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Fort Necessity National Battlefield park staff aimed to find out if Appalachian cottontail inhabited the park, so they collaborated with the Inventory and Monitoring Division to survey for their scat.

In this issue of 3Parks3Stories, we would like to share three stories of successful conservation projects in the Mediterranean parks that were reliant upon partnerships between the NPS and one or more dedicated collaborators. In these stories, we hope you see the mutual benefits of these relationships and the value they bring in the effort to protect, preserve, and understand our national legacy.

Firefighters use drip torches to treat vegetation between a fence and Highway 207 in Carson County, Texas.

Along Idaho’s U.S. Highway 26, National Park Service ecologists are enhancing the efficiency of sagebrush restoration and teaming up with a long-time partner of mankind: the mule.

In the spring of 2021, three AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) were placed at host sites along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. They collaborated on projects to increase capacity at their host sites.

Working within the structure of the One Tamalpais Collaborative, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy received $400,000 in funding through the California Wildlife Conservation Board’s pollinator rescue program to invest in protection of monarch butterflies in Marin County.

Successful management of wildland fire is a team effort. National Park Service (NPS) staff in Alaska have formed a unique partnership with the Bureau of Land Management Alaska Fire Service (AFS), which has helped to turn challenges into opportunities, and increased operational efficiency in utilization of helicopters for fire suppression. This partnership has benefited not only Alaska, but also the wildland firefighting effort in several western states.

The Point Reyes mountain beaver—a primitive rodent that isn’t a beaver—is a sort of mythical creature at Point Reyes National Seashore. Almost no one has seen one in-person with their own eyes. Not even National Park Service Wildlife Biologists Taylor Ellis and Matt Lau, who just completed their first season of surveys as a part of a 2-year mountain beaver habitat modeling project in collaboration with UC Berkeley. Still, the survey season was a great success.

The Amache Musuem is located in Granada, CO and operated by the Amache Preservation Society.

A new partnership began in October 2021 and supports science and stewardship activities that benefit both parks and their local communities. Over the next five years parks and their communities will collaborate to identify and address their scientific priorities. Projects in the first year will focus on water quality, marine biodiversity, and preservation of night skies.

Sixty seconds is all it takes to be captivated by this reclusive animal’s motherly instincts.

New technology makes it possible to record hundreds of thousands of songs in a short time. That could make protecting wild birds and other at-risk animals easier.

A citizen science project tests whether a small wasp can restore native habitat. It also shows the benefits of firsthand experience for high school students.

Acadia National Park is working with local communities to study the park’s changing coastal environment. There’s a lot at stake.

We teamed up with park rangers and researchers to increase opportunities for sharing science. Humorous illustrations show what we learned in the process.

The January 2025 Palisades Fire impacted nearly 20,000 acres within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. A Department of the Interior (DOI) Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team deployed to the area to conduct rapid assessments to first identify values at risk and then prescribe emergency stabilization measures to protect those values.

Although NPS staff do not directly manage the land and resources along the Trail, we are able to positively impact land management through collaboration with partners and participation in planning efforts.

In the heart of South Carolina, a groundbreaking preservation project is breathing new life into one of the oldest African American towns in the state. Through a collaboration between the Lincolnville Preservation and Historical Society and the National Park Service – Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance program (NPS-RTCA), an inspiring project is taking shape—one that promises to honor the town’s history while promoting community health and wellness.

This grove of trees in Rock Creek Park was planted and is cared for by the DC Front Runners, a local LGB running and walking club. In 1988, they collaborated with the National Park Service to establish this memorial grove along a favorite route in honor of members who lost their lives during the AIDS epidemic.

Jude Hall enlisted in Exeter, New Hampshire into Capt. Jacob Hinds' company, in Col. James Reed’s regiment, and was present at the Battle of Bunker Hill.