What I Learned

My project consisted of determining whether wildlife areas are better conserved or used for recreational purposes. I figured out the pros and cons of both sides of the argument through my five small sources, two videos, book, and interview. The first major part of my project was the book I read, America’s Wild Woodlands. It discussed the multiple major forests in American and the dangers that each of them were facing. Another major area of my project was my interview of Officer Matthew Crum, a park ranger at Oak Mountain State Park. He informed me that there are already 220 laws protecting state parks, which was very surprising to me. I learn much, but the most interesting thing was that only two million acres of the original 950 million acres of forest remain in the United States.

There were many important things I learned throughout this project. One point is that logging greatly impacts forests. Logging areas are 80 to 90 acres in size and they can take out huge chunks of land one piece at a time. Another thing I learned was that most national parks promote human-powered activities that do not harm the environment. Additionally, the majority of visitors to state and national parks are interested in respecting and caring for the land. All of these facts have influenced my final opinion on my topic. I have decided that most recreation is good for wildlife areas and the small percentage that is not good for the land does not have as much of an effect as I thought it did. Also, the main significant thing that impacts wildlife areas is logging, which people are working to control.

I was overall pleased with the way my project turned out. There was not that much that I would have done differently. One thing that I would have done differently is that I wish I would have planned more for the interview. The one I did was fine, but I would have preferred to have gone to a national park instead of a state park. I think it would have given me a better perspective on the national impact of recreation. Besides this, I would not have done anything else differently.

Conservation in Oak Mountain State Park

I interviewed Officer Matthew Crum, a park ranger at Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham, Alabama. As a ranger, he acts as a law enforcement officer who can issue tickets in the park. He also acts as a conservationist and does many nature programs for kids. He stated that more than ten thousand people visit the park each year. For that reason, he says, “There are 220 laws that are passed through legislation just for the protection of state parks.” When asked about people harming the environment, he said that the only problem they have is poaching. He added that the majority of people who come to the park respect and care for it.

There was much I learned by interviewing this park ranger. Originally, I thought that pollution from the cars would cause a problem in the park, but I found out that the park is 9940 acres in size and 90 percent is not covered by road. It was interesting to learn how the park uses prescribe burnings to protect the land from raging wildfires and to allow the undergrowth to flourish. There was much I thought I knew but really did not. This experience showed me that even though parks are always in danger, most people want to help, not harm, the environment.


Crum, Matthew. "Conservation in Oak Mountain State Park." Personal interview. 30 Apr. 2010.