The written report on the Assateague Island National Seashore Park must include the following:
a. General description of the park. What are the specific ecosystems found inside the park. What are the unique cultural resources? What types of activities are available for visitors? What sort of person do you think this park would attract?
b. Discussion of visitor statistics, pre-covid and during covid, and of course, what is the projected visitation post-covid? What is known about the demographics, racial composition, and socio-economic characteristics of the visitors?
c. What recommendations would you, the HLTH 502
student, make to get people into the park? Especially
the traditionally under-served or minority populations.
NOTE: Simply writing “social media” will result in your
grade being severely compromised. Be specific!!!
Do your recommendations align with any park service
plans or proposals?
d. Report about some problem unique to this park, for as example, air pollution in Acadia National Park in Maine. (You will need to contact the park service officials about this.) Does this problem interfere in any way with the park’s ability to promote public health? Is there a specific danger posed to visitors for example.
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Below is some information on the park:
General Description of the Park
Assateague Island National Seashore Park stretches along the coasts of Maryland and Virginia. It is relatively small, about 37 miles long. The Park borders the Atlantic Ocean to the east (U.S. National Park Service, 2021). The specific ecosystem found within the park is the massive water bodies of the Atlantic Ocean, the sand beaches, and the human-made dunes. The unique cultural resources in the park include amazing cultural beaches and wildlife. The main activities for visitors are swimming, walking along the coast, viewing wildlife, crabbing, birding, surfing, and kayaking. Therefore, the park is likely to attract tourists from different parts of the world, especially the cold places.
The Visitor’s Statistics and Demographics
The number of visitors visiting before the COVID-19 pandemic was huge, approximately over one million annually (U.S. National Park Service, 2020). Many tourists enjoy visiting the island, especially in summer. The number drastically declined following the placement of travel restrictions due to covid-19. For instance, the park was entirely closed on March 28 of the year 2020 till further notice to prevent the spread of the pandemic. The number of people visiting the park is likely to double when the pandemic ceases.
According to Assateague Island National Seashore Visitor Survey Report, 11% of the respondents indicated residents, while 87% indicated that they were from outside the United States. The average age of the visitors is 46 years old. 2 % were mainly Hispanic/ Latino, while the whites constituted about 97 %( Bentley et al., 2007). Less than 1 % were Africans.
The unique problem facing the park
The most recent threat facing the island is the presence of vector-borne diseases such as the West Nile virus. Human activities and a rise in temperature around the park increase the spread of the disease (Environmental Factors,2015). Another most significant problem facing the National Park is the natural and human forces. The island is slowly changing shape because of the seasonal weather patterns. The currents cause sand to migrate from north to south resulting in sedimentation. The growing population density affects the park’s water quality and aquatic resources.
Recommendations
I recommend that the visitors maintain high hygiene standards and the quality of the water while boating. They should also avoid submerging the aquatic vegetation. The practice will enable the natural habitats to thrive. I also recommend that people comply with the government’s health safety measures put in place. Those who are not yet vaccinated should do so. They should also wear masks while in crowded places regardless of the vaccination status. The measures will prevent the spread of the virus, thus ensuring that the situation returns to normalcy.
What ecosystems are in the park?
Beach, forest, and marsh are the ecosystems in the park. There are a couple of different species in the park. The well-known wild horses are invasive species that were introduced to the island. Depending on who you ask, the theory is the horses were first introduced to the island by Spanish ships that went down near the coast, or the farmers brought them in an attempt to avoid paying grazing taxes.
Another species is the Sika deer. The Sika deer came from the United Kingdom from Japan which leads me to one of the problems the park is currently facing.
What problems/ challenges/ unique situations face the park?
The Sika deer on the island compete with the native species White-Tail deer. The problem with this is that the invasive species use resources that belong to native species. The park solves this problem by having a larger bag limit on Sika deer when hunting to ensure the White Tail deer are not taken over by the Sika deer. The parks solve the potential problem of overpopulation of the wild horses by giving them birth control.
The rising sea levels are another challenge facing the park. Campgrounds are constantly being flooded. The sites have to be dug out regularly.
How do these problems/ challenges/ unique situations the park’s mission?
Mary Kate emphasized that managing the horses is the park’s biggest challenge. The wild horses affect the mission as the park has to make sure the wild horses do not harm the visitors as the visitors don’t understand the horses are wild.
How does this park serve visitors?
What can you tell me about visitation?
Assateague Island National Seashore Park is visitor friendly. Many national parks do not allow animals, and if they do, they only allow them in the parking lot but not Assateague Island National Seashore Park. Animals are permitted on the beach and the campgrounds.
Visitors used the beach for recreational activities and the park to hike. Visitors also enjoy the local tourist destinations close by when they visit.
How do you think we can increase visitation, especially for underserved people/communities?
Mary Kate thought we could increase visitation, especially in underserved people, by visiting schools and inviting those who wouldn’t usually know about the park. She also thought that public transportation could come to the island for those who do not own a car but want to visit.
References
History and Culture – Assateague Island National Seashore (U.S. National Park Service). (2021). Retrieved February 7, 2022, from Nps.gov website: https://www.nps.gov/asis/learn/historyculture/history-and-culture.htm
Assateague Island National Seashore is Modifying Operations to Implement Local Health Guidance – Assateague Island National Seashore (U.S. National Park Service). (2020). Retrieved February 7, 2022, from Nps.gov website: https://www.nps.gov/asis/planyourvisit/temporary-facilities-closure-advisory.htm
Bentley, S., Daigneault, R., Wolter, S., & Barrie, E. (2007). Assateague Island National Seashore-Visitor Survey Report Assateague Island National Seashore Visitor Survey Report Assateague Island National Seashore-Visitor Survey Report. Retrieved from http://eppley.org/wp-content/uploads/uploads/file/62/ASIS_final_report_070123.pdf
Environmental Factors – Assateague Island National Seashore (U.S. National Park Service). (2015). Nps.gov. https://www.nps.gov/asis/learn/nature/environmentalfactors.htm