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Lesson 7
STUDENT RESOURCE
National parks are amazing places for visitors to enjoy. However, visitors can also have a negative impact on and be a threat to native plants, animals and heritage sites within the parks. Negative impacts from visitation can occur if there are too many visitors or if visitor behaviour isn't managed.
To help protect these special areas, national parks have a number of rules visitors need to follow. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) manages park visitation through these rules to make sure the park environments remain pristine places of natural beauty for all visitors now and in the future.
Watch the 20-second video below to learn more.
Key considerations when visiting national parks
Key considerations when visiting national parks
Dogs and other domestic animals are not allowed in NSW national parks. This is because national parks act as a safe haven for native animals.
The sight, sound and smell of dogs and their waste can be threatening to native animals.
Cats living in homes near national parks or bushland should be kept indoors to protect native wildlife.
Some regional parks welcome dogs. Visit the NPWS website for the full list.
When visiting NSW national parks, please remember that Aboriginal cultural sites and places of historic significance are fragile. This means that in addition to being old, they are affected by contact weathering (when people touch or walk on the same thing over time) and natural erosion. This can lead to damage or a loss of significant sites, as has happened in the past.
As these sites are all part of our protected heritage, it's very important to treat them with care and respect. This will help make sure they are around for many more years.
Never feed native animals. It can be bad for their health, change their diets and make them dependent on people for food.
It can also result in these animals becoming aggressive towards people or cause their young to be born with deformities.
If you find an injured animal in the bush, use the following list of contact details for the right people to get in touch with.
Be thoughtful when walking in national parks and stay on the paths. Read all signs and take note of any route alterations.
Sticking to the designated walking paths is important. This includes not cutting corners, as this can cause erosion and destroy fragile plants.
Make sure you take everything with you when you leave the park, including all rubbish and drinking containers. If you see rubbish that was not yours, please take it with you too.
Camping is a great way to experience the beauty of national parks in NSW, and with so many campsites to choose from.
So that everyone can enjoy their camping experience, be considerate of other park visitors, wildlife and the environment. Keep noise to a minimum and leave nothing behind when you depart.
We try to leave 'nothing but footprints' whenever we visit a national park.
We love that people visit our parks for a bit of an adrenaline rush!
Whether that's caving, climbing, mountain biking, canyoning or abseiling, we ask visitors consider the environment while doing these activities. That might include planning an outing around dry weather days and paying attention to all park signage. Or giving a bike a thorough clean before hitting the park.
Make sure you are comfortable with any guidance provided by NPWS before visiting. This all helps protect these amazing parks for the future.
More ways to care for your national parks
More ways to care for your national parks
Why dogs aren't allowed in national parks [0:59]
Why dogs aren't allowed in national parks [0:59]
Our friendly koala explains why dogs aren't allowed in NSW national parks. National parks act as a refuge for native animals and unfortunately even well-behaved dogs can damage the precious ecosystems.
Help keep wildlife wild #DontFeedIt [0:49]
Help keep wildlife wild #DontFeedIt [0:49]
Human food is for humans. Feeding native animals can make them sick and encourages scavenging and aggressive behaviour. Help keep wildlife wild in NSW national parks and #DontFeedIt.
Who cares about national parks?
Who cares about national parks?
Learning with a NPWS ranger in Blue Mountains National Park
NPWS cares for and protects special places, plants and animals in our environment.
We encourage people to enjoy and experience the wonder of the natural world with respect and understanding.
Our national parks are precious places that protect biodiversity, habitats and ecosystems, unique landforms and heritage sites.
Now that you have learnt about national parks and why they are important...
Do you care about national parks?
Activities
Activities
Caring for national parks
Write an article for your school newsletter to encourage people to visit and enjoy your local park.
Highlight the ways that people can protect NSW national parks when they visit. Use worksheet 7.1 to complete your article.
National park poster
Create a poster to showcase your local national park. Your poster should encourage people to visit the national park by highlighting its most interesting features. It should also include ideas on how to look after the environment when visiting. Use worksheet 7.2 to record your drawing.
Build your own national park
Think about all the different things visitors need when they come to a national park. Are there places to sleep, trails to hike and historic sites to explore? What interesting features, plants, animals and places will your park have?
Use worksheet 7.3 to design and build your own national park.
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