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Abstract
The USA National Phenology Network (USA-NPN) is a federally-funded, national-scale science and monitoring initiative focused on phenology, the study of seasonal life cycle events, as an approach to understanding how plants, animals, and landscapes respond to environmental variation and change. Through the collection and curation of professional and citizen scientist-derived datasets, a primary aim of the Network is to inform decisions across a diversity of realms, from natural resource management and conservation to public health and human well-being. The Network does this by developing and delivering quality-controlled data and products designed to improve decision-making at local to regional to continental scales. These include heat accumulation and pest forecast maps, visualizations of phenology activity and customizable dashboards for partner organizations, and accessible descriptions of how the timing of spring is shifting across the National Park system. Furthermore, we facilitate informed decision-making by enabling partners and stakeholders to build their own data collection programs and engaging them early in the product development process. In this paper, we share challenges and lessons learned from our experiences over our initial 10 years. In particular, we examine a series of case studies through the lens of stakeholder engagement and collaboration. We found that one size doesn’t fit all, but instead, successful engagement is context-specific and scale-dependent. As the Network looks to the future, we identify next steps for achieving "actionable" science through implementing robust evaluation methods and fostering enduring partner collaborations.
Parent Publication
Keywords
forest restoration,
history,
climate,
soils,
vegetation,
geomorphology,
watersheds,
water quality,
water quantity,
fluvial ecosystems,
fish and invertebrate fauna,
riparian ecosystems
Citation
Gerst, Katharine; Rosemartin, Alyssa; Posthumus, Erin; Crimmins, Theresa; Barnett, LoriAnne. 2022. Successes and challenges on a spectrum of stakeholder engagement. In: Neary, D. G.; Gottfried, G. J., eds. Collaboration Now for the Future: IV Conference on the Biodiversity and Management of the Madrean Archipelago. Proceedings RMRS-P-79. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 150-160.
