[PCA] CLASS: Managing Visitors & Volunteers in Natural Areas (Keystone Heights, FL)
Olivia Kwong
plant at plantconservation.org
Wed Sep 8 20:28:50 CDT 2010
http://nata.snre.ufl.edu/visitors.htm
Managing Visitors and Volunteers in Natural Areas
This workshop is part of the series that leads to the Certificate in
Natural Areas Management.
Date: October 19-21, 2010
Location:Gold Head Branch State Park, Keystone Heights, Florida
Tuition: $380.00
Course Coordinator: Nels Parson, Recreation Land Manager, St. John's River
Water Management District.
Working with the visitor:
* Participants will review information on the demographics of visitors
to Florida's conservation areas.
* Participants will learn how to communicate about the value of
Florida's unique natural areas to the general public.
* Participants will learn how information, interpretive materials,
signage and other communication can be used to effectively manage visotor
use and impacts.
* Participants will be exposed to Americans with Disabilites
legislation and other germane laws and guidelines as they relate to
visitor use.
* Participants will be exposed to limits of acceptable change and
carrying capacity concepts and some examples of how they are being applied
in practical settings.
* Participants will be exposed to sources of visitor outreach
materials.
* Participants will be provided an overview of the range of issues
involved with visitor uses: plant and seed collecting, off-road vehicle
use, poaching, release and accidental introduction of non-native species,
etc. and some selected ways these issues are being addressed.
Working with vounteers:
* Participants will understand and demonstrate basic skills necessary
to manage a volunteer work project. These include planning a project,
preparing materials and equipment, organizing the workday, preparing and
briefing volunteers, ensuring safe practices and debriefing and rewarding
participants.
* Participants will discuss the types of projects that are appropriate
and achievable and best utilize volunteer resources.
* Participants will explore successful strategies for supervision and
management of volunteers. They will learn about motivating volunteers,
demographic and cultural trends influencing volunteerism, the challenges
to supervision of volunteer workforce, and how to reward the volunteer.
* Participants will develop a list of potential volunteer projects
appropriate for an area of their choice. They will develop a work plan for
one of those projects.
* Participants will also receive an overview of sample volunteer
programs currently underway. They will be required to participate in a
volunteer event as a condition of completion of this track.
More information about the native-plants
mailing list