Great Falls Park

Ezra B. Thompson was a well-respected commercial photographer, lecturer, government employee, and contractor. He was also the first employee to make motion pictures for the US government. His films and other media were shown everywhere from international expositions to local libraries with equal amazement. For more than 40 years he used his cameras to capture the spectacular and the ordinary. How is it then that his negatives ended up in an estate sale in the 1970s?

American eels are found everywhere along the Atlantic Coast, but many aspects of these fish remain poorly understood. They are perhaps one of the most mysterious fish in the Potomac watershed.

Inside the Washington Beltway lies a portion of the Potomac Gorge, a haven for thousands of animals and plants. Some are yet to be described.

The state of ash trees in 2017 in the National Capital Region after more than 10 years of harm from the invasive emerald ash borer.

Emerald ash borer (EAB) has killed most of the 300,000 ash trees in National Capital Region parks since 2014. Fewer than 80,000 living ash trees remain. Some ash-dominated swamps transformed into shrublands as ash root systems re-sprouted after EAB attack. In dry habitats, EAB proved more quickly fatal.

Emerald ash borer are still decimating ash trees in the National Capital Region. Read on for the latest look into the state of ash trees in our parks based on forest monitoring data.

Have a piece of Great Falls Park at home. Learn how to make a crochet beaver to remind you of the wildlife in Great Falls. Friendly for beginners to intermediate crocheters!

American beech (Fagus grandifolia), the most common tree species in National Capital Area parks, is currently facing the emerging threat of Beech Leaf Disease (BLD).