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Managing invasive species is a costly, time and labor intensive process necessary for the restoration of natural ecosystems and the benefits they provide to the human communities surrounding them. While some species require technical expertise to effectively control, others can be managed through mechanical means by stewards of a diversity of backgrounds. People-powered restoration benefits not only the lands on which volunteers serve, but also provides value to park stakeholders as an opportunity to cultivate community supported by common interests. Rock Creek Conservancy, the stewardship partner to Rock Creek Park, leverages the power of the Washington, D.C. metro population embedded around this major urban national park to contribute to the restoration of its forests, which are burdened by invasive plants. Robust volunteer programming, in coordination with management by the National Park Service, allow Rock Creek Conservancy to achieve success in the restoration of public lands across the Rock Creek watershed.
Jeanne Braha, Executive Director, Rock Creek Conservancy
Braha has been Executive Director of Rock Creek Conservancy for four years, leading the development of the 2021-2025 strategic plan, building the mini-oasis program to demonstrate restoration, and managing all facets of the organization’s operations. Braha holds a Master of Environmental Management from the Yale School of the Environment (formerly Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Science) and Bachelor of anthropology and environmental science from Bryn Mawr College, as well as an executive certificate of nonprofit management from Georgetown University. Braha’s career has fostered connections between humans and the natural world, in organizations from Alice Ferguson Foundation to the National Wildlife Federation.
Ashley Triplett, Senior Forest Resilience Manager, Rock Creek Conservancy
Triplett joined the Conservancy’s team in the fall of 2022 to lead Rock Creek Resilience efforts, serving as project manager for development of a framework to protect Rock Creek’s forests in the face of climate change. Prior to her tenure at the Conservancy, Triplett spent 5 years as a wildlife technician with the US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Triplett has a Bachelor of Science in environmental biology from Michigan State University and Master of Science in wildlife biology from the University of Louisiana.
© 2024 North American Invasive Species Management Association (NAISMA)