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Mapping Potential Wetland Habitat Throughout the C&O Canal National Historical Park using Remote Sensing and GIS-based Data: Lance Bragin - Graduate Student, Hood College, Environmental Biology Program

Next-Generation DNA Sequencing of Prey Species in Coyote Scat from Prince William Forest Park and Manassas National Battlefield Park: Tyler Biles - Graduate Student, Clair Fremuth, Chelsea Miller - Undergraduate Students, Brian Masters, Harald Beck - Professors Towson University, Department of Biological Sciences

Partnering for Climate Change Communication in the National Capital Region: Jenell M. Walsh -Thomas, Melissa A. Clark, and Lindsey Beall, Graduate Students, George Mason University, Center for Climate Change Communication

Assessment of the Environmental Genomics of Aquatic Systems in the National Park Service’s National Capital Region with Emphasis on the Algal Communities Associated with the Nuisance Diatom Didymosphenia geminata: Aaron Aunins - Genetics Biologist, Tim King - Fishery Biologist (Genomics), U.S. Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center

Natural Resource Education and Outreach in a Cultural Resource Park: 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: 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: 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.