Rock Creek Park is celebrated as a green sanctuary within one of the busiest cities in the world. Threats abound, however, for the natural communities in this urban park, requiring active stewardship by park staff and volunteer groups.
All of the plants, animals, and natural processes of a natural community are interdependent. For this reason, a threat to any part of the community can upset the dynamics of the whole.
The goal of natural resource management in the park is to maintain healthy, functioning natural communities, while simultaneously meeting the needs of human populations that the park and Rock Creek serve. Good stewardship anticipates problems that might arise, and attempts to correct the imbalances and minimize the threats.
Learn more about ecological threats to the natural communities of Rock Creek Park. Learn how park staff are addressing those challenges, and about how you can make a difference!
Learn about non-native invasive plants, non-native invasive insects/animals, diseases, white-tailed deer and population dynamics, and species of concern
Learn about how severe weather and non-native invasive plant seeds team up to create challenges for the park. Find out about climate trends taking shape.
