Page 81 - parks-master-plan

monitoring nuisance complaints and managing for more desirable habitat is most effective.

By monitoring wildlife, educating residents and resolving issues on public lands, Dublin residents can live amicably with wildlife. Furthermore, by using best land and wildlife management practices public land and overall environments will remain healthy.

Existing parkland and open spaces should be assessed, managed and protected in a way that allows for nature and wildlife to coexist with humans. New habitats should be created and maintained to ensure the biodiversity needed to encourage regrowth of native plant populations and for existing wildlife to live and flourish.

Biodiversity is a complex mixture of plant and animal communities, microorganisms, soils and water. Providing shelter and cover, quality food, water and space is necessary for wildlife diversity.

The City should strive to maintain a diverse inventory of parklands with as much variation in terrain and habitat as possible. The more varied the habitat conditions, the greater the variety of wildlife species.

increase, so does the impact upon wildlife and the natural environment. As development progresses, the environment and natural wildlife habitat becomes fragmented and are isolated or destroyed. When fragmentation occurs wildlife populations become crowded into increasingly small areas or are forced into the open to find new habitat. These conditions often put wildlife at risk, including

unpredictable human encounters, vulnerability to predators, accidents, parasites and starvation.

Understanding and recognizing the effect habitat fragmentation has on wildlife, and regulating and modifying how we manage the land are steps forward in repairing the harmful impact human development has on wildlife. The addition of wildlife corridors allows for free flow migrational paths between fragmented habitats and links between parklands and other natural and open spaces. Greenways, especially along stream corridors, provide contiguous habitat and natural migrational pathways for both land mammal and avian species.

Dublin Nature Education was formalized in 2005 with the addition of a Nature Education Coordinator position. Before the position, classes were offered through inquiry only, without advertisement, except through the Dublin Community Recreation Center.