Projects
Various National Park Service programs and partners are continually working on projects to better understand and protect natural and cultural resources in our national parks. Types of projects taking place in the American Southwest include inventories, long-term monitoring, research, outreach and resource stewardship.
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Keeping an eye on park resourcesMonitoringMonitoring projects are designed to collect information about resources over time.
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What's in our parks?InventoriesInventories help document the presence/absence, location, or condition of resources in parks.
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StewardshipDiscover projects that contribute to protecting or restoring park resources via direct action or promoting awareness.
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The Science Never Stops!ResearchDiscover projects aimed at better understanding and protecting natural and cultural treasures of the American Southwest.
Partners
The Science of the American Southwest site is a collaboration among 48 national park units in four NPS Inventory and Monitoring Networks, three Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESUs), and several nonprofit partners. This partnership is dedicated to understanding and preserving the unique resources of the American Southwest through science and education. The National Park Service developed Research Learning Centers as a public-private partnership that encourages the sharing of scientific information about the parks, facilitate research efforts, and provide opportunities for the public to learn about the national parks. Click on a link below to learn more about each of our partners.
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Chihuahuan Desert NetworkTheChihuahuan Desert Network is comprised of seven national park units in the Chihuahuan Desert ecoregion.
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Sonoran Desert NetworkThe Sonoran Desert Network includes 11 national parks characteristic of the Sonoran Desert Ecoregion and the Apache Highlands Ecoregion.
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Southern Plains NetworkThe Southern Plains Network consists of 11 parks with diverse cultural and natural resources distributed across five states.
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Southern Colorado Plateau NetworkThe Southern Colorado Plateau Network includes parks in northern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, southwestern Colorado and southern Utah.
National Park Service Research Learning Centers
National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring Program
Chihuahuan Desert Inventory and Monitoring Network (CHDN)
Southern Colorado Plateau Inventory and Monitoring Network (SCPN)
Sonoran Desert Inventory and Monitoring Network (SODN)
Southern Plains Inventory and Monitoring Network (SOPN)
Sonoran Institute
Big Sky Institute
Desert Southwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit
Rocky Mountain Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit
Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit
Last updated: February 20, 2019