Non-consumptive Use• Any non-hunting or non-extractive use• Examples: wildlife feeding & photography,
bird watching, whale watching
Non-consumptive Use
Sources of information• Based on USFWS’s series of National Surveys of
Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation– One of the Nation's most important wildlife
recreation databases (since 1955)– Conducted by US Census Bureau every 5 years– Sample of 85,000 households– Funded by the 1937 Federal Aid in Wildlife
Restoration Act• http://federalasst.fws.gov/surveys/surveys.html
2006 Survey Highlights
• Over 87 million U.S. residents 16 years old and older fished, hunted, or wildlife watched– 29.9 million people fished– 12.5 million hunted– 71.1 million participated in at least
one type of wildlife-watching activity including observing, feeding, or photographing wildlife (non-incidental activity)
2006 Survey Highlights
• 31% of the U.S. population fed, observed, or photographed wildlife
• 13% increase from 1996 to 2006– 10% decrease in hunting– 15% decrease in fishing
• Expenditures for wildlife-watching equipment (binoculars, cameras, etc.) increased by 20% and for wildlife-watching trips by 40%
Wildlife watching expenditures
• Hunters and fishermen spent $75 billion
• Wildlife watchers spent $45 billion • Total = $120 billion, or 1% of US
gross domestic product
Trip-Related Expenditures• Food• Lodging• Transportation
– Cars, boats, pack animals
• Guides• Land use Fees• Equipment rental
Wildlife watching: equipment & expenses
Equipment• Binoculars, spotting scopes• Cameras• Backpacking equipment• Special clothing• Field guides & maps• Tents and camping equipment• BlindsNest boxes, bird houses, feeders, bathsOther Expenditures• Magazines, books• Land leasing and ownership• Membership dues and contributions
Wildlife watching: equipment &
expenses
Wildlife Watching & Photography
• Take a class
• Hire a guide
• Join a group
• No trespassing
• Don’t disturb natural behaviors – keep your distance
Principles of Birding Ethicsof the American Birding
Association• Promote the welfare of birds and their
environment– Protect habitats, stay on trails– Avoid incurring stress or danger
• Respect the law and the rights of others– No trespassing
• Ensure that feeders, nest structures, and other artificial bird environments are safe
• Group birding requires special care– Respect other recreationists
Feeding Wildlife
• "People" food is not formulated for animal consumption• When animals learn that humans can provide a cheap and easy food source, they often lose their natural fear of humans
Feeding Wildlife
• Feeding wildlife from vehicles– Traffic hazards– Costly property damage
• Animals dependent on human food sources – Gather in abnormally
large numbers– Spread disease
• Backyard wildlife feeding– keep feeders clean – keep cats indoors
Domestic cats . . .
• > 90 million pet cats in U.S.
• Free-roaming cats kill hundreds of millions small wildlife each year!
Why Landscape for Wildlife?
1.Watching wildlife can be fun and relaxing
2.Provide refuge for wildlife3.Restore habitats 4.Reduce the use of chemicals,
conserve energy and water, and compost to help improve air, water and soil quality
Food- Plant native forbs, shrubs, and trees provides foliage, nectar, pollen, berries, seeds, and nuts- Provide feeders (seeds, suet, nuts)
Landscaping for Wildlife
Landscaping for Wildlife
Water
• Natural features: ponds, lakes, rivers, springs, oceans, wetlands
• Human-made features: bird baths, puddling areas for butterflies, installed ponds, rain gardens
Landscaping for Wildlife
Cover• Sheltered places to hide
and take young to be safe from people, predators, and inclement weather
• Shrubs, thickets, brush piles, dead trees
Landscaping for WildlifeSustainable gardening• Mulch• Reduce lawn area• Rain barrels• Remove invasive plants• Add native plants• Reduce or eliminate use of chemical
pesticides and fertilizers
• Compost• Shrubs, thickets, brush piles, dead trees
Top 10 native plants for feeding WA wildlife
• Douglas Fir• Oregon White Oak• Western Serviceberry• Hollyleaf Oregon-grape• Blue Elderberry• Salal• Salmonberry• Hooker’s Evening Primrose• Red Columbine• Beach Strawberry
Ecotourism
• Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the welfare of local people (The International Ecotourism Society)
EcotourismPrinciples• minimize impact • build environmental and cultural awareness and
respect • provide positive experiences for both visitors and
hosts • provide direct financial benefits for conservation • provide financial benefits and empowerment for
local people • raise sensitivity to host countries' political,
environmental, and social climate
Ecotourism
• Most of tourism expansion in and around world’s last remaining natural areas (UN Environment Programme and Conservation International)
• Rapid loss of unique ecosystems damages the livelihoods of some of the world’s poorest people and drives unique biodiversity to extinction - Tourism provides a unique and valuable tool to addressing these challenges (Conservation International)
Ecotourism• Tourists willing to pay more for responsible
ecotourism
• Ecotourists invest more in local economy
• Ecotourism is growing 10% / year
. . . Opportunity for good
Ecotourism
• Be a responsible consumer– Choose wisely – are the places you go eco-certified?
– How are fees allocated?
• Not a perfect system – lots of ways to have a break down– Ecotourism operations come in shades of gray
• Don’t actually invest fully in conservation or community
– Displacement of people
– Resource harvesting for subsistence• Illegal poaching
• Carbon collection
• Wood
Potential negative effects of wildlife watching
• Direct– Feeding patterns– social structure– communication
• Indirect– Species introductions, more roads/facilities,
increased predation, increased pollution
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