Opportunity Information: Apply for P18AS00625
Expanding Explore Natural Communities Outreach is a National Park Service (NPS) cooperative agreement effort focused on turning highly technical vegetation and biodiversity science into clear, engaging outreach that everyday park visitors and non-specialist NPS staff can actually use and enjoy. The core idea is simple: NPS and its partner NatureServe take complex data about plant communities, habitats, and associated wildlife in national parks and translate it into short, readable stories and multimedia content that explains what these natural communities are, where they occur, and why their conservation matters to the public. By doing this, the project aims to build a stronger culture of shared environmental stewardship among visitors, partners, and surrounding communities, and to make the value of protecting ecosystems feel immediate and relevant rather than abstract.
A major product of the work is the ExploreNaturalCommunities.org website, which serves as a mobile-accessible platform where scientific findings are presented through multiple formats, including written stories, podcasts, photographs, videos, maps, and other visual tools. Instead of asking the public to interpret dense classification reports or technical GIS outputs, the project highlights key takeaways from vegetation classification and mapping work and presents them in plain language. The emphasis is on helping people understand the living systems they are walking through in parks: how different forest types and native plant communities function, what species depend on them, what threats they face, and what conservation and restoration can accomplish over time.
The partnership is also designed to strengthen NatureServe, a 501(c)(3) science-based nonprofit, in its role as a leader within a broader public-private conservation network. NatureServe is widely recognized for its expertise in biodiversity information and for leadership in developing plant community classification systems. The opportunity specifically references the National Vegetation Classification (NVC), which has been adapted by the Ecological Society of America as a national standard and is also accepted as an NPS standard. By integrating NatureServe and NPS datasets, scientific expertise, and information technology, the project supports consistent identification, description, classification, mapping, and communication about native plant communities, including those in the National Capital Region (NCR) and other mapped public lands featured on the site.
Beyond public education, the project supports professional development and improves the practical usefulness of scientific information for park management. Park managers benefit from having scientifically grounded information about the condition and status of biological and physical resources presented in a form that is easier to apply in real decision-making, such as developing strategies for resource protection, prioritizing restoration, and understanding how parks fit within the broader regional landscape. The work is also framed as beneficial to the external scientific community, because it helps share new knowledge generated through the underlying classification and mapping work and encourages wider understanding and use of standardized biodiversity data.
In practical terms, the outreach includes content development and storytelling, identification of “highlights” from the underlying datasets, and use of interns or other contributors to produce podcasts and videos that bring natural communities to life. The public purpose is explicitly tied to increasing scientific understanding and public awareness of native plant communities and biodiversity, with the longer-term goal of improving the likelihood that these communities will be protected for future generations. The project positions communication itself as a conservation tool: by simplifying access to high-quality biodiversity information and making it understandable, it aims to build broader support for stewardship of national park resources.
Administratively, this opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number P18AS00625) was issued by the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, as a discretionary cooperative agreement within activity areas that include science and technology and other research and development, along with employment, labor, and training elements. The listing notes CFDA 15.944 and eligibility limited to 501(c)(3) nonprofits other than institutions of higher education. It also states that this announcement was not a request for applications; instead, it served as notification that NPS intended to issue a modification to an existing, already-competed task agreement under Cooperative Agreement P15AC01330 with NatureServe. The expected award count was one, with an award ceiling of $85,000.Apply for P18AS00625
- The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the employment, labor and training, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Expanding Explore Natural Communities Outreach" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.944.
- This funding opportunity was created on Sep 04, 2018.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 14, 2018 This announcement is not a request for applications. It is notification that NPS will award a modification to a task agreement under an already competed Cooperative Agreement Number P15ac01330 with NatureServe.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $85,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the "Expanding Explore Natural Communities Outreach" opportunity?
It is a National Park Service (NPS) cooperative agreement effort focused on translating highly technical vegetation and biodiversity science into clear, engaging outreach that everyday park visitors and non-specialist NPS staff can use. The work turns complex data on plant communities, habitats, and associated wildlife into short, readable stories and multimedia content that explains what natural communities are, where they occur, and why conserving them matters.
What problem is this project trying to solve?
