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Natural Resource Education and Outreach in a Cultural Resource Park by Giessell Aguilar, Alison Sloop, last updated: Jun 08, 2016 08:02 PM: Strategies for Expanding the Audience. The historic significance of Manassas is the primary interpretive theme for the park. However, the park’s 5,000 acres are becoming more significant as a natural resource site due to rapidly increasing urban development. This situation does offer opportunity, as the park provides easy access for local schools and educational groups and is an ideal location from which to study natural processes. In 2013 we began a 4-year initiative with the goal of increasing the awareness and subsequently the use of the park for education and recreation. Some accomplishments to date include; establishment of two “Track Trail” self-guided tours, a park specific brochure that connects our cultural and natural resources, partnerships with local schools, outreach to local pediatrician offices, outreach to Hispanic TV and conversion of materials to Spanish, and creation of a natural resource app. Well over 15,000 youth have been reached with over 100 youth volunteers participating.

Assessment of Environmental Genomics of Aquatic Systems in National Capital Region Parks by Aaron Aunins, Timothy King, last updated: Jun 08, 2016 08:01 PM: Emphasis on the algal communities associated with the nuisance diatom Didymosphenia geminata. While water quality monitoring programs are already in place to oversee trends in health of NCR aquatic resources, these programs are not specifically designed to detect the appearance of nuisance species such as the diatom Didymosphenia geminata, which may present but at low abundance, or to assess more fine-scale characteristics of streams such as the taxonomic diversity and functional potential of the resident microbial communities. Fortunately, new genomic technologies such as metagenomics and metabarcoding are gaining traction as valuable additions to existing monitoring programs worldwide due to their ability to characterize aquatic community structure and function at reasonable cost, and at a level of sensitivity never before available. Here, we present data on an ongoing metagenomics and metabarcoding study of select stream sites collected from among all 11 NCR parks in 2014 and 2015 in order to assess differences in taxonomic and functional diversity in streams with and without D. geminata.

Amphibians Focus of New Statewide Study by Kevin Kelly, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, last updated: Jun 08, 2016 02:31 PM: A new study led by the U.S. Geological Survey and published this week offers compelling evidence that amphibian populations across the country are declining at a rate of almost 4 percent per year.

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