Thursday, May 6, 2010

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.

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