Park Science Magazine | Summer 2024

Three people working in a wetland surrounded by little green flags

Friends of Acadia / Sam Mallon

Gray dock overlooking a blue ocean with storm clouds rolling in

NPS / Tyler Kuliberda

From the Editor

Stormy Weather

Nor'easters in New England. Cold fronts in Texas. Orange streams in Alaska. In this issue, we see how park and partner scientists are working to understand extreme weather impacts. And how other kinds of extremes can affect our practice of science.

In Brief

orange river with white snow and mountains and blue skies in background

U.S. Geological Survey / Josh Koch

News | Permafrost
New Research Shows Why Arctic Streams Are Turning Orange

In the pristine Brooks Range in Arctic Alaska, streams are turning bright orange and fish are disappearing, threatening the well-being of local communities. A recent scientific paper reveals why.
By Nina Chambers

Part of a three-dimensional graph of rainstorms. Dots plotted in a 3D rectangle. Back dots for common storms are clustered in the lower front left, with lower intensity, length, and total rainfall values. Gray dots have much higher values on every axis.

NPS / Jonathan Malzone

Research | Landslides
Caught By Surprise, One Park Learned Its True Landslide Risk

Unexpectedly heavy rainfall caused damaging landslides in a national recreation area. A staff scientist showed such events were more frequent than previously thought—and more predictable.
By Jonathan Malzone

A hand lifts the head of a stunned sea turtle in shallow water, covered in barnacles and seagrass. Its eye is barely open.

NPS

Research | Sea Turtles
Significant Sea Turtle Cold-Stunning Event Tied to Climate Change Impacts on the Texas Coast

In February 2021, an extreme cold front swept the south Texas coast, rendering tens of thousands of endangered sea turtles lethargic and helpless. Working against the clock, a dedicated team of rescuers rushed to save them. A new study indicates long-term impacts.
By Donna J. Shaver and J. Shelby Walker

red helicopter hovers closely overhead with pilot staring out the window

NPS / Emily Mesner

News | Aircraft Noise
New Study Shows How to Estimate Aircraft Noise from the Ground Up

Aircraft noise is pervasive in modern life but particularly disruptive in remote areas like national parks. These researchers focused on what people actually hear to help parks protect their quiet places.
By Jessica Weinberg McClosky

small spotted fish in a glass jar full of water, held in a hand

NPS / Tim Lambert

News | Brook Trout
Researchers See Startling Brook Trout Declines in Shenandoah Streams

Land use and pollution used to be brook trout’s biggest problems. But our latest research shows that being a cold-water fish in a warming world might be its greatest challenge yet.
By Jeb Wofford and Evan Childress

Perspectives

Group of men in yellow uniforms and red helmets standing in a forest

NPS / Allison Bender

Planning | Mental Health
The Challenge of Disastrous Events Isn’t Only Operational

National Park Service employees prepare to protect people, assets, and infrastructure from disasters. But what about when it comes to their own well-being?
By Julianne Reas, Wylie Carr, and Kaylin Thomas

Two women standing side by side examining a file folder of documents. One has blue gloves on.

NPS /  Nicole Peters

Research | Methods
Powerful Humanities Research Methods Can Help Us Avoid Overburdening Tribes

Transcending disciplinary boundaries to include humanities-based research may alleviate research fatigue and make space for more meaningful conversations.
By Lisa Fink

A dark-skinned man in a black t-shirt staring at the camera

SHOTPRIME STUDIO - stock.adobe.com

Conversations | Inclusive Science
How We Look at Science in National Parks Depends on Who’s Looking

Science in U.S. national parks suffers from and is diminished by the same social inequities as the rest of society. Conversations with community members helped us understand how and why.
By Michael Whiteman-Jones

Gray bird with black wings and long beak standing on the tip of a pine branch with cones

NPS

Partnerships | Whitebark Pine
How a Tree Created a Pivotal New Conservation Community

Found mainly on public lands, whitebark pine is one of America’s most threatened and ecologically valuable tree species. A multi-agency alliance is using innovative strategies based on science to help it avoid extinction. Recent federal funding is helping.
By members of the National Park Service Five Needle Pines Team (Stefanie Wacker, Sarah Haas, and Kristin Legg)

smiling woman with light blond hair in the sun with trees and green plants holding an orange and yellow butterfly with black stripes and white spots.

