Science and Research

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Research in Nature & Ecology

Articles on botany, wildlife, geology, and more.

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Studying History & Culture

Articles on Archeology, History, Ethnography and more

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Inventory & Monitoring

Long-term monitoring of key vital signs

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Coordinating Researchers

Chesapeake Watershed Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit

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National Park Service Resource Programs

Natural and Cultural Resource Programs in the Region

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Science News and Articles

Showing results 1-10 of 64

  • Bats Are in Danger. Here’s How and Why We’re Helping Them.

    • Type: Article
    • Locations: Acadia National Park, Catoctin Mountain Park, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Death Valley National Park, Devils Tower National Monument,
    • Offices: Mojave Desert Inventory & Monitoring Network, Northern Great Plains Inventory & Monitoring Network
    GIF of a bat with big ears in a gloved hand, rotating its head and opening and closing its mouth.

    Bats are amazing animals and a formidable force against insect pests, but a nasty fungal disease is killing them. A coordinated national response brings hope.

  • Black Fountaingrass

    • Type: Article
    • Locations: Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, George Washington Memorial Parkway, Great Falls Park, National Capital Parks-East, Piscataway Park,
    A grass plant with yellow-reddish seed heads.

    Black fountaingrass (Cenchrus purpurascens) is an invasive plant that is also a popular ornamental grass because of its red-to-purple-colored flowerhead. It can be found in plazas and housing complexes throughout the greater Washington, DC area and it spreads quickly. Learn how to identify it and how to help control its spread.

  • Carolina or Black-Capped Chickadee? Sometimes It’s a Hard Call

    • Type: Article
    • Locations: Antietam National Battlefield, Catoctin Mountain Park, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, George Washington Memorial Parkway, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park,
    A Carolina chickadee with a black head and white and gray body sits on a branch.

    Chickadees are some of the most common birds in the National Capital Region. Both Carolina chickadees and black-capped chickadees can be found in NCR parks. Learn more about these birds and how they're sometimes hard to tell apart.

  • Springing Up — Dryad’s Saddle

    • Type: Article
    • Locations: Antietam National Battlefield, Catoctin Mountain Park, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, George Washington Memorial Parkway, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park,
    A brown mushroom-shaped fungus emerges from a log and is surrounded by green leafy plants.

    Dryad's saddle is a large and unique fungi species that can be found across the National Capital Region. Learn more about where they can be found and how to recognize them.

  • Freshwater Jellyfish

    • Type: Article
    • Locations: Antietam National Battlefield, Catoctin Mountain Park, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, George Washington Memorial Parkway, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park,
    A single bluish white jellyfish floats in water.

    Preliminary results of recent macroinvertebrate monitoring in the National Capital Region (NCR) using environmental DNA revealed that freshwater jellyfish are present in all NCR parks. Learn more about these unique organisms, and the role they may play in our freshwater streams.

  • 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.

  • Oaks of the National Capital Region

    • Type: Article
    • Locations: Antietam National Battlefield, Catoctin Mountain Park, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, George Washington Memorial Parkway, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park,
    Green oak leaves against a forested background.

    Out of the 50 oak species native to the eastern United States, 20 are native to the National Capital Region (NCR). Learn more about these oak species and where they can be found across NCR parks.

  • National Capital Region Conifers

    • Type: Article
    • Locations: Antietam National Battlefield, Catoctin Mountain Park, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Congaree National Park, George Washington Memorial Parkway,
    A branch covered in pine needles with a single pinecone.

    A comprehensive look at the conifers found in the National Capital Region (NCR). Learn more about where these species can be found and what makes each kind unique.

  • Birch Family Natives of the National Capital Region

    • Type: Article
    • Locations: Antietam National Battlefield, Catoctin Mountain Park, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, George Washington Memorial Parkway, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park,
    Tree trunk with horizontally textured bark with branches and leaves.

    Out of the 150 birch species found across the globe, 9 are native to the National Capital Region (NCR). Learn more about these birch species and what makes them unique.

  • Native Grapes

    • Type: Article
    • Locations: Anacostia Park, Antietam National Battlefield, Baltimore-Washington Parkway, Catoctin Mountain Park, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park,
    Multiple clusters of grapes hang off of a leafy vine.

    Seven species of grapes are native to the National Capital Region. Learn how to tell them apart, where they grow, and how they benefit birds, bugs, and beasts alike.

Tags: science research nrss nature ress
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Last updated: June 22, 2022

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