Inventory & Monitoring at George Washington Carver National Monument

Statue of young George Washington Carver
Statue of a young boy looking through the forest at George Washington Carver National Monument.

NPS

George Washington Carver National Monument, established in 1943, is located in the southwest corner of Missouri and encompasses the original 240-acre Moses Carver farm. The park is predominantly a cultural site commemorating George Washington Carver's life, but natural resources contribute to interpretation of Carver's childhood.

The park lies in the gently rolling landscape of the Springfield Plateau. Elevation ranges from 1040 feet to 1080 feet. The topography is dissected by stream channels that carry water from natural springs. Three small streams, Carver Creek, Williams Branch, and Harkins Branch, occur in the park. GWCA also has two springs of historical and natural significance.

Herpetofauna inventories at GWCA identified three salamander, ten frogs and toads, six turtle, six lizard, and 12 snake species present. Forty-nine bird species were identified in breeding bird surveys, six of which are species of continental importance. Twenty-six fish species have been identified.

Natural Resource Updates

Showing results 1-7 of 7

  • Prairie Community Monitoring at George Washington Carver National Monument

    • Locations: George Washington Carver National Monument
    Bright orange flowers in a field of green plants

    Prairies and savannas were common where George Washington Carver spent his childhood in Southwest Missouri but now less than 1% of Missouri's tallgrass prairie remains. George Washington Carver National Monument reconstructed tallgrass prairie on the park in 1985 and uses prescribed burns, mowing, and herbicides to maintain the prairie. The restored prairie is doing well and the diversity of plant species hasn't changed very much over time.

  • Problematic Plant Monitoring at George Washington Carver National Monument

    • Locations: George Washington Carver National Monument
    Photo of Lespedeza cuneata, an invasive plant.

    In this study, we found 50 problematic plant species from 2006 to 2020. Most of these species were not very abundant in the monument. Three cool season grasses were widespread in 2020, including Bald brome, bluegrass, and tall fescue. Other species, such as crown vetch, are decreasing at the park.

  • Bird Community Monitoring at George Washington Carver National Monument, 2020

    • Locations: George Washington Carver National Monument
    A small brown bird with a white stripe over its eye and a longish bill

    We have recorded 100 bird species in the park over the last 13 years, and 97 of these have the potential to breed in the park. About 28% of these breeding birds are in decline in the region and six species are species of conservation concern. We measure changes in birds and their habitats to determine the health of bird communities and park ecosystems.

  • Aquatic Invertebrate Monitoring at George Washington Carver National Monument

    • Locations: George Washington Carver National Monument
    A scientist standing in a stream bending over a net submerged in the water.

    The types of aquatic invertebrates living in a stream can tell us about stream water quality conditions. Some invertebrates can live in poor-quality water, while others need cleaner water to survive. We monitor aquatic invertebrates at streams in George Washington Carver National Monument to understand status and trends in water quality.

  • Fish Communities at George Washington Carver National Monument

    • Locations: George Washington Carver National Monument
    Banded Sculpin

    Agriculture and urban land use affect water quality of streams and the animals that live in them. Many fish are sensitive to poor habitat and water quality conditions and serve as good indicators of stream health.

  • Volunteer Bird Monitoring at George Washington Carver National Monument

    • Locations: George Washington Carver National Monument
    Northern Cardinal

    Heartland Network staff and volunteers monitor birds within the park during the Spring-breeding season. Volunteers are key to the success of this monitoring effort as they are able to survey birds in years when the Heartland Network is not scheduled to do so. This allows Heartland staff to establish continuous records on bird population trends for the park.

  • Engaging Citizens in Biodiversity Discovery

    Botanist pointing out different plants to a school group.

    In America's heartland, citizen scientists document biodiversity of national parks one Micro-blitz at a time.

Tags: htln gwca
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Source: Data Store Saved Search 3507 (results presented are a subset). To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.

Source: Data Store Collection 4260 (results presented are a subset). To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.



Check out the links below for other interesting science information about your park:

Air Quality in Parks
Learn about the air quality at your park and how it has changed over time.

NPS Geodiversity Atlas
An interactive map to explore the full variety of natural geologic (rocks, minerals, sediments, fossils, landforms, and physical processes) and soil resources and processes that occur in your park.

NPSpecies
Find out what plants and animals are present in your park or other parks.

Last updated: October 15, 2018

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