NPS / Grace Kowalski

Emerging Scientists | Pollinators
We Found Passion and Purpose in New Pollinator Studies

Pollinators are in danger, and national parks want to help. Two early-career scientists piloted research projects to find out how they could.
By Grace Kowalski and Nina Crawford

man in national park service uniform standing outside a building with two fingers touching a window

NPS

Methods | Birds
How to Make Park Buildings Safer for Birds, One Window at a Time

National Park Service scientists looked at ways to reduce bird collisions with glass in national parks. They show how small actions can have big outcomes.
By Adam Reimer, Dave Treviño, and Sallie Hejl

Features

Woman kneeling among trees and plants surrounded by small green flags stuck in the ground

Friends of Acadia / Sam Mallon

Wetlands
Great Meadow Wetland Rehab to Reclaim More Natural Flow

Acadia National Park’s largest and much-manipulated wetland is intricately tied to its urban surroundings. Energized by recent federal funding, an ambitious plan seeks to restore it to a more natural state while protecting neighbors from damaging floods.
By Jason Flynn and Lauren Gibson

a brown ground bird with yellow brows, a prominent white chest, and a fanned tail with pointed, white-tipped feathers in the open sagebrush steppe

NPS

Shrublands
Saving the Heart of the American West’s Largest Landscape

Sagebrush, America’s most imperiled ecosystem, is half of what it once was. Aided by recent infrastructure funding, a dedicated community of scientists is racing to protect the best of what’s left.
By Thomas J. Rodhouse, Jeff Lonneker, and Jordan Spaak

A fossil skull, with a radon sign superimposed over it. The sign is a yellow triangle with a black outline. Inside is a radioactive icon, shaped like a three-blade fan, and the words "Radon Gas."

fotohansel - stock.adobe.com (radon sign); NPS / Karina Rapp (horse fossil skull)

Fossils
How “Hot” Radioactive Fossils Tested One Park’s Safety Tech

Some fossil bones emit huge amounts of radon, a cancer-causing gas, so staying safe when storing or studying them is a real challenge. Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument found ways to overcome the problem though upgraded safety technology, but its story is a cautionary one.
By Karina Rapp

Squirrel holding an orange peel up to its face.

NPS

Wildlife
Who Is the Bad Guy Here? When Animals Misbehave

When it comes to wildlife mischief, we have found the biggest troublemaker, and it is us.
By Nicole Frey and Chad Wildermuth

A sea otter floating, with its face sticking out of the water

Samantha Hamilton

Eelgrass
Biologists Restored an Estuary to Revive Eelgrass. Then an Otter Swam 118 Miles to Reach It.

Buried in debris for decades, Drakes Estero is now one of the few remaining undeveloped estuaries on the U.S. Pacific coast. After a massive cleanup, scientists tracked the regrowth of an eelgrass community there—and found it transformed.
By Avani Fachon

Animation of historic sailing ship, zooming out and in showing ocean, docks, decks, and mast.

NPS

Methods
How a 3D Virtual Tour Shared a Beloved Ship’s Story with the World

In its latest of many lives, the Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey is often at sea, unavailable to park visitors. We recreated it virtually so more people than ever can explore its decks—and its stories.
By Catherine G. Cooper and Janine V. da Silva

a man with sunscreen art on his back looks at a turquoise ocean

yanadjan - stock.adobe.com

Messaging
New Research Shows How Parks Can Support Eco-Friendly Sunscreen Use

Sunscreens help prevent skin cancer, but some can harm the environment. Three recent behavioral science papers describe ways to boost visitors’ use of eco-friendly sun protection. That way, national park visitors can protect themselves and the places they care about too.
By Sara Melena and Eva DiDonato

Educate & Interpret

A small wooden building covered in shingles is affected by storm tides. The water completely encroaches on the base, and reaches up the road.

NPS / Melissa Amuso

Messaging | Climate Change
Coastal Climate Messaging Essentials: It’s All in the Telling

Extreme weather events like nor’easters may be unavoidable and challenging. But learning effective ways to share information about their impacts can have far-reaching benefits.
By Catherine Schmitt

About This Issue

Last updated: September 5, 2024

Tools