Natural Resource Monitoring at Booker T. Washington National Monument

Farm fields dotted with trees and surrounded by stacked wood fences, and a number of small out-buildings, on a clear day
Barnyard at Booker T. Washington National Monument.

Melissa Johnson

Booker T. Washington National Monument is one of ten parks in the Mid-Atlantic Network which is part of a nation-wide effort of the National Park Service to generate scientifically sound information on the changing conditions of park ecosystems. In addition to the natural resource management activities performed by park staff, our scientists monitor the status and long-term trends of natural resources at the park. Each year, with the help of park staff and volunteers, we collect information for the monitoring programs listed below. Back at the office we analyze the data and share the information with park managers to help them better understand how to best preserve park ecosystems for future generations.

To learn more about these programs and key findings, choose from the options below.

Monitoring Programs

  • Closeup of stonefly larvae crawling over a wet rock
    Benthic Macroinvertebrates

    This diverse group of creatures occupies stream beds and is a vital component of all healthy stream ecosystems.

  • Orange bird with a black head perched on a tree branch. Credit: Jessica Weinberg McClosky.
    Breeding Birds

    Many network parks have birds that are declining throughout their range, highlighting the need for understanding their status and trends.

  • Sun shining though forest canopy.
    Forest Vegetation

    All Mid-Atlantic Network parks have forests that form an essential part of the landscape and provide habitat for a diversity of wildlife.

  • A small stream in a forest.
    Water Quality and Quantity

    Monitoring water quality & quantity helps the National Park Service fulfill its duty to protect pristine (or improve impaired) park waters.

  • Climate monitoring station in a grassy clearing, with many scientific instruments scattered about.
    Weather & Climate

    Climate is a dominant factor driving the physical and ecologic processes affecting Mid-Atlantic Network parks.

  • A view from an overlook on a mountain looking into a valley with foothills in the distance
    Air Quality

    Park managers benefit from knowing the type and extent of various air pollutants in order to evaluate their impacts on park resources.

Website Articles

Showing results 1-10 of 14

  • Project Profile: Managing Resilient Eastern Forests

    • Type: Article
    • Locations: Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site,Antietam National Battlefield,Appomattox Court House National Historical Park,Bluestone National Scenic River,Booker T Washington National Monument,
    Person gazes up at a tall tree

    The National Park Service will improve the ecological health of eastern forests in 38 parks using an array of management techniques. The NPS has selected forest ecosystems of high ecological and cultural value across multiple parks from Virginia to Maine that are at greatest risk of forest loss due to chronic and interacting stressors.

  • Inventory & Monitoring Partnerships Aim to Improve Park Forest Health from Coast to Coast

    • Type: Article
    • Locations: Acadia National Park,Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site,Antietam National Battlefield,Appalachian National Scenic Trail,Appomattox Court House National Historical Park,
    • Offices: Eastern Rivers and Mountains Inventory & Monitoring Network,Greater Yellowstone Inventory & Monitoring Network,Inventory and Monitoring Division,Mid-Atlantic Inventory & Monitoring Network,National Capital Inventory & Monitoring Network,
    Four people, one in NPS uniform, stand in a forest. Three look upward through binoculars.

    From coast to coast, the NPS Inventory and Monitoring Division is helping park managers improve the health and function of forest ecosystems. From promoting resilient forests in the Northeast, to conserving whitebark pine in the West, to protecting Hawaiian forest birds from avian malaria, scientific partnerships are helping parks to share information, leverage funding sources, and work together for outcomes that extend beyond what any park could accomplish on its own.

  • I&M Networks Support Resilient Forest Management

    • Type: Article
    • Locations: Acadia National Park,Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site,Antietam National Battlefield,Appomattox Court House National Historical Park,Bluestone National Scenic River,
    • Offices: Inventory and Monitoring Division
    Forest health monitoring

    NPS Inventory and Monitoring Networks have been tracking forest health in eastern national parks since 2006. This monitoring information can guide resilient forest management and support parks in adapting to changing conditions through the actions described below.

