Last updated: September 16, 2025
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2024 Science and Stewardship Highlights
The national parks inspire awe through their endless beauty and scientific wonders. From the monk seals in Kalaupapa National Historical Park to the historic fossils at Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument, scientists are uncovering the stories of these natural spaces, revealing the connections between land and the diversity of species that inhabit it. This scientific knowledge guides park management, ensuring preservation for future generations. Understanding our surroundings offers a grounding perspective on how to navigate the complexities of the world.
The 2024 Science and Stewardship Highlights celebrate the ongoing work and achievements made through research, collaboration, and community involvement. These stories show how science leads to groundbreaking discoveries, builds meaningful partnerships, and uncovers hidden stories. By sharing them, we hope to offer inspiration for collective action and to nurture a sense of responsibility and stewardship.
Please enjoy the twenty-eight highlights below from across the region. Divided into nine categories, they illustrate the ways the NPS preserves and protects our parks for future generations.
Building the Bridge: Steps Toward Integrative Resource Management
NPS Photo / Lauren Parry
Excavating History
What becomes of dig sites that are left to weather the elements for 90 years? To answer this question, Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument is reevaluating former dig sites through new paleontological excavations. The monument holds the largest open-air Pleistocene fossil site in the Mojave Desert and offers valuable insight into our last Ice Age. This project uncovered limb bones and other elements from an elderly Columbian mammoth, now curated at the Nevada State Museum in Las Vegas. Additionally, they reviewed historical notes and letters connected with the historic dig to shed new light on the monument’s scientific history and recover long-lost fossil specimens. Revisiting past expeditions ensures that fossils are managed with modern practices and can be studied by new generations of scientists.
NPS Photo / Carolyn Shoulders
Muir Woods Has Old Growth Redwoods...Now it Has Some in the Creek
For most of the 20th century, when a tree fell into the creek at Muir Woods National Monument, it was swiftly cleared away. It seemed like a harmless action, but had a hidden cost. By removing the trees, it impacted vital habitats for the resident coho salmon. Without natural obstructions, the creek became a straight, featureless channel, lacking the deep pools and natural cover that juvenile salmon rely on for survival. In 2024, the park undertook a major restoration effort bringing fallen trees back into the creek, strategically positioning them to create the natural structures that would be found in an unaltered ecosystem. Large boulders that were placed on creek banks by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930’s was also removed to allow a greater range of natural flow. These simple actions have already created a vast improvement in juvenile coho salmon habitat, offering better shelter and survival prospects, particularly during the winter season.
NPS Photo / Miriam Golding
Aerial Insights: Shifts in Point Reyes' Vegetation Landscape
Ever wondered how Point Reyes National Seashore has changed over the years? Through historical aerial imagery, scientists are able to provide a bird’s-eye view of its history. Image analysis from the 1940s to 2018 revealed how the landscape has been shaped by long-term climatic trends and anthropogenic influences, ranging from Indigenous practices to European settlement. Grasslands and scrubland extent has fluctuated in response to shifting land management, while the spread of Douglas-fir and California bay forests may reflect a recovery from past disturbances like logging and agriculture. After two decades of slower forest expansion, there are signs of potential equilibrium returning. Monitoring these shifts within their historical context will help park staff anticipate and plan for future management challenges.
