Mary Travaglini
Wednesday, October 15, 2008 - 9:00-9:30
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has partnered since 1996 with the National Park Service (NPS) and other land managers and stakeholders in a biologically rich area called the Potomac Gorge, which is hemmed in by urban development in the metro DC area. In 2001 a joint conservation plan (http://conserveonline.org/docs/2002/05/public_version.pdf) between TNC and NPS documented the stresses to the biological diversity and proposed strategies to mitigate impacts. Through the private-public joint planning process and cooperation TNC has developed a strong volunteer program primarily to remove invasive plants on private, county, state, and federal lands in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia to protect rare plants and plant communities in the Potomac Gorge. In three years this partnership, funded by federal grants and matching private funds, has generated over 3,000 volunteer hours through group Weed Buster workdays and a cadre of Weed Warriors, who train for 10 hours before working unsupervised in the parks. Work primarily occurs in two National Parks, the C&O Canal National Historical Park and George Washington Memorial Parkway, and on county park lands in Virginia and Maryland. Volunteers have become a vital and recognized resource in efforts to control invasive species. Through exchange of information and ideas, education of volunteers and supervisors, and the dedication of returning volunteers, efforts become more effective, efficient, and meaningful for both the ecosystem and people working to conserve it.
Keywords: PARTNERSHIP, VOLUNTEERS, INVASIVE PLANTS, COOPERATION