Expanding Explore Natural Communities Outreach

Description

The Cooperator and NPS write stories about natural communities that explain to the non-technical visitor and NPS staff who are not subject matter experts why conservation of organisms and communities living in the national parks is important to them. The project engages recipients, partners, communities, and/or visitors in shared environmental stewardship. We share scientific facts about the forest plants and animals in many different ways (e.g., creating stories, podcasts, pictures, and maps) with the visitors and staff. This project, Explore Natural Communities website, strengthens the Cooperator (Natureserve, a science-based nonprofit) in their role as scientific leader within a public-private network that protects ecosystems and species. This project allows the National Park Service (NPS) and the Cooperator to promote conservation, and restoration of ecosystems, professional development, and knowledge and awareness of the management of natural resources and the parks within the greater regional landscape. The Cooperator is dedicated to providing the scientific basis for effective conservation action. This project integrates the Cooperator’s and NPS data, scientific expertise, and information technology to support cooperative efforts that provide information about natural communities and conservation of physical and natural resources. We (NPS and the Cooperator together) communicate by writing short, clear, understandable descriptions about highlights from the data that created this very technical and complex vegetation classification and mapping. This helps non-technical people understand the world that they find within the national parks. This project uses the data that increases the likelihood of protecting parks for enjoyment of future generations of the American public. The scientific community external to NPS gains by new knowledge provided through this project’s results. The Cooperator is the recognized leader in developing plant community classification; the Ecological Society of America has adapted their classification (National Vegetation Classification) as the national standard and the accepted NPS standard. NPS developed a consistent approach to identify, describe, classify, map, and communicate about native plant communities of NCR in partnership with the Cooperator. This is what is featured for all NCR parks and other public lands with a vegetation map on ExploreNaturalCommunities.org. Communication about the natural resources present on NPS parks benefits the Cooperator’s goal of helping to make biodiversity information a U.S. mainstream consideration by simplifying access to and understanding of high quality biodiversity information to inform and guide conservation action. NPS and the Cooperator tell stories, write content, identify highlights, and Interns to record podcasts and shoot videos about the natural communities in the national parks and then we put it on the ExploreNaturalCommunities website, which is this project. Outreach and research on natural communities and ecosystems is valuable to the educational and professional programs of the Cooperator and will be valuable for the management of the areas and resources under the jurisdiction of the NPS. The Cooperator is able to provide practical ways of understanding and conserving biodiversity and is a global leader describing natural communities. Through ExploreNaturalCommunities website, we are educating visitors and NPS staff. This project accomplishes a public purpose of support and stimulation expanding the scientific understanding of native plant communities, thus increasing the likelihood of protecting native communities for the enjoyment of future generations of the American public. The NPS provides park managers with scientifically-based information on the nature and status of biological and physical resources occurring within the parks in a form that increases its utility by educating the public and developing management strategies for resource protection. This project allows NPS to reach the next generation by sharing understandable information through a mobile accessible website that increases public awareness, knowledge, and support for stewardship of the nation’s resources.

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