College Students Recognize Cottage Benefits... Posted on 2009-12-06 22:49:19 A team of University of Guelph / Ridgetown College students enrolled in the school's Environmental Management program has completed a study of the environmental impact of private cottages inside Rondeau Provincial Park. They conclude that the cottage community's presence affects the park's ecosystem in a positive way. The objective of the study was to determine if removing the 290 remaining cottages would do more harm than good to the park's overall ecology. The study looks at the full environmental, economic, cultural, and sociological impact of the community. The final paragraph in the students' report reads: "If it cannot be clearly shown that the habitat will improve, then a thorough environmental impact study should be mandatory prior to concluding that removing cottages is the necessary solution. Environmental scientist Bill Freedman teaches us that a study should encompass not only rare species of the ecological community, but also the socio-economic and cultural consequences. Freedman acknowledges that any activity has the potential to cause ecological damage. By this reasoning the physical demolition of the cottages should also be studied. This would identify and quantify the potential damages along with evaluating the broader effects to the community so a fair and balanced solution can be determined. The space utilized by cottages lining the beach is proportionate to the crust on a piece of bread; very little physical area is gained by their removal. The scientific facts do not suggest cottages are damaging the beach habitat. Succession is the natural process of one habitat taking over from another. In Rondeau the habitat transitions from beach sand to beach dunes, then savannah and finally lush forest. If the cottages border on the dunes and savannah, the dunes will not suddenly increase by removing cottages. Humans are a natural part of this resilient ecosystem and advances in the 21st century make us better prepared than any other time in history to live in harmony with our natural world. Educating for best ecological practices and developing Rondeau into a role model for living with nature in a sustainable manner can better utilize Provincial Park resources." We hope to make the full report available to RCA members at a later date. back to main