NPS Photo / Sara J. Ihrie
Invasive Tree Removal on the Cultural Landscape of Minidoka
On chilly mornings in September at Minidoka National Historic Site, a multidisciplinary crew is cutting and hauling thorny, woody debris while smiling wearily and commiserating on bruised and scratched limbs. Their hard work stems from efforts to remove a section of the nearly 4-acre stand of invasive Russian olive trees along the North Side Canal. The canal was an important feature at the site, offering Japanese Americans solace, reflection and recreation during their time in incarceration. The trees consume large amounts of water, crowd out native vegetation, and large stands can alter soil chemistry through the trees’ ability to fix nitrogen. Using a combination of hand saws, chainsaws, axes, and herbicide, workers cleared a 0.37-acre stretch of thick and tangled Russian olive trees along one of the park’s interpretive trails. After removal, soil tests will be done and native species like showy milkweed, Wood’s rose, and golden currant will be restored to the landscape. These restoration efforts will help create a resilient ecosystem less vulnerable to environmental changes and invasive species as well as help restore the condition of the cultural landscape such that visitors can better experience the historical site.Creating Cultural Connections
NPS Photo / Ted Rodrigues
Echoes of Stewardship: Celebrating 50 Years Through the Voices of the Past at Haleakalā
As part of the National Park Service’s mission of resource stewardship, the Pacific Island parks are participating in a multi-phased, multi-year collaborative project with the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Center for Oral History to capture the stories, insights, and deep cultural connections of both current and former park staff. Oral histories are a unique and invaluable tool for understanding the past in the words of the people that lived it. However, the voices and knowledge of individuals most closely connected to the resources often fade away when they move or pass away. This initiative helps to keep alive their dedication to caring for the landscape and community. Combined with in-depth archival research and site visits, four of the ten planned phases have been complete in 2024. The Akāka Wale o Haleakalā: Haleakalā Stands in Full View StoryMap explores the results of three of those phases, focusing on Haleakalā and its history of natural and cultural resource management.
NPS Photo
Stories Carved in Stone: Samoan Ancestral Stories Embraced by National Natural Landmarks Program
At the National Park of American Samoa, the Traditional Samoan Knowledge team, in collaboration with the National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program, is working to incorporate Samoan ancestral stories into the descriptions of seven volcanic landmarks on Tutuila Island. The landmarks are nationally significant, falling under the Works of Volcanism natural history theme for the NNL Program. With the help of the Traditional Samoan Knowledge team, extensive research and curation of traditional stories have been dedicated to each landmark as well as Samoan translation to enrich the connection between culture and nature. This project demonstrates the importance of traditional ecological knowledge to deepen the understanding of NNL sites and can serve as a pilot for similar initiatives at other sites. An example of this collaborative process is highlighted in the following Vai’ava Strait NNL example:A Samoan Saga tells of Polauta, Polatai, and their daughter Faleofia shipwrecked and upon their death transformed into rock. Now the parents stand on each side of the strait, with the baby behind the mother.
O tala o le vavau a Samoa uafa’amatala, o Polauta, Polatai ma le la tamateine o Faleofia, safolau, ae uaosofa’ia le latouva’a e galutetele ma maliliu ai. Ualiua ai ilatou o ni papa. O lo’ova’aia pea Polauta ma Polatai o tutu fa’atasi, ma le teine o Faleofiaituaane o Polatai.
Stories of Discovery and Innovation
NPS Photo / Tim Valentine
Mystery in Bloom: Discovering the Pollinator of Shaw's Agave
Shaw’s agave is a rare succulent plant endemic to a narrow 200 mile stretch along the southwestern California and northern Baja California coastline. Working together across borders, conservation scientists from US and Mexico are uncovering the secrets of this plant and its elusive pollinator at Cabrillo National Monument. For years, the specific pollinator for this unique plant has remained a mystery, complicating conservation initiatives aimed at preserving one of the largest populations of Shaw's agave in the United States. Partnering with the San Diego Natural History Museum, researchers have used advanced methods like acoustic monitoring and video traps to study the plants and their potential pollinators. In a significant breakthrough, they identified the Mexican long-tongued bat as the agave’s pollinator. Despite ongoing challenges, including habitat loss and herbivory affecting seed germination, conservation efforts continue to protect this distinctive species and its fragile ecosystem.
NPS Photo / Nicholas Famoso
One Mouse-deer, Two Mouse-deer, Three Mouse-deer… One?
Hypertragulids are a family of small, extinct “mouse-deer,” one of the most common fossils at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. These animals were characterized by their slender bodies, long legs, and plant-eating teeth, and are believed to be early relatives of modern ruminants, mammals that eat and digest plant-based food such as grass. For years, paleontologists believed that at least three distinct species of mouse-deer existed in the John Day basin. However, a recent study has challenged this idea, suggesting that all these “species” might actually belong to just one highly abundant species: Hypertragulus hesperius. They found that the variation among these animals was minimal, and the dental characteristics did not support the hypothesis of multiple species coexisting. Studies like these is a call to action for paleontologists to further question North American mouse-deer diversity as well as other ancient animals.
