, it will be an enormous aid not only in wildlife-management planning, but also to agriculturists, demographic planners and others. It would appear that the long, relatively dry rainfall period of 1860-1970, with its concomitant progressive desiccation of the @ area in question, has passed over into the next aboveverage rainfall era. This does not mean that there will be no further cataclysmic droughts during future rainfall trough periods. It is therefore wise to plan ahead to meet such contingencies. The present water distribution pattern in the park (natural plus artificial water) is conspicuously still well below that which pertained, during dry seasons, at the turn of the century, when the Sabi and Shingwedzi game reserves were proclaimed. It is the declared policy of the National Parks Board of Trustees to simulate natural regulating mechanisms as closely as possible. In consequence the artificial water-for-game program is a long way from completion. The large numbers of game animals in the park (including dominant species such as elephant Loxodonta africana and buffalo Syncerus coffer) can no longer migrate out of the area to escape natural catastrophes (such as the crippling droughts of 1911-1917, the 1930s, 1940s and 1960s), and a reliable supply of artificial water in all the areas where natural supplies have dried up since 1902 should be provided, to prevent an irreversible population crash of many animal species during future periods of protracted drought. Such a catastrophe could well spell the end of the park as a viable, self-sustaining wildlife sanctuary and destroy its well-established tourist industry. Special measures will have to be taken to safeguard the perennial rivers of the park and their unique aquatic life from the calamitous effects of progressive desiccation or serious pollution.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jani Karhu

In the past few decades, sustainable nature tourism has become one of the most growing and debatable fields of the tourism industry. This article focuses on analyzing the possibilities and threats regarding sustainable nature tourism of two Finnish national parks: Koli in North Karelia and Urho Kekkonen National Park in Lapland. The main data of the study consists of the interviews of the park managers and planners and of the survey study of the companies and societies cooperating with the parks. The main findings of the study suggest that the entrepreneurs operating in the national parks have adapted to the sustainability thinking and are developing their businesses in that regard. From the park management’s point of view, the concept of sustainable nature tourism and local cooperation by that means has been an effective tool to improve tourism and the positive attitudes towards the parks. Nevertheless, the concept of sustainability is complex, and there are multiple factors setting different expectations for tourism and the parks. This means that reaching a compromise between the park and tourism development and the limits of sustainability is more or less debatable.


Koedoe ◽  
1977 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Van Riet

Definition of the Concept "Wilderness"The Wilderness Act of September 1964, of the United States of America, states that "... wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognised as an area where the earth and its community of life are not influenced by man and where man himself is a visitor who does not remain55 (Nash 1967). The Act also states that a wilderness "... must retain its primeval character and influence and that it must be protected and managed in such a way that it appears to have been effected primarily by the forces of nature.”


Koedoe ◽  
1977 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
A.M. Brynard

This paper deals mainly with the past and present status of nature conservation in the Republic of South Africa. It is pointed out that the nature conservation history of the Republic of South Africa commenced as early as 1656. In 1897 the first areas for the conservation of wild animals were set aside. These were the Hluhluwe and Umfolozi Game Reserves. Shortly after- wards, in 1898, the Sabi Game Reserve was established mainly through the efforts of President Paul Kruger. Col James Stevenson-Hamilton was appointed the first Warden of the Sabi Game Reserve and through his continued endeavours and perse-verance this game reserve, with certain additions, was eventually proclaimed as the first national park in the RSA in 1926. The first National Parks Board of Trustees, instituted according to the National Parks Act of 1926 commenced with its duties on the 16th September, 1926. The National Parks Act made provision for the establishment of other National Parks. Since 1931 eight National Parks were estab- lished. A short description of the history and most important features of each of these is given.


