Lesson 4
Managing urban bushland
Learning intention
We are learning about the management of urban bushland.
Success criteria
We can identify impacts on urban bushland and suggest management strategies for negative impacts.
Who manages our urban bushland?
Different government bodies and groups protect and manage urban bushland.
- National parks are managed by federal or state authorities.
- National parks can be managed jointly with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
- Bushland reserves can be managed by government departments such as the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment or state owned corporations such as the Forestry Corporation of NSW.
- Bushland reserves, parks, sporting fields and waterways can be managed by local councils.
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service manage our state's national parks.
Activity 1 - Going on a sign hunt
Community signs give instructions, list rules and laws and provide information to people. Think about the many signs you see each day on our roads, in our schools and in our community.
Signs in bushland areas inform the public on who manages the area and how.
Tasks
-
View the image gallery showing the signs in Field of Mars Reserve to identify:
- activities that are permitted (allowed)
- activities that are prohibited (not allowed)
- who manages the site
- contact information.
Tasks
- Go on a sign hunt of your local bushland, virtually using Google Maps, or by visiting your local bushland site.
- Identify who manages the area.
- Identify activities that are allowed and those that are not.
- Explain how the area is managed.
Activity 2 - Community education programs
Domestic animals such as cats and dogs are prohibited from the Field of Mars Reserve.
Tasks
-
View the YouTube video No cats and dogs at Field of Mars Reserve.
-
Discuss the following:
- Identify who produced this video.
- Identify the message that is being communicated.
- Explain why you think this video was produced.
- How effective do you think the video is at communicating the message?
No cats and dogs at Field of Mars Reserve
City of Ryde Council (0:43min) | YouTube
Activity 3 - A scenario
Mountain biking in parks can negatively influence our urban bushland.
Read the following scenario:
Your local bushland is a popular area for bushwalkers to enjoy nature. It has many native animals and the local birdwatching group meet here once a month. They photograph some of the small birds that can be found here. The local school children use the area as a safe place to train for the school cross country running race.
The bushland site is managed by your local council.
Recently a group of people have been using the area for mountain biking.
Local residents are worried as the group have modified and damaged the tracks, there has been an increase in noise and they are leaving behind a lot of litter. Last week the site was advertised on a mountain biking social media site as the new place to be.
What would you do?
Tasks
-
Imagine you are one of the local residents. Discuss with a group how you feel about the ways different people use urban bushland.
-
Create a table that identifies the different groups of people who use the bushland and the ways they use it.
- How does each activity influence the bushland? It is positive or negative?
- How can the negative impacts be managed?
-
Create a video or written response that can be used to communicate your viewpoint.
- Who will you send your response to?