NPS Photo / Ivan Ekblom
Tiny Bats Require Tiny Solutions at Oregon Caves
At Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve, researchers are using miniature radio tags, some as light as a toothpick, to track the movement of the smallest bats. These tiny trackers work in conjunction with radio towers to map the bats’ travel patterns and early results have shown that the bats love the park, rarely leaving its boundaries. This research is crucial in addressing white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease threatening many bat species across North America. By monitoring the bats’ movement and their use of the landscape, scientists can better prevent the fungus spread. These small bats may face big threats but thanks to cutting-edge technology and ongoing research, the park is dedicated to protecting these species.
NPS Photo / Dustin Garrison
Can Fire Adapted Owls Survive Megafires?
The California spotted owl is one of the most fascinating and charismatic species in Yosemite National Park, known for its ability to thrive in ecosystems shaped by frequent fires. However, the increasing frequency of megafires in the Sierra Nevada poses a serious threat to their survival, as vast stretches of critical owl habitat have been severely burned. To better understand the long-term impact of these fires, biologist began to investigate the long-term impact of the 2013 Rim Fire on California spotted owls. Biologists re-surveyed historical owl territories and compared current occupancy and reproductive rates with data collected before and immediately after the fire. Early results indicate that while some territories impacted by the Rim Fire still support breeding owls, overall occupancy is lower than in the years immediately following the fire. This study sheds light on the long-term effects of megafires on California spotted owl and provides valuable insights that can guide future conservation efforts and inform strategies to protect their habitat in the face of increasing wildfire intensity.
NPS Photo / Tory Starling
Enhancing Resilience at Scale
How can we find the best-available science and use it to help protect our natural resources? One way is through collaborations such as with the Golden Gate Biosphere Network in San Francisco, California. The network, in partnership with the climate-focused organization EcoAdapt, has completed a 2024 climate vulnerability assessment for 21 key species and habitats within its 28,000-mile boundary. It includes a partnership of 19 open spaces in the San Francisco Bay Region encompassing Golden Gate National Recreational Area, Muir Woods National Monument, and Point Reyes National Seashore. Rooted in the best available science and expert guidance, this report summarizes how vulnerable each species or ecosystem is under different climate scenarios, highlighting their greatest sensitivities and capacity to adapt. This comprehensive assessment will serve as a critical tool in guiding management actions to reduce vulnerabilities and enhance the resilience of resources. Notably, coastal redwoods, coastal dunes and coho salmon were identified as some of the region’s most sensitive natural resources. By fostering collaboration, this effort paves the way for more effective and coordinated climate adaptation strategies, ensuring the protection of these vital ecosystems for the future.
NPS Photo / Glauco Puig-Santana
Community Involvement in Protecting Endangered Hawaiian Monk Seals
Listed as endangered since 1976, Hawaiian monk seals have found a safe refuge at Kalaupapa National Historic Park, particularly in the summer when the peninsula serves as a vital pupping ground. In 2022, the park accounted for 12 of the 24 monk seal pups born in the main Hawaiian Islands and in 2024, nine pups were born in the park with eight on a single stretch of beach. The Kalaupapa community, made up of the remaining Hansen's Disease patients and staff from the National Park Service and Department of Health, has been crucial in monitoring the endangered monk seal population. Residents have taken on an active stewardship role in ensuring their survival by keeping a watchful eye and reporting sightings, as well as assisting with tagging efforts. By working together, the park staff, partners, and community members are maximizing the conservation impact in survival of monk seals.
