National Historic Site Research Articles

The Use of Airborne LiDAR in Assessing Coastal Erosion in the Southeastern USA

Changes in sea level along the coastal southeastern United States (U.S.) influence the dynamic coastal response. In particular, the Southeast Coastal Network (SECN) of the National Park Service (NPS) has exhibited evidence of fluctuations in sea level which caused coastal erosion. Airborne LiDAR acquired from NOAA for Fort Matanzas National Monument, Fort Pulaski National Monument, Charles Pinckney National Historic Site, and Cape Lookout National Seashore were analyzed to identify changes in both elevation and the spatial volume of unconsolidated sedimentary material in the coastal southeast over time. Areas that exhibited an increase (deposited material) or decrease (eroded material) in elevation were mapped across the study area from 2006 to 2018. Results indicate a quasi-cyclic process where unconsolidated sediment distribution and the morphodynamic equilibrium changes with time. The coastal zones are steadily oscillating between the process of erosion and deposition affecting the coastal geomorphological dynamic. The use of LiDAR for evaluating coastal sustainability and resiliency due to this environmental phenomenon is clear.

Incompatible: Modern Built Heritage Conservation versus Value-Based Addition Design at Canada’s Capital Historic Sites

ABSTRACT Heritage conservation’s modernist underpinnings limit engagement with heritage value, resulting in incompatible additions to historic places. A good example is the controversy surrounding the proposed addition to the Château Laurier National Historic Site in Ottawa, Canada, designed by Peter Clewes and approved by the City of Ottawa in February 2021. The addition’s defenders used the Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada’s modern dictums, particularly legibility and the supremacy of expert knowledge, to justify the Neo-Modernist addition against public outcry. This paper defends the public’s cries for a more fanciful, historicist addition. It argues that additions to historic places should be more than visually and physically compatible. Additions to heritage sites should be stylistically and intellectually compatible and engaged in dialogue with a site’s heritage values. It asks, what do new additions communicate about the original historic site? How do they help or hinder our understanding of the site’s social or historical significance? Designers and evaluators of new additions should ask themselves these questions. They should more closely consider the impact of new additions on historic places’ heritage values. Such consideration may reduce friction between practitioners and the wider public.

Lake Biwa Canal at Kyoto Japan: sustainable development and revitalization

Lake Biwa Canal (engineer Tanabe Sakuro) connects Lake Biwa and Kyoto. It was built in the end of the 19th c. in order to revive Kyoto, which decayed after the transfer of the capital to Edo (Tokyo) in 1868 and served to supply Kyoto with drinking and industrial water, as well as for cargo transportation. The aim of the work is to determine the historical periods of Lake Biwa Canal’s existence and to highlight its significance for ensuring the sustainable development of Kyoto. The research was conducted at Kyoto mainly with field studies and interview methods. As a result, three historical periods of the Lake Biwa Canal existence were identified. In the first period (1885-1951), the canal combined water supply, transportation and landscape-shaping functions and was fundamental to the sustainable development of Kyoto. In the second period (1951-1990th), the transport role of the canal became unclaimed, and its role in sustainable development of the city significantly decreased. In the third period (since 1990th), the canal was designated as National Historic Site, and a campaign of its revitalization began. The Canal acquired touristic and educational functions and increased its role in the sustainable development of Kyoto. Thus, at the time of its construction, the Lake Biwa Canal was the main driving force that saved Kyoto from decline. Now, we can talk about the opposite process, when Kyoto City supports the sustainable development of the Canal.

Mapping the Chicago Portage: Seventeenth-Century Explorations by Jolliet, Marquette, La Salle, and Joutel

On their return to Canada in 1673, Louis Jolliet’s group became the first Europeans documented to have passed from the Mississippi River watershed to the Great Lakes watershed via the Chicago Portage. This carrying place, between the Des Plaines and Chicago Rivers, would remain a politically and commercially important location during the fur trade era. A podcast by a group of Chicago historians, writers, and artists has promoted the assertion that a route south of Chicago, different from that recognized as one of only two National Historic Sites in Illinois, was actually the Chicago Portage Region used by such explorers as Louis Jolliet, Father Jacques Marquette, René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, and Henri Joutel. However, the accounts of the seventeenth-century French travelers confirm the 1928 work that established the location of the portage region and served as the foundation for its designation by the National Park Service in 1952.

