Now that the dizzying heat of summer has broken, visitors to Stroud have increased with every day of crystalline weather. Hikers, invigorated by the changing weather, can be found at the most remote reaches of the trail system. School students are led around the Preserve like dumbfounded toddlers by professors unraveling the mysteries of the natural world. As I watch the visitors to the Stroud Preserve, I feel the weight of our role in our community.
At Stroud, as well as at other NLT preserves, we try to facilitate public access and enhance the quality of the casual preserve visit with interpretive signs and friendly chats. Public use of the preserve doesn't come without a price, however, so we must struggle to find a balance between encouraging people to visit the preserve and maintaining its ecological integrity.
For example, Stroud frequently receives visitors with canine companions. Dogs, including my own, love the outdoors. They enjoy the freedom open space provides – NLT saves the land that we all enjoy. However, dogs can become a problem when they run loose on the preserve, where they may destroy (or kill) wildlife. In addition, even the friendliest of dogs may intimidate other preserve visitors (whether they are people, horses, or even other dogs.) Not all dogs cause problems on the preserve, of course, which is why we must struggle with how to respond when dogs do become a problem; we want to find a balance between letting people and their dogs enjoy the preserve, while still respecting the needs of the natural world and other preserve users. (Note: our preserve rules require dog owners to keep their dogs on a leash while on the preserve. This is the best way we have found so far to address this issue.)
Please keep in mind this is an example - I don’t mean to pick on dogs (or their owners). Dogs on the preserve are just one example of our greater quandry: how does an organization encourage public use on a nature preserve and maintain the integrity (ecological and educational) it envisions – especially when inappropriate uses (although infrequent) result from public use? It is a question Natural Lands Trust struggles with every day; let us know if you have the answer!