NPS Photo
Big Wall Bats – Taking Bat Research to New Heights
Bat research has been taken to new heights at Yosemite National Park. NPS climber-biologists are teaming up with U.S. Geological Survey and Bat Conservation International through the park’s Big Wall Bats program aimed at understanding how bats use cliffside terrain. Historically, bat research on landscape utilization has been limited to mostly on the ground work but wildlife biologists are working to expand their knowledge of western bat ecology. From late June to early July, the Big Wall Bats program conducted a cliffside methods experiment to assess the sensitivity and specificity of different approaches for studying bats on cliffs at Cookie Cliff in Yosemite National Park. The team investigated the sensitivity and specificity of emergence, rappel, and guano surveys, as well as radio tracking. Preliminary results indicate that emergence and rappel surveys showed the highest success for identifying roosts on the cliff. The strengths and weaknesses of each method were presented in the 2024 Cliff Ecology Conference in Yosemite, fostering collaboration and refining bat research techniques into the future.
Courtesy Duncan Mullen
CESU Science Highlights
How are people from across our nation collaborating together on public lands? The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Network brings together scientists, students, and conservation professionals to conduct collaborative and interdisciplinary applied projects that address natural and cultural resources issues within an ecosystem context. From surveying Sierra Nevada red fox in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks to educating about cloud forest restorations in Channel Islands National Park, CESUs help support resource stewardship. Discover more exciting projects in our California Parks, Hawai’i-Pacific Island Parks, Pacific Northwest Parks, and Great Basin Parks.Forging the Future with Youth and Volunteers
NPS Photo / Sheri Shiflett
Joshua Tree Common Garden Experiment to Predict Future Survivability
The namesake species of Joshua Tree National Park is threatened as wildlife and a shifting climate shrink its habitat. To help address this issue, the park teamed up with Nevada Conservation Corps to plant 560 Joshua trees from 14 different populations in an old fire scar to assess the genetic differences of each population and understand how these differences impact their survivability. Results will guide future restoration projects and shed light on how different Joshua tree populations might adapt to a hotter, more challenging climate. As an added benefit, the conservation corps, made up of early emerging professionals, gained valuable skills in ecological restoration, field research, and conservation.
NPS Photo
A Colorful Discovery in a Murky Place
Youth programs in parks play a crucial role in shaping the next generation of environmental stewards, offering hands-on experiences that spark a lifelong connection to nature. Marisa Arneson, a Fish & Feathers intern at Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, recently led an exploratory research project to fill knowledge gaps about the invasive carp population (Carpio carpio) at a man-made pond. Marisa collaborated with the park’s youth conservation corps and visited crews and a local school to catch fish using baited cameras pods, angling, and seine netting methods. Although the fish evaded all capture attempts, large vibrantly colored fish were sighted during the survey. These observations suggest the presence of ornamental koi, possibly remnants of the original stock from the 1960s. Science may not always go as planned, but it always contributes to the growth of knowledge. Marisa’s findings will help inform and guide future management strategies for the site as well as providing useful fieldwork experiences for youths.The Head Under the Hat
NPS Photo / Mikaela Ruga
A Historic Love for Fossils
Visits to National Parks can help nurture a lifelong love of nature and passion. This was the case for Dr. Nick Famoso, whose visit to John Day Fossil Beds National Monument as a child sparked a passion for vertebrate paleontology of mammals. While working on his PhD, Nick was hired as the park’s paleontology program manager and museum curator in the fall of 2016, overseeing fieldwork, fossil preparation, curation, cataloging, and conducting paleontological research on local and regional resources. His notable achievements include papers on little-known paleontological resources like the world's oldest grasshopper nest, bird tracks, a hedgehog skull, a hooved carnivore, and tooth patterns in horses and other plant eating hooved mammals. For all the work he has accomplished, Nick received the 2024 Regional Director's Award for Natural Resource Management in a Small Park.
NPS Photo / Robert Zuniga
Astronomy for Everyone at Joshua Tree!
