A regional nature center for College Station Texas : an evaluation of opportunities in Lick Creek Park /
The City of College Station, Texas, offers a wide range of parks and recreation amenities; however, at this time the city does not offer a nature center. Located in South College Station, Lick Creek Park, the city's 515-acre regional "wilderness" park could be a suitable location for...
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| Format: | Thesis Book |
| Language: | English |
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[Place of publication not identified] :
[publisher not identified] ;
2002.
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| Summary: | The City of College Station, Texas, offers a wide range of parks and recreation amenities; however, at this time the city does not offer a nature center. Located in South College Station, Lick Creek Park, the city's 515-acre regional "wilderness" park could be a suitable location for a nature center for two reasons. First, Lick Creek Park's unique features would allow it to serve as a showcase for the Brazos Valley's ecology and history. Second, the Master Plan, adopted in March of 1998, and Lick Creek Park's established goals suggest that the park should serve as a resource for environmental education, through the establishment of a nature center. Therefore, this study attempted to determine the feasibility of developing a regional nature center within Lick Creek Park through gathering citizen input, surveying existing nature centers, and incorporating these ideas into recommendations which meet the goals and objectives of Lick Creek Park. Through focus groups, individual interviews, and email correspondence, citizen input was received from a range of individuals, including Texas A&M University faculty and students, community members involved in developing nature centers, and others. Gathering printed materials, viewing internet sites, speaking with personnel, and visiting nature centers provided a range of nature center examples serving as potential models. The results of the citizen input, the nature center surveys, and a Park Planning and Design class at Texas A&M University generated several common ideas. These ideas, listed below, serve as the general recommendations of this study: (1) Form an advisory committee for Lick Creek Park and for the nature center comprised of a range of people representing a number of diverse interests and knowledge bases, (2) Utilize Texas A&M University and their resources, especially as a source for staffing through internships and leadership programs, (3) Create a facility that can serve as a model for sustainable development within the community, and (4) Emphasize experiential learning by providing laboratory space and interactive programs that interpret the "big picture" of the relationship between humans and the natural environment. |
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| Item Description: | Vita. "Major subject: Recreation, Park, and Tourism Sciences". |
| Physical Description: | v, 46 leaves : illustrations, maps ; 28 cm. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 54-55). |