The Urban Nature Reserve: They Play an Important Role in Our Parks but Require Special Management Practices.

Keith P. Tomlinson, Parks and Recreation Business Magazine Spring 2018

Many readers of this magazine will negotiated some kind of rush hour on the way home. Our parks are often nestled within busy urban centers. Highways, side streets and shopping centers hem us in. It’s this very setting that illuminates the value of open space and parkland. Our pools, batting cages, waterfronts, golf courses are critical to earned income. Active Recreation is time tested to yield earnings when patrons arrive with wallet in hand. Add food concession’s and rentals fees to user fees, and things look pretty good in the annual budget report. But what about the nature reserve, they make no money, but are highly prized by the public.

Islands in an Urban Sea

The urban nature reserve can be more important to the public than a distant national park. It’s accessible, offering a local green space where nature is found. A true reserve will have minimal development with the exception of a nature center and signage; otherwise its trials, benches, creeks, lakes and the wild…the urban wild. The industry of human activity is never too far away. Yet these natural “islands” are vital part of our park systems and of profound importance to the public. In fact, most surveys in urban areas demonstrate open space and trials are most important to the visiting pubic.

Managing these spaces requires special attention to detail if a nature reserve is to survive biologically, spatially and culturally. The days of acquiring land and as a reserve and simply announcing your newest holding are over. With the advent of invasive species these reserves require active management from trained natural resource professionals. Would you purchase a new convertible and let it sit in the driveway for several years? The tires will go flat, paint fades and the roof rots. An urban nature reserve can undergo similar degradation over time. Weeds takeover, native plants decline, specimen trees need pruning, trails need maintenance. But there’s no direct source of income. Many park agencies struggle with this very situation and urban reserves can drift into ecological decline, ultimately becoming less attractive, less biologically diverse and less user friendly.

Planning for the Future

It’s relatively easy to look at our built facilities and know what needs upgrading; a pool house roof, old parking lots, a picnic pavilion or camp ground facilities. But planning for the urban nature reserve will require keen assessment of nature itself. This is the realm of natural resource expertise. The notion that trees, creeks, lakes and trails are a commodity is very real. Both ecological and cultural capital needs defining in planning for long-term success to actively conserve an urban nature reserve. Many forces are at work just outside the reserve as well. Water flow and pollution, invading plants, deer browse and user impact to name a few. A well-managed nature reserve is revered by the public. That visceral attraction to local well maintained nature is often an underused marketing tool. The public wants to help conserve these areas and will provide time and if asked. Natural resource planning and effective branding are closely associated when managing urban natural areas. The public expects us to be skilled stewards of natural resources and its incumbent upon us to meet that expectation. 

Setting the Standard

Operationally we can look to a few agencies that set a high bar for managing urban nature reserves with notable skill. The city of Alexandria Virginian across the Potomac River from Washington DC has a long-term detail oriented natural resource program. A vibrant densely populated city, Alexandria has a finite amount of open space left. The city pays close attention to the ecological quality and function of its natural areas. Not only is vegetation thoroughly documented, invasive species are removed and specific criteria are in place for the introduction of any new plants. Furthermore, the city staff has documented underlying geology and soil types important to the health forest in highly urbanized settings. It’s a holistic approach that achieves outstanding results for public use, conservation and interpretation.  Metroparks Toledo in Northeast Ohio also has clear conservation mission connected to the Maumee River basin and its various ecosystems. Rare plant monitoring, deer management, insect diversity surveys and freshwater ecosystem management increase the capacity to effectively oversee urban nature reserves for biodiversity conservation and public enrichment.

The Holistic Approach

An urban nature reserve is often a window into the regions unique natural history. To understand the reserves potential and management we need to know the underlying ecology. Geology, soil types, site hydrology and vegetation will need complete analysis in order to effectively conserve the space for public access and environmental integrity. Then add the dynamic pressures of an urban setting. It’s a complex task that requires expertise and commitment. But it takes funding. Many park systems secure such funding through tax revenue devoted exclusively to natural resource management. This use of tax money is increasingly popular with the local citizens. The public values access to well-managed urban reserves and will support their existence. Earned income can also contribute, but these funds are most often applied directly to active recreation facilities maintenance.

Alternative funding is also available in the form of grants, gifts and endowments. People value the conservation of nature in no uncertain terms. Very often we associate this with larger international organizations focused on biodiversity conservation, such as World Wildlife Fund. Park systems willing to purse potential donors for urban conservation can realize similar success over the long term. Emphasizing conservation and educational priorities is always a winning combination with donors. If a natural area is donated to a park system for the express purpose conservation, a fund raising program for maintenance should be launched at the first opportunity. Branding, agency mission and strategic planning will be paramount to a successful effort.

A park systems ability to maintain urban nature reserves is bound to many programmatic priorities and staff skill endowments. Financial planning that fosters ecological quality is central to operational success. That success is measured by the commitment to authentic management in service to environmental health for the public and ecological integrity for our parks. If you’re driving in rush hour this evening, maybe its time for a break in a local nature reserve. It’s sure to replenish the spirit and celebrate the enduring magnitude of urban nature in our parks.

Keith Tomlinson has worked in environmental education and natural resource conservation for more than 35 years; he’s a Biology Fellow at the Washington DC Academy of Science and Manager of Meadowlark Botanical Gardens with NOVA Parks in Northern Virginian.