In Joshua Tree National Park, providing astronomy experiences to large crowds is a challenge. Thanks to a National Park Foundation grant, the park was able to obtain a new telescope and astronomy camera that allowed the image from the telescope to be displayed on a large high-definition display. However, the many complex software and hardware interfaces made for a steep learning curve. Rewa Bush, a Scientists in Parks intern completing an astronomy internship, stepped up to the challenge. Not only did she figure out the entire system, but she also wrote a detailed manual (complete with illustrations) instructing current and future staff on how to setup, operate, and care for this expensive equipment. Rewa was able to use the new telescope to help engage hundreds of diverse visitors regarding the wonders of the night sky and to advocate for protection of the naturally dark night sky for future generations to enjoy.Nimble Action to Address Emerging Issues
NPS Photo / Neal Darby
Mojave National Preserve Saves Desert Tortoise from Cars and Ravens
The desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) may be slow and steady, but efforts to protect this species at Mojave National Preserve are speeding ahead. Desert tortoise is a flagship species of the Mojave Desert, but it faces significant threats such as habitat fragmentation, predation, and disease. Listed as a critically endangered species, numerous tortoises are killed each year by vehicles. Preserve staff oversaw the installation of five miles of road fencing to prevent tortoises from entering onto roads. The fence project was finalized in October 2024 and coincided with Mojave National Preserve’s 30th anniversary (California Desert Protection Act of 1994.) In addition to the danger from vehicles, juvenile tortoises are easily spotted and preyed upon by ravens in open areas, including roads. To address this additional threat, preserve staff have worked with utility companies to remove over 500 utility poles spanning 15 miles. Removing utility poles eliminates artificial nesting sites and perches for ravens. Together these actions are key steps in reducing man-made barriers to tortoise survival.
Washington State Department of Natural Resources / Matt Dehr
Understanding Erosion in the Pacific Northwest Post-Fire Landscape
North Cascades National Park is working on several projects that look at landscape dynamics after multiple signficant wildfire seasons. In response to the 2023 Sourdough fire, NPS staff partnered with the in-park hydroelectric utility to secure Lidar and aerial imagery flights to monitor erosion and debris flow activity. This year, a weather station will be set up above the burned area to collect data on the rainfall threshold needed to trigger debris flows in Pacific Northwest forests, since existing models are based on the California ecosystem. After the 2024 Pioneer fire, the NPS also worked with the USGS and Washington State Department of Natural Resources to install two weather stations for early warning detection to the community of Stehekin and to help monitor the potential for debris flow. Both projects aim to provide insights for post-fire land management in the Pacific Northwest.
NPS Photo / Kelly Moore
Kalaupapa National Historical Park and Sustainable Coastlines Hawai'i Partner to Amplify Efforts to Combat Marine Debris
Already a natural catchment for debris circulating from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, projections indicate that an increasing amount of marine debris, which threatens ecosystems and coastal communities, will continue to wash up in the Hawaiian Islands, including in Kalaupapa National Historical Park (NHP). In September 2024, the park, working with Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii (SCH) through a CESU agreement, engaged in a week-long marine debris cleanup effort. The team of 10 SCH staff, 3 Kalaupapa NHP marine team members, and numerous volunteers successfully removed 6,191 pounds of marine debris and cleared more than 6,400 acres of remote coastline. SCH worked alongside local partners including the Molokai Land Trust and the State of Hawai’i Department of Land and Natural Resources to remove the over 40 super sacks of debris from the remote peninsula. To gain a deeper understanding of this pressing issue, the collected debris was carefully categorized by SCH staff, revealing valuable insights into its origins, composition, and pathway. SCH’s data-driven approach provides a crucial resource for scientists to trace and understand the sources of marine debris, and aims to shift the focus from reactive cleanups to proactive prevention strategies to help develop root-caused solutions.Park Science and Stewardship is for Everyone
NPS Photo / Micah Stailey
Science Meets Storytelling: An Interactive Journey Through San Juan Island National Historical Park
Is it possible to explore the natural beauty of a park without ever stepping outside? At San Juan Island National Historical Park, resources staff created an immersive and award-winning GIS StoryMap that showcases the park’s unique ecology, rare species, and breathtaking landscapes all through a captivating storytelling approach. This interactive StoryMap allows viewers to explore the park using GIS tools, featuring immersive elements and live soundscapes recorded by wildlife acoustic devices that bring the natural environment to life. Storytelling is at the heart of this project as it helps to transform complex scientific information into an engaging narrative that makes the park’s conservation efforts more accessible and meaningful. This method helps visitors understand the park’s vital role in preserving ecology and cultural and natural landscapes. ESRI, a leader in GIS technology, selected this StoryMap as one of their annual favorites for 2024 due to its innovative storytelling approach. Most recently, ESRI also presented the park with a “The Storytelling with Maps Innovation Award” which recognized the excellence and creativity and integration of GIS into a StoryMap. Now more accessible to visitors, they can experience the beauty of this national historical park like never before even from the comfort of their homes!
