Stanley A. Temple, Beers-Bascom Professor in Conservation in the Department of Wildlife Ecology and a Professor of Environmental Studies, gave a well-received presentation at the Friends of the CNA annual meeting on April 23, 2002. Below is an abstract of Stanley Temple 's address. A more complete version of this talk can be found on the FCNA Web Site.
There is an ancient curse: "May you be responsible for an urban natural area." Managing patches of underdeveloped land imbedded in a built-up, densely populated matrix is difficult. Challenges derive from the complex ecological and social issues involved and the perceived arbitrariness of key management decisions.
Urban natural areas (UNA) tend to deteriorate toward "unnatural" states, requiring considerable human effort to make them more "natural." But UNA can never be truly natural, if being natural means largely uninfluenced by humans. So managers must define a vision of "naturalness" for their area and this decision is somewhat arbitrary. Naturalness is a gradient. An UNA can appropriately fall anywhere from largely natural to largely unnatural. This gradient is defined by features such as the ratio of exotic to native species, the sustainability of ecological processes, and the amount of human effort required to maintain the desired conditions.
Choosing the appropriate level of naturalness is often contentious. UNA exist primarily to serve people who care about them. Without their support, the very existence of an UNA can be threatened and labor-intensive management can become impossible. Managers must understand the complex attitudes people have toward nature (including UNA). One study of attitudes toward nature identified the following categories:
• A “Utilitarian" attitude focuses on the use of nature (bikers, boaters, and gardeners who use the CNA).
• A "Naturalistic" attitude focuses on the satisfaction obtained from direct experience with nature (birders, walkers, and joggers who enjoy the CNA).
• An "Aesthetic" attitude focuses on the beauty of nature (many walkers and the lunchtime crowd on a spring day).
• A "Humanistic" attitude focuses on an emotional attachment to a place (members of the FCNA).
• "Ecologistic and Scientistic" attitudes focus on scientific study to understand nature (researchers and students who study in the CNA).
• A “Moralistic" attitude focuses on the ethical appropriateness of activities (some opposition to tree cutting, removal of exotics, use of herbicides in the CNA).
• A "Dominionistic" attitude focuses on controlling natural forces (engineering solutions to run-off, water control, and surface of the Lakeshore Path).
• A "Negativistic" attitude focuses on fear and aversion of nature (individuals who actively avoid walking through the CNA).
• A "Neutralistic" attitude is characterized by a disinterest in nature (those who don't even know the CNA exist and wouldn't care even if they knew).
Our CNA need a thoughtful and explicit vision of naturalness that is ecologically practical and socially appropriate. Attitudes of people who care about the CNA need to be understood beyond simply assigning them to "user groups." The CNA ought to be a place where Aldo Leopold's "Land Ethic" is applied and potential activities are tested against his standard: "A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community.”
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