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Volume 4 | Spring 2021
CHWA CESU Newsletter
Spring 2021
Volume 4, Issue 1
Research Coordinator's Corner

For this edition of the Research Coordinator's Corner, Dan gives an update on the state of the network, including the latest on COVID-related guidelines, leadership changes with the NPS Capital Region, and database-related news.

Use the link below to read his full update.
CHWA CESU Network Updates
CHWA CESU Renewal 2021
The Chesapeake Watershed (CHWA) CESU has been renewed for another five-years! Like the other sixteen regional CESUs in the network, the CHWA CESU operates under a five-year cooperative joint venture agreement between federal and research partners. Of special note, while some CESU networks struggle to get partner feedback, the CHWA CESU received responses from 100% of partners for the renewal survey, which greatly assisted the completion of the self-assessment report. Thank you, CHWA CESU partners!

CHWA CESU Launches New Projects Database
In spring 2021, the Chesapeake Watershed (CHWA) CESU launched a new cloud-based projects database hosted on AirTable. Designed by Katie Kline, a staff member at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Appalachian Laboratory, the new database streamlines the data entry process for staff and allows for “real-time” reporting for partners.
Help Us Keep the Experts Database Up-to-Date
In summer 2021, staff of the host institution will again be reaching out to researchers at partner institutions asking them to review and update their profiles in the Experts Database. Individualized emails will be sent in early summer and will include the usernames and passwords needed to log in to the site. To keep the database up-to-date and relevant for those searching for experts, we need everyone's help, so please be on the lookout for the email and follow the instructions provided in it. 

Those who have not yet listed a profile in the Experts Database can start the process at
CHWA CESU Project Spotlight
Credit Kent Mason: The windswept, high elevation landscape at Bear Rocks and Allegheny Front Preserve NNL. Photo used courtesy of the National Park Service.
CESU Project Leads to NNL Designation for Bear Rocks and Allegheny Front Preserve
In January 2021, the Bear Rocks and Allegheny Front Preserve became the 600th National Natural Landmark (NNL) of the United States, thanks in part to the research efforts Dr. Todd Lookingbill and Dr. Dave Kitchen of the University of Richmond and Dr. Katia Engelhardt of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science- Appalachian Laboratory. 

CHWA CESU Student Spotlight
Robert Boyd filming video recounting the origins of plant succession – a key organizing principle in ecology – in the 1890s at what is now Indiana Dunes National Park. Photo credit: National Park Service
Recent American University Alum Wins Fulbright-National Geographic Fellowship
Institutions benefit from membership in the Chesapeake Watershed CESU. But when projects involve students, we glimpse one of the greatest values of the partnership: opportunities and support for young people to learn, grow, and succeed in their careers.

Robert Boyd, a filmmaker and recent graduate of American University (AU), has been awarded a prestigious Fulbright-National Geographic Storytelling Fellowship. In 2021-2022 he will create a short documentary about the world’s smallest snake species, the Barbados Threadsnake.

News from Across the National Network
The Rocky Mountains CESU Seminar Series
The Rocky Mountain CESU recently hosted a virtual seminar series entitled Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI): Opportunities through the Rocky Mountains CESU. The series included the following three (3) seminars:

Cooperative Eco-Cultural Restoration of American Bison Led by Native Nations
Yellowstone Center for Resources Native Student Internship Program
A Conversation with BIPOC Students on Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

We would welcome ideas for JEDI webinars to be hosted by the Chesapeake Watershed CESU. Use the "Read More" link below to view embedded recordings of these Rocky Mountain CESU seminars.