Union County Parks are among the most heavily used recreational areas in the region, whether it’s for a soccer match at Warinanco Park or a hike through the 2,000-acre Watchung Reservation.
Maintaining these parks, along with preserving them for future generations, also involves managing the wildlife populations that inhabit these green spaces. In an urban area like Union County, most predatory species are gone. So it is up to Parks to maintain the environmental balance that Mother Nature once handled.
When deer populations far exceed the carrying capacity of a preserve like the Watchung Reservation, they destroy the understory, which is vital to the survival of smaller species.
When Canada Geese stop migrating, their huge numbers not only create problems for park users, but also end up polluting the lakes and ponds.
The Parks System, along with the state Department of Environmental Protection, seeks to maintain a environmental balance in the parks that is healthy, both for wildlife and the habitats.
In this section are more details on how Wildlife Management is carried out in the Parks System.