Over the coming years, our national parks will be forced to make some very difficult decisions.

If rising sea levels threaten the habitat of a rare wildlife species within a national park, will the animals be moved to a new habitat? Will songbirds that expand their range to new territories within national parks be considered exotic species in those new locales? Which cultural resources will be saved?

Climate change is one of the most serious challenges facing Shenandoah and all our parks. Across the country, park scientists are studying potential impacts of a warming climate. This research will help inform new management strategies. Shenandoah National Park is collaborating with the Smithsonian, University of Virginia, US Geological Survey and other federal agencies to assess potential climate change impacts on its high-elevation species, starting with the federally endangered Shenandoah salamander—which lives nowhere else on the planet except several mountaintops in our park. This research will help park managers understand the habitat needs of this and other species that are highly adapted to mountaintop living.

Shenandoah National Park Trust will fund an education program based on this new research. The program will include electronic and printed materials and new ranger programs focusing on climate change. Park staff will also work with a Virginia teacher to prepare climate change materials for schools.

The materials will comply with state and national Standards of Learning and National Science Standards so that educators nation-wide can incorporate them into their curricula.

Want to help us bring this important new program to Shenandoah? Click here to donate now.

Shenandoah National Park Trust’s photography exhibition, Oh, Shenandoah!, drew a huge crowd to its opening reception at The Arts Center In Orange on January 12^th.  The 24 photographs on display are a selection of finalist and award-winning pictures from six separate contests held last year in celebration of Shenandoah National Park’s 75^th anniversary. Each contest was hosted by a community surrounding the park and included adult and children’s categories. Many of the winning photographers attended the opening in Orange, including 11 year-old Gabriel Mapel, whose photograph “Tiger Swallowtails “ received a first-place ribbon in the Charlottesville/Albemarle contest.  Thank you to Grelen Nursery, Southern States Orange-Madison Cooperative and Virginia National Bank for sponsoring the opening reception.

Missed the opening event? You can catch the show at The Arts Center In Orange through February 25^th.

That was the hand-written note that accompanied two $5 bills addressed to the Trust.  The money came straight from Sean’s piggy bank.

Sean lives in Richmond, Virginia with his parents and little brother, Patrick. Avid outdoorsmen and travelers, the Forsythes have a cabin in the town of Shenandoah in Page County and are frequent visitors to Shenandoah National Park.

Sean’s favorite hike is Stony Man. (A great hike for families with young children: a relatively easy climb with stunning views at the summit.) He never grows tired of searching for the face in the mountain, jumping off the crooked tree growing through the rocks and hiding in tree hollows.

Sean’s parents, Jessica and George, stress the value of philanthropy with their boys. Sean and Patrick dedicate one-third of their weekly allowance to charity, each boy choosing where to donate his gift at year’s end. Sean chose Shenandoah National Park Trust this year because, in his words, “Shenandoah Park is my favorite place.” 

Shenandoah National Park Trust is honored to have been chosen as Sean’s designated charity this year and look forward to hiking Stony Man and many other trails with Sean and his family in the years to come.

Manuel Lerdau first visited Shenandoah in 1975 on his fifth grade field trip to Old Rag Mountain.  He was hooked from that day on.
 
In the early 1990s, Manuel went backpacking in Shenandoah with his girlfriend, a Utah native, to prove to her that “we had real mountains here and a quiet beauty and richness of life that stood up well against the Wasatch.” Apparently, she was convinced; she now lives on the East Coast and backpacks in the Appalachians regularly.
 
Manuel turned his passion for the outdoors into his profession and is on the Environmental Science faculty at UVa. He is concerned about the many threats Shenandoah’s natural resources face, including invasive, non-native plants and pests—like trees of heaven, mile-a-minute vine and the emerald ash borer, which decimates white ash trees–and pollution impacts on the forest.  He got involved with Shenandoah National Park Trust initially because of his love for our park and our concerns for the threats it faces.
 
“I’m glad to know that the Trust is there,” Manuel said, “year-in and year-out, to help protect our national park’s incredible resources. Being involved with this organization is a great way to stay connected with park priorities and with other people who love Shenandoah as much as my family and I do.”

The winners:
Kayak:  Bill S. from Somerset, VA.
Mountain bike: Joseph S. from Faber, VA.
Camping package: Judy S. from Palmyra, VA.
Skyland package: Marie R. from Nellysford, VA.
Bear: Janice A. from Wolftown, VA.

• Four toes on each of the front and hind feet means you’re looking at a track from the dog family (fox, coyote) or the cat family (bobcat, cougar).
• Does the paw print have small, triangular marks in front? If so, the animal has claws. You could be looking at raccoon, skunk, coyote, fox, or dog tracks.  Animals in the cat family, on the other hand, retract their claws when they walk or run.
• Four toes on the front feet and five toes on the hind feet means it’s a rodent (mouse, chipmunk, squirrel, woodchuck).
• Five toes on the front and back could be a raccoon or a member of the weasel family (weasel, badger, mink, skunk, otter). If it’s a big print with wide spacing between tracks, it could be bear.
• Deer make two-toed tracks.
• Squirrels’ larger hind feet land ahead of their smaller front feet.
• Look for signs such as scat, feathers or bones that can serve as more clues.

When all else fails, consult a tracking book:

Track Finder

Whose Tracks Are These?

• Make sure your gas tank is full
• Bring water and food and warm clothing and blankets
• Leave an itinerary with someone
• Have the park’s emergency number handy: 800-732-0911

Winter in Shenandoah is unpredictable. Temperatures are usually 10 to 20^oF cooler than in the valley and weather conditions can change quickly. What comes down as rain in the valley can be ice and snow on the mountain. Be prepared by wearing layers, bringing a flashlight, map, and extra food and water. If conditions turn icy while you are hiking, please turn back.