NPS Photo / John Mark Simmons
Citizen Science Fosters Accessibility, Education, and a Sense of Shared Responsibility for Protecting Rare Plants at Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument
Citizen science allows everyone to be a part of the scientific journey no matter one’s background or expertise. In 2024, Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument partnered with the Desert Research Institute Conservation Ecology Lab and the Protectors of Tule Springs to train volunteer botanists in identifying rare plant species, such as Las Vegas bearpoppy (Arctomecon californica) and Las Vegas buckwheat (Eriogonum corymbosum var. nilesii). Volunteers were taught proper data collection and survey techniques using ArcGIS Survey123. Since their training in October, they have collected over 76 data points. One volunteer even discovered an unprecedented hotspot of Las Vegas bearpoppies, with over 69 individuals within a 20-meter radius! In an urban-wildland interface surrounded by housing developments, the monument is committed to engaging the public in natural and cultural resource stewardship. This initiative demonstrates how citizen science fosters accessibility, education, and a sense of shared responsibility for protecting rare plants near the urban areas.
Science Saves the Day
Courtesy Brooke Wallasch
Blooming on the Edge: Alpine Plants in a Changing Climate
Researchers are looking to the past to better understand how climate change is impacting alpine plant communities in Yosemite National Park. Understanding species and community level responses to warming is critical for maintaining biodiversity in these extreme ecosystems. In response, California Polytechnic State University researchers from Dr. Dena Grossenbacher's lab have successfully located and resurveyed 55 historic Natural Resources Inventory plots, providing key data on the current state of these plant communities. In 2023, they expanded their monitoring efforts by installing 12 new monitoring transects on the southwest slope of Mt. Dana following the GLORIA (Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments) downslope protocol. In 2024, additional monitoring transects were set up in Gaylor Lakes Basin and Mt. Lewis. As new information arises, researchers are sharing their results to help inform adaptive management strategies in preserving Yosemite’s alpine plants.
University of Nevada Las Vegas
Tree Storytellers for Pinyon-Juniper Woodland Dynamics and Fire History
Woodland tree structures can help to unravel information about fire and soil. At Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, the most prevalent woodland is pinyon-juniper and one of the biggest challenges for their ecological restoration and conservation management is understanding long-term community change and response to fire disturbances. Researchers are delving into 43 years of fire history and found that fire history and soil type play a key role in shaping the future structure of pinyon-juniper woodlands, influencing tree species, spacing, and overall composition. By understanding the impacts of fire on arid woodlands, researchers can better predict how future fires will affect the area and guide efforts to manage these events.
NPS Photo / Ivan Ekblom
Tracing the River Styx: Insights from the Nation's only Subterranean Wild and Scenic River
The River Styx is a unique Wild and Scenic River, celebrated for its ecological significance and subterranean flow through the Oregon Caves. The River Styx is a complex underground river and is sensitive to environmental changes, presenting significant challenges for conservation and management. Recent dye trace results have emerged as vital tools in understanding the origin of the River Styx and the river’s groundwater flowpaths. These studies shed light on the river’s behavior and health to better inform strategies for mitigating potential environmental threats. At Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve, efforts are focused on broadening the understanding of the river’s flow patterns, which will guide future stewardship practices and ensure long-term protection of this exceptional natural resource for the next generation of park visitors.
NPS Photo / Doreen Smith