New Community Science Projects Will Benefit NPS and Communities

Two new projects on adapting to climate change show how science can strengthen relationships between the National Park Service (NPS) and local communities. One will help a Montana community understand and be prepared for increased flooding near Yellowstone National Park. The other will inform and guide fire-smart reforestation in an Oregon city engaged with the NPS’s Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) program. Both projects are made possible because of the NPS partnership with Thriving Earth Exchange, a community science program of the American Geophysical Union (AGU).

The NPS has lately been getting into community science – that is, science done in close collaboration with communities and that is driven by those communities’ priorities. Since national parks and NPS programs share interests and concerns with countless neighbors, it’s imperative to collaborate when science can inform and benefit all parties. Community science exemplifies NPS’s long tradition of supporting and applying science in conserved areas.

Thriving Earth Exchange is one of the world’s leading supporters of community science. It works by training and supporting Community Science Fellows who manage projects. Fellows work with communities to turn priorities into testable questions and feasible scientific projects. They also recruit and liaise with professional scientists who lead the data collection and analysis. Fellows keep the projects on track and ensure that communities understand and benefit from the results.

Selected NPS employees serve as Fellows as part of their regular professional duties. In the case of the two upcoming projects:

• Lauren Miller, a social scientist at Yellowstone National Park, will work with Park County (MT) Environmental Council to improve community resilience through qualitative research around emergency response planning. The community has faced unprecedented challenges such as drought, flooding, and rising numbers of visitors. This project will build capacity for future disaster response and help mitigate economic, environmental, and cultural harm.

• Brianna Truden, a landscape architect with RTCA, will work with Talent (OR) Urban Forest Committee to create a master plan for restoring the city’s tree canopy in an era of climate change. Talent was devastated by the 2020 Almeda fire that destroyed 840 homes. As it seeks to recover from that tragedy, it simultaneously needs to plan for future community resilience in the face of increased wildland fire risk.

These projects stand to benefit all partners on their respective landscapes. “This community-based science will help us know how to recover and how we might better rebuild to help Park County residents prepare for the next time the water rises.” says Sarah Stands, the Community Resilience Director in Park County.

Mike Oxendine from the City of Talent says “We couldn't do this critical recovery work without the amazing support of the NPS RTCA and Thriving Earth Exchange. Both organizations are bringing extremely valuable and needed assistance to our recovery efforts.” Barbara Rice of NPS’s RTCA program office in San Francisco sees the value-added benefits of community science. “Community science expertise integrated with NPS RTCA's investments in Talent to create an urban tree plan will boost this community's resiliency to a changing climate.”

This is the second year of the partnership between NPS and AGU’s Thriving Earth Exchange. Last year, NPS’s inaugural Community Science Fellows began facilitating projects in Nevada, Maine, and South Carolina. Those projects are still underway, but some of their accomplishments to date include:

• A priority of Boulder City, NV, is to reduce light pollution and preserve its night sky, which is unusually dark for its proximity to Las Vegas. The community is working with Lake Mead National Recreation Area and others to develop a night-sky friendly lighting plan. Thanks to their collaboration, the city was recently awarded a $1.9 million grant from the U.S. Dept. of Commerce to install over 2,500 pollution-reducing light fixtures.

• Residents in Mount Desert, ME – adjacent to Acadia National Park – seek to improve the health of Otter Creek Harbor, which historically was an important site for fishing, clamming, and other activities before the Park Road and causeway were constructed across its mouth. Collaborators held a public listening session to identify community priorities, key questions, and sources of information. The science team has gathered data on mudflat biodiversity and historical conditions of the harbor and is sharing its findings with the community.

• In South Carolina, the South East Rural Community Outreach, Congaree National Park, and other community leaders are collaborating to develop a water quality testing protocol that will address local residents’ priorities in the face of urbanization. Developing a visual habitat assessment to monitor stream health is already helping foster meaningful connections and providing baseline data that communities will use to understand the impacts of gentrification and urbanization.

The five projects of these first two years confirm the importance of community science and the value that NPS and AGU place on it.

“I am very excited for this partnership with AGU to enter its second year. The community projects for 2022 continue to enhance science and stewardship, not just in national parks, but for the communities that surround the parks beyond park boundaries,” says Ray Sauvajot, NPS’s Associate Director for Natural Resource Stewardship and Science.

“It is an honor to work with the NPS to support projects that help parks and communities thrive together. These projects also show how national parks and science can be for everyone,” says Raj Pandya, AGU’s Vice President for Community Science.

Written by Tim Watkins, NPS Science Access & Engagement Coordinator