Poster Abstract 17

The Role of Recreation and Education in Habitat Protection

Carolyn Engel-Wilson

Arizona Game and Fish Department, Game Branch, 2221 West Greenway Road, Phoenix, AZ 85023

Protecting tracts of wildlife habitat from the direct impacts of urban development is an important first step in preservation, but fences and protected status alone are seldom enough to effectively preserve habitat values in an urban context where no land goes unused for long. A plan for compatible recreational and/or educational access should be part of any attempt to maintain wildlife habitat in an urbanizing area. Direct, positive, personal experience with nature is an important factor in developing wildlife-friendly attitudes. Visitor amenities that facilitate such experiences can help gain public support for protecting wildlife habitat from incompatible uses and activities. Through case studies, this poster explores several approaches to using wildlife-related recreation and education to increase public understanding of wildlife-habitat relationships and human impacts on wildlife, and to encouraging responsible use of urban wildlife habitat.


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