From August to October in 2020 and 2021, H. Bryan Underwood of USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center and Donald Leopold of SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry studied white-tailed deer in the fertile forests of Delaware. Their goal was to develop a cost-effective and efficient method for estimating deer populations without disrupting park staff. With the help of two graduate students, the researchers explored various existing deer counting methods to estimate the populations in both the First State National Historical Park and the adjacent Brandywine Creek State Park. The professors conducted their study using two different field methods simultaneously…. Continue reading

Along the dynamic and windswept beaches of Oregon’s coast, a rare and resilient bird has made a remarkable comeback. The western snowy plover (Anarhynchus nivosus nivosus), once nearly extirpated from the region, is now at the center of one of the longest-running and most collaborative shorebird conservation efforts in the Pacific Northwest. While their population has grown, snowy plovers remain conservation-reliant—dependent on continued management and protection to persist in the face of ongoing threats. Thanks to the diligence of researchers and conservation partners, that support has remained steady. This long-running initiative is part of a project¹ through the Pacific Northwest… Continue reading

The Glacier National Park Ice Patch Archeology and Paleoecology Project is a collaborative research effort between Rocky Mountain CESU partners: Glacier National Park, CU Boulder, Montana State University, University of Wyoming, University of Arizona, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation, the Blackfeet Nation, and units of the National Park Service. Melting ice poses a risk to previously preserved cultural and natural resources. The project partnership conducted cutting-edge, culturally informed fieldwork to survey, map, and sample stable ice patches in the park in 2010, 2011, 2013 and obtained new aerial photography in 2015. The research was used… Continue reading

In the quiet darkness of Pacific Northwest forests, bats perform a vital ecological service: chowing down. From tiny midges and biting flies that bother humans, to moths that threaten crops, to beetles that affect forest health, bats consume a remarkable diversity of insects. They also serve as an important food source for birds of prey, such as hawks and falcons. Whether predator or prey, bats help keep ecosystems in balance. Yet in recent years, these nocturnal mammals have faced a deadly threat: white-nose syndrome (WNS).  Continue reading