Thanks for indulging us with weekly e-blasts through the month of April! We now return to our regular pace of about one e-blast per month.
In this e-blast:
The results of the international City Nature Challenge will be compiled through May 3. This year has been very different from past years, with a variety of stay-at-home orders nationally and internationally. Therefore, counts of observations and species vary widely from previous years due to those restrictions. We are very pleased that in the DC metro area, our count of observers is 1,511 - 15% over our observer count from 2019! Even with restrictions in our area, folks were able to get out and make at least one observation. You can visit DC's City Nature Challenge page to see what species were found in our area.
Now that the City Nature Challenge is over....
The City Nature Challenge is an annual, friendly competition to promote community science. The real goal is to increase the numbers of community science observers and observations. Whether you participated in this year's challenge or not, you can help meet this goal. Making observations, especially of birds, insects, and mammals, adds to the knowledge base and helps scientists understand how nature is responding to changes in our world. Consider making observations with iNaturalist throughout the year.
NPS will not authorize events in National Parks through May 15. At this time, the Friends Board is looking toward the fall to re-schedule our Titanic Day of Service and any other events for this year. NPS has a reduced workforce for maintenance tasks, and we are working with them to identify issues like lights that are out. We will continue to update you if the status of the Park changes. You can always get the latest status for NPS and various National Parks on the National Park Service's COVID-19 page.
We can be proud of our past work to maintain and beautify the Park, especially in these days when it is used so much for exercise, recreation, and respite. The Park is holding up well to its increased use, and we'll be back keeping it beautiful when we can safely do so.
Call for Volunteers - Eisenhower Memorial
The new Dwight D Eisenhower Memorial, at 4th Street & Independence Avenue SW, is slated to open in September 2020. The Park Service is looking for individuals to serve as volunteers when the Memorial opens in a variety of capacities, including:
• Tour Guide/Interpretation
• Visitor Information
• General Assistance
Since the Memorial is walkable from our neighborhood, this opportunity may be perfect for some of you.
For more information or to sign up, visit the Eisenhower Memorial Volunteer Page.
Stay well, stay safe, and enjoy the Park!
Corinne Irwin, Chair