  • Resilient Forests Initiative - Managing Invasive Plants & Pests

    • Type: Article
    • Locations: Acadia National Park,Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site,Antietam National Battlefield,Appomattox Court House National Historical Park,Bluestone National Scenic River,
    • Offices: Eastern Rivers and Mountains Inventory & Monitoring Network,Inventory and Monitoring Division,Mid-Atlantic Inventory & Monitoring Network,National Capital Inventory & Monitoring Network,Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate,
    Forest Regeneration

    Park forests are threatened by invasive plants and pests. Strategically tackling invasive plants to protect park’s highest priority natural resources and planning around forest pests and pathogens are important actions in managing resilient forests.

  • Managing Resilient Forests. A Regional Initiative

    • Type: Article
    • Locations: Acadia National Park,Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site,Antietam National Battlefield,Appomattox Court House National Historical Park,Bluestone National Scenic River,
    • Offices: Eastern Rivers and Mountains Inventory & Monitoring Network,Inventory and Monitoring Division,Mid-Atlantic Inventory & Monitoring Network,National Capital Inventory & Monitoring Network,Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate,
    Forest health monitoring

    Forests cover tens of thousands of acres in eastern national parks and these critical resources face a range of interacting stressors: over-abundant white-tailed deer populations, invasive plant dominance, novel pests and pathogens, among other threats. The Resilient Forests Initiative will help parks address these issue collectively.

  • Series: Managing Resilient Forests Initiative for Eastern National Parks

    • Type: Article
    • Subtype: Series
    • Locations: Acadia National Park,Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site,Antietam National Battlefield,Appomattox Court House National Historical Park,Blue Ridge Parkway,
    Healthy forests have many native seedlings and saplings.

    Forests in the northeastern U.S. are in peril. Over-abundant deer, invasive plants, and insect pests are negatively impacting park forests, threatening to degrade the scenic vistas and forested landscapes that parks are renowned for. With regional collaboration, parks can manage these impacts and help forests be resilient. This article series explores tools available to park managers to achieve their goals.

  • NPS Geodiversity Atlas—Booker T Washington National Monument, Virginia

    • Type: Article
    • Locations: Booker T Washington National Monument
    • Offices: Geologic Resources Division
    field with cabins

    Each park-specific page in the NPS Geodiversity Atlas provides basic information on the significant geologic features and processes occurring in the park. Links to products from Baseline Geologic and Soil Resources Inventories provide access to maps and reports.

  • 2023 Weather in Review: Booker T. Washington National Monument

    • Type: Article
    • Locations: Booker T Washington National Monument
    • Offices: Mid-Atlantic Inventory & Monitoring Network
    Park visitors walking around a cabin with split-rail fence in the background.

    In all, 2023 was warmer than average, but precipitation was near normal at Booker T. Washington National Monument. It was the 7th warmest and 61st driest year in Franklin County, VA since 1895.

  • 2022 Weather in Review: Booker T. Washington National Monument

    • Type: Article
    • Locations: Booker T Washington National Monument
    • Offices: Mid-Atlantic Inventory & Monitoring Network
    Bust of Booker T. Washington with blue sky in the background

    Booker T. Washington National Monument experienced warmer and much wetter 2022 than a typical year.

  • 2021 Weather In Review: Booker T. Washington National Monument

    • Type: Article
    • Locations: Booker T Washington National Monument
    • Offices: Mid-Atlantic Inventory & Monitoring Network
    Purple sunrise with black silhouetted trees.

    In 2021, Booker T. Washington National Monument experienced a year that was much drier and warmer than average.

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Park Monitoring Documents

Resource briefs are short PDFs summarizing our monitoring programs or results.

Source: Data Store Saved Search 4876 (results presented are a subset). To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.

Periodically, we publish reports that describe what we are learning in the field. These monitoring reports are more in-depth than resource briefs and include data analysis and a discussion of our findings.

Source: Data Store Saved Search 4877 (results presented are a subset). To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.

Last updated: January 21, 2022

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