The area I have selected for my research is Magee Park, a small man-made city park about 150 meters from my condo building in Ladner, British Columbia. At 10 meters wide and 100 meters long it is a small park bordered by major roads to the north and west, a private property line to the south, and the Chilocton Slough to the east. The park is largely covered by grass and dirt patches with occasional trees and shrubbery throughout. It is home to a large number of ducks that feed in the slough and on feed provided by humans.
I visited the location on February 9th, 2023. The ground was wet following previous rain and the weather was overcast. The duck population was largely resting under the trees or swimming in the slough. There was no other visitors to the park at this time.
Three question I find interesting about this space are:
- Has the addition of a man-made park increased the amount of wildlife in the area?
- Has the addition of a man-made park introduced an animal population that is reliant on human interaction for food?
- Was the park created to increase the wildlife in the area, or to accommodate the waterfowl already surrounding the slough?
