The parks wetlands, forest and fields support a rich variety of plants and animals. According to surveys by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage and the College of William and Mary's Center for Conservation Biology Colonial NHP has the second highest number of federal and state listed rare, threatened and endangered species of all the National Park Service units in Virginia. Natural Heritage species found in the park include the Bald Eagle, Sensitive Joint Vetch, False Hop Sedge, Fibrous Bladderwort, Florida Adder's-Mouth, Loesel's Twayblade, Mountain Camellia, Parker's Pipewort, Shumard's Oak, Gaping Panic Grass, Virginia Least Trillium, Great Blue Heron and Great Egret. Protection of the different terrestrial and aquatic communities found in and adjacent to the park is important because they provides unique opportunities for research, protection, public observation and education.