Fall is the time for spectacular foliage, the great southern migration of land and sea birds, and – usually – the Acadia Science Symposium. Unfortunately, we had to postpone this favorite day of the year due to the government shutdown. National Park Service staff are mostly furloughed right now and hopefully we will make new plans for the symposium after the shutdown ends.
I always look forward to the symposium and am uplifted by this community. Conservation science in Acadia is truly collaborative, which is why the absence of our National Park Service colleagues is such a noticeable void. There is an empty chair at meetings, field work is without the partners in green and gray, and overnight education programs for middle school classes are cancelled. Our friends and mentors are absent from restoration planning meetings, field visits, experimental plot establishment, soil additions, and the seeding of dozens of newly restored areas. Forest health monitoring, data syntheses, and communication are delayed. New research permits cannot be approved. Plans in development for weeks, months, and years are at a standstill. I even miss the budget planning meetings.
Even through the chaos and myriad challenges of the shutdown and many other disruptions this year, conservation efforts continue. We are collaborating to ensure that invasive plants are being removed, degraded habitats restored, wildlife monitored, visitor use studied, Indigenous access returned, tree pest response plans created, citizen scientists engaged, young students are immersed in nature, and much more.
I am awed by the perseverance and commitment of this community working together for the beauty, abundance, and grandeur of our natural world. We look forward to our NPS colleagues returning to join us in this. Your contributions in honor of our NPS partners help support the science that informs management of Acadia and inspires visitors of all ages.
Thank you for being part of our community!
Nick Fisichelli
President and CEO, Schoodic Institute