2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 68-76
Author(s):  
Iyat Sudrajat ◽  
Harnios Arief ◽  
Tutut Sunarminto

Moluccan cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis Gmelin, 1788) is an endemic bird of Seram Island, Maluku Province, which is an icon of Manusela National Park. The population and habitat of Maluku cockatoos is disrupted by the activities of communities around the area. This study aims to analyze the condition of the poor cockatoo population and habitat as well as the community's perceptions of the interaction between the community and the cockatoos in the wild and develop a strategy for the Maluku cockatoo conservation program in the buffer zone of Manusela National Park.. Data collection is done by direct observation, questionnaires, focus group discussions and in-depth interviews. The results showed that there were 7 individuals found in the location of community plantations, while 4 other individuals were in the protected forest area and Manusela National Park with density 22,04 individual/km2. The existence of moluccan cockatoos on community plantations has led to a negative perception of the community that cockatoo is one of the pests for the plantation. The right conservation efforts to preserve cockatoos and create positive interactions with the community are by planning on village tourism, Moluccan cockatoo captivity, and managing the habitat of the cockatoos in and around the Manusela National Park area. Keywords: captivity, conservation, ecotourism, habitat, moluccan cockatoo


Koedoe ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian W. Van Wilgen ◽  
Navashni Govender ◽  
Gregory G. Forsyth ◽  
Tineke Kraaij

This paper reviews the experience gained in three South African national parks (Kruger, Table Mountain and Bontebok) with regard to the adaptive management of fire for the conservation of biodiversity. In the Kruger National Park, adaptive approaches have evolved over the past 15 years, beginning initially as a form of ‘informed trial and error’, but progressing towards active adaptive management in which landscape-scale, experimental burning treatments are being applied in order to learn. In the process, significant advances in understanding regarding the role and management of fire have been made. Attempts have been made to transfer the approaches developed in Kruger National Park to the other two national parks. However, little progress has been made to date, both because of a failure to provide an agreed context for the introduction of adaptive approaches, and because (in the case of Bontebok National Park) too little time has passed to be able to make an assessment. Fire management interventions, ultimately, will manifest themselves in terms of biodiversity outcomes, but definite links between fire interventions and biodiversity outcomes have yet to be made.Conservation implications: Significant challenges face the managers of fire-prone and fire adapted ecosystems, where the attainment of ecosystem goals may require approaches (like encouraging high-intensity fires at hot and dry times of the year) that threaten societal goals related to safety. In addition, approaches to fire management have focused on encouraging particular fire patterns in the absence of a sound understanding of their ecological outcomes. Adaptive management offers a framework for addressing these issues, but will require higher levels of agreement, monitoring and assessment than have been the case to date.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 10-17
Author(s):  
Giana M. Eckhardt

AbstractHunting for “stars”, the icons of the reputation economy, is a prerequisite for survival in e-commerce in general and on sharing platforms in particular. The key to understanding the rise of reputation is trust, and the ability of a platform to provide this trust has become crucial in the past decade. Social media managers are now key players in marketing departments. One of their most important jobs is the careful curation of digital reputations. Marketers need to engage in diverse forms of reputation management and master several challenges in designing the right systems and utilizing reputation information in optimal ways. Engendering trust is more complex than gaining star ratings or positive reviews on owned or third-party platforms. How platforms are designed – in terms of how people can make bookings or orders and how users rate each other – is the key issue. It needs to be managed in a sophisticated way, especially in an era when topics such as racial and ethnic justice are key societal concerns.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 179
Author(s):  
Natalie S. Mumich ◽  
Geoffrey L. Buckley ◽  
Yolonda Youngs ◽  
Tatyana Martello

National parks have been called “America’s best idea”, but their creation and management never fail to stir controversy. On September 12, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the bill creating Canyonlands National Park (CANY). Instead of a preservation climax, however, the establishment of CANY simply opened a new chapter in the long-term effort to protect a much greater percentage of southeastern Utah’s canyon country. Over the next several decades, park enthusiasts and wilderness advocates sought to expand the boundaries of CANY, while agricultural interests and extractive industries lobbied vigorously to limit the influence of the National Park Service. In this paper, we use archival data and methods to reconstruct the story of CANY’s creation and review attempts since then to extend protections beyond the original park’s borders, seeking to understand the different social, political, and economic forces that aligned to propose—as well as the forces that rallied to contest—these expansion efforts. While our findings indicate that the stakeholders involved and the issues that drive them have changed little over the past sixty years, we also cite several examples of successful collaboration that could serve as guideposts for future conservation efforts, both in the U.S. and elsewhere.


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