September 2020

Pop some popcorn and grab a drink:
Organ Pipe Cactus NM Video Premiere

With movie theaters still closed, you may be looking for a socially-acceptable excuse to eat popcorn. Some may argue that it's always acceptable, but we wanted to doubly make sure you had good reason to eat some today.

This month, we premiered the newest video in the Drawing Connections series at the Virtual Arizona Parks Fest 2020. Highlighting the historic Gachado Line Camp in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, this video shows that climate change doesn't just affect natural resources, but cultural resources too.* Learn a bit about the park's history--and enjoy a cameo from the NPS Desert Research Learning Center--by dimming the lights, grabbing a snack, and watching our new release.


*A theme that just might be echoed in our next forthcoming video...
Round 2: Catch-a-Pecha-Kucha! 
See more Summer 2020 project results 
The 2020 Future Park Leaders of Emerging Change interns have been doing great work! Coming up, we'll be hosting another session to highlight their efforts with five presentations on September 9. This is a great opportunity to learn about cutting edge science being done by our interns -- and it may also give you some inspiration on hosting a 2021 Scientists in Parks participant next summer!
September 9, 2020
3pm EDT | 12pm PDT
Impacts of Climate Change on Zoonotic Disease
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Sarah Barsch, BS Candidate, California Polytechnic State University

Monitoring Drought Induced Dieback in Oak Woodlands
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
Anne-Marie Parkinson, MS Candidate, UC Santa Barbara

Impacts of Visitation on Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition
Rocky Mountain National Park
Kirk Archarya, MS, University of Michigan

Climate Smart Conservation for Aquatic Resources
Greater Yellowstone Network
Janelle Christensen, MS Candidate, UC Santa Barbara

Communicating the Rapid Loss of Glaciers through Mapping
Kenai Fjords National Park
Taryn Black, PhD Candidate, University of Washington
The signature of a warming world can be seen all around us these days: prolonged heat waves, persistent wildfires, and increasingly damaging storm surge. And in parks, climate change poses an unprecedented--and daunting
--challenge to conservation. 
 
But the National Park Service is taking action. The newly-updated Climate Change in National Park e-learning module explores how numerous parks are applying solid science, reducing greenhouse gas contributions, adapting to changes already in motion, and communicating meaningfully about climate-related issues. Whether you're new to the National Park Service-or just new to the topic-this self-paced offering on the Common Learning Portal can help you discover your role in our critical response to climate change.
Welcome, Brecken and Danika!
The North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center is pleased to welcome Brecken Robb and Danika Mosher to their team. As research assistants, they will assist with scenario planning and ecological response modeling to meet the needs of the NPS and other DOI and tribal partners.

Danika is an East Tennessee State University graduate student in Geosciences, with a focus on Geospatial Analysis. Brecken received her M.S. in Biological Sciences from Boise State University. A warm welcome to both!

TELEWORKING?
Take Some On-Demand Training!
The Climate Change Response Program invites interested NPS employees, contractors, and volunteers to enjoy unlimited access to the Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO) library of on-demand and live online training FREE for two full years. This opportunity affords participants unparalleled flexibility to customize training according to their needs and work around busy schedules.

Availability is limited and will be awarded strictly on a first-come, first serve basis. For instructions on how to register for this opportunity, please contact Larry Perez at larry_perez@nps.gov.


If you experience any difficulty accessing the information in this message, please email us. We will try to assist you as best we can. This may include providing the information to you in an alternate format. 
Want to submit an article? Want to be added to this mailing list? Contact matt_holly@nps.gov.