Facilitating critical park research and developing future scientists in the Mediterranean Coast Network

The National Park Service intends to award a single source justified cooperative agreement to the University of California, Santa Barbara, for a project titled "Facilitating critical park research and developing future scientists in the Mediterranean Coast Network." The project aims to build a conservation internship program for students to work on research projects in national parks, providing them with hands-on training and experience in scientific research and natural resource management. The program will focus on seed dispersal by island scrub-jays and other birds in post-fire ecosystems, and will provide valuable ecological baseline data for the National Park Service. Key aspects of the project include: * Developing a conservation internship program for students * Conducting research on seed dispersal by island scrub-jays and other birds in post-fire ecosystems * Providing hands-on training and experience for students in scientific research and natural resource management * Collaborating with the National Park Service and other partners to achieve project objectives * Evaluating the program at the end of each year to assess its effectiveness