Blue Ridge Parkway Resource Management Studies

Many of our forest-nesting birds along the Blue Ridge Parkway are in trouble. Their habitat has been reduced and they suffer the effects of pesticides and predators. This is especially true of the "Neotropical" bird species -- those birds that migrate south for the winter and return to the Parkway each spring. Birds such as the scarlet tanager, veery, wood thrush, and Kentucky warbler have been declining rapidly in the past 10 years. The park, in cooperation with several other agencies and non-profit organizations, will study the problem this summer by conducting a population count of various species. Visitors may encounter resource managers netting birds, especially in the Julian Price section of park. Birds will be tagged and counted, as managers attempt to determine just how serious the problem has become. Please feel free to observe the research work and ask resource managers how you might protect the song birds in your own backyard.

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The Blue Ridge Parkway supports several species of plants and animals that are rare, threatened, and endangered. Some of these, such as the Peaks of Otter salamander and the Blue Ridge golden rod, are not able to survive in any other area of the world. The park protects these species by protecting their habitat. Visitors may notice special trail construction, experimental plantings and signs that alert hikers to the presence of an endangered species. You can help by remembering to stay on the trails when you hike; protecting habitat from the devastating effects of "people feet."

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Beavers are a relatively new sight along the Blue Ridge Parkway but they are no strangers to this region. They roamed in abundance until unregulated trapping caused their disappearance around 1897. Recently reestablished, beavers have become a topic of much debate.

Along the Blue Ridge Parkway, beavers clog culverts and spillways with debris, undermine trails and create hazards. The ponds and wetlands they create provide essential habitat for fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds. This increases the biological diversity of the region.

The National Park Service welcomes the return of the beaver, a native species. Populations are controlled only when activities endanger people or threaten to destroy major resources. Look for signs of beaver as you explore aquatic resources along the Parkway. See if you can determine any hazards created or habitats formed by this, the largest of North American rodents.

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