Planning Grant: Understanding the Impacts of Extreme Events on Our National Parks: Past, Present, and Future

The United States National Park Service (NPS) declared climate change as “the greatest threat to the integrity of our national parks that we have ever experienced.” Climate change is causing not only higher average temperatures in most places but also increasing the severity of storms, the number of heatwaves and wildfires, and causing heavier rainfall. These extreme weather conditions pose major threats to National Parks, which face the loss of wildlife, plants, and important historical and cultural sites. To prevent further loss of our country’s natural and cultural heritage in the next 20 years, plans, strategies, and actions are needed now, rather than for 50-100 years into the future. This research team will engage in conversations [...]