The Last Will and Testament of Silverdene Emblem O'Neill

“The Last Will and Testament of Silverdene Emblem O'Neill,” performed by Alex Roe, is among the recent offerings from the Metropolitan (Virtual) Playhouse to feature lesser-known works by Eugene O'Neill and the Provincetown Players. This solo performance of a short prose piece embodies the imagined final thoughts and wishes of O'Neill's beloved dog, affectionately called “Blemie,” who passed of old age in 1940.Although O'Neill endows Blemie with the considerate and loving impulses of a canine family member, he crafts a character whose voice and preoccupations are unmistakably O'Neill's. Early in the performance, Blemie notes that he is burying his missive in his master's brain, although “he will not know it is there until after I am dead.” Blemie clearly knows his master well, and he predicts O'Neill's and his wife Carlotta's deep well of loneliness once he passes, even as he works to assuage that loss. The piece is both a mourner's rationalization of loss and a gift to those who love and mourn him. As in his great plays, O'Neill here contemplates the fact that humans live lives of gathering property and possessions, only to find that the most important things we can pass on are the things that dogs leave behind: love and faith.The parallel enactment of Blemie's “last will and testament” and O'Neill's exorcism of his sorrow is detailed, charming, and understated. Roe highlights this parallelism through visual cues, including a Beckettian close-up on his penetrating stare and a black-and-white aesthetic that focuses the viewer's gaze on the actor's face. His evocative vocal and physical choices include a deep sigh that emerges from his nose before he begins to speak and a pronounced clacking of his tongue—a sound no human normally makes but one typical of a dog. This work continues subtly throughout, with Roe's “paw” adjusting an errant ear and his darting sideward glance indicating that something has caught his eye.Blemie's tone is formal; he is well mannered, well bred, and had been distinguished and handsome in his prime. Roe's deep and resonant voice conjures all of these features and smoothly supports O'Neill as he utilizes Blemie's generosity of spirit to plead with Carlotta to adopt another dog. Blemie notes, “Dalmatians, naturally, as everyone knows, are best,” before bequeathing his made-to-order Hermès coat to his imagined successor.Finally, Roe's performance of Blemie evokes another of O'Neill's favorite themes: the contemplation of what lies beyond death. For Blemie, the vision of paradise involves a life of full bladders, with each blissful hour a mealtime. For O'Neill during his years with Blemie, however, this question was a constant source of inspiration. Blemie references his life “on the ranch,” indicating the O'Neills' beautiful Northern California property and residence, Tao House, now the home of the Eugene O'Neill Foundation and a National Historic Site. O'Neill wrote his final and most memorable plays at Tao House, where Blemie is buried. Visitors pause at the memorial and grave to appreciate O'Neill's deep love for his pet, which is beautifully expressed in the rare vision of hope and open adoration in the final lines of the “Last Will and Testament.” Blemie instructs O'Neill and Carlotta to think this as they look at his grave: “Here lies one who loved us, and whom we loved. No matter how deep my sleep, I shall hear you. And not all the power of death can keep my spirit from wagging a grateful tail.”

Controlling Black Thought: Educational Trauma, Past Pains, Future Promise

Controlling Black Thought: Educational Trauma, Past Pains, Future Promise Alicia L. Moore (bio) and La Vonne I. Neal (bio) “When you control a man’s thinking, you do not have to worry about his actions.” Dr. Carter G. Woodson “Our children must never lose their zeal for building a better world.” Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune In 1933, Dr. Carter G. Woodson identified trauma (e.g., “controlled thinking/mis-education, etc.”) experienced by Black children in the US education system in his seminal book The Mis-Education of the Negro. In 1937, to eradicate the trauma, Woodson and Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune collaborated to “spark genius” in schools and throughout communities by developing the Black History Bulletin (BHB), an academic journal illuminating Black history that has been omitted from textbooks and/or marginally discussed. This year, 2022, marks the eighty-fifth anniversary of the BHB. Within this issue, we feature a new collaboration by guest co-editors Karsonya Wise Whitehead, María T. Colompos-Tohtsonie, and Walter Greason. The theme for this issue is “Historical Trauma: Past Pains, Future Promise.” The collaboration of Whitehead, Colompos-Tohtsonie, and Greason began with a call for papers. Below you will find an excerpt from that call, which yielded thought-provoking articles that “explore the intersection of racism, trauma, violence, and American chattel slavery.” Also, the articles have complementary culturally responsive lesson plans for elementary and secondary students. They began the call with two compelling quotes. First, Frederick Douglass described his trauma during enslavement in his Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, written in 1845: “I was broken in body, soul, and spirit . . . the disposition to read departed.” Second, Dr. Joy A. DeGruy, academic, researcher, and author of Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America’s Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing (2005/2017), highlighted the generational trauma of American chattel enslavement: “American chattel slavery represents a case of human trauma incomparable in scope, duration, and consequence to any other incidence of human enslavement.” [End Page 4] CALL FOR PAPERS (EXCERPT) VOLUME 85, NUMBER 1 THEME: HISTORICAL TRAUMA: PAST PAINS, FUTURE PROMISE I was broken in body, soul, and spirit. My natural elasticity was crushed, my intellect languished, the disposition to read departed, the cheerful spark that lingered about my eye died; the dark night of slavery closed in upon me. [1] Although slavery has long been a part of human history, American chattel slavery represents a case of human trauma incomparable in scope, duration, and consequence to any other incidence of human enslavement. [