Vegetation classification reports, biodiversity datasets, and GIS outputs are often too technical for the general public (and for many staff who are not specialists). This project addresses that gap by extracting key takeaways from scientific work and presenting them in plain language and accessible formats, helping people understand the living systems they experience in national parks.
Who is leading and partnering on this work?
The effort is led by the National Park Service (NPS) in partnership with NatureServe, a 501(c)(3) science-based nonprofit recognized for biodiversity information expertise and leadership in developing plant community classification systems.
What is the main public-facing product of the project?
A major product is the ExploreNaturalCommunities.org website, described as a mobile-accessible platform that presents scientific findings through multiple formats designed for public understanding and use.
What types of content will the project produce?
The project emphasizes storytelling and multimedia. The information provided mentions written stories, podcasts, photographs, videos, maps, and other visual tools that communicate natural community information in engaging, non-technical ways.
What kinds of scientific information are being translated for outreach?
The outreach highlights key takeaways from vegetation classification and mapping work, including information about plant communities and habitats, what species depend on them, where they occur, how they function, what threats they face, and what conservation and restoration can achieve over time.
How does the project define "natural communities" in this context?
Based on the description, "natural communities" refers to native plant communities and associated habitats and wildlife found in national parks, described and mapped using standardized vegetation classification and biodiversity information approaches.
What is the National Vegetation Classification (NVC), and why is it mentioned?
The opportunity specifically references the National Vegetation Classification (NVC) as a national standard adapted by the Ecological Society of America and accepted as an NPS standard. It is mentioned because the project integrates datasets and expertise tied to standardized identification, description, classification, and mapping of native plant communities.
Which parks or regions does the project cover?
The description references native plant communities in the National Capital Region (NCR) and other mapped public lands featured on the ExploreNaturalCommunities.org site. The information provided does not list specific parks beyond that reference.
How does this outreach help everyday park visitors?
Instead of asking visitors to interpret dense technical reports or GIS data, the project presents understandable stories and visuals that explain what ecosystems visitors are walking through, why they matter, and what it means to conserve them.
How does the project support NPS staff and park management?
Beyond public education, the work is intended to improve the practical usefulness of scientific information for real decision-making. Park managers benefit from scientifically grounded information about the condition and status of biological and physical resources presented in an easier-to-apply form for actions like resource protection strategies, restoration prioritization, and understanding a park's role in the broader regional landscape.
How does this effort relate to conservation outcomes?
The project positions communication as a conservation tool. By making high-quality biodiversity information easy to access and understand, it aims to build broader public support for stewardship and improve the likelihood that native plant communities and biodiversity will be protected for future generations.
Does the project involve training or workforce development?
Yes. The administrative listing describes activity areas that include employment, labor, and training elements. The outreach plan also mentions using interns or other contributors to help produce content such as podcasts and videos.
What does it mean that this is a cooperative agreement?
The opportunity is described as a discretionary cooperative agreement effort. The provided text does not add further details on how roles are divided, but it does indicate a structured partnership between NPS and NatureServe for implementing the outreach work.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this announcement?
The Funding Opportunity Number provided is P18AS00625.
Which federal agency issued this opportunity?
It was issued by the Department of the Interior, National Park Service (NPS).
What CFDA number is associated with the opportunity?
The listing notes CFDA 15.944.
Who is eligible to receive this funding?
Eligibility is limited to 501(c)(3) nonprofits other than institutions of higher education, as stated in the listing.
Was this announcement open for new applications?
No. The information states that this announcement was not a request for applications. It served as notification that NPS intended to issue a modification to an existing, already-competed task agreement under Cooperative Agreement P15AC01330 with NatureServe.
How many awards were expected?
The expected award count was one.
What was the maximum funding amount for the award?
The award ceiling listed was $85,000.
What is the cooperative agreement number referenced for the existing task agreement?
The announcement references Cooperative Agreement P15AC01330.
How does the project support the broader scientific community?
The description frames the work as beneficial to the external scientific community by sharing new knowledge generated through classification and mapping work, and encouraging broader understanding and use of standardized biodiversity data.
What does "integrating NatureServe and NPS datasets" mean in this context?
Based on the information provided, it refers to combining datasets, scientific expertise, and information technology from both organizations to support consistent identification, description, classification, mapping, and communication about native plant communities featured through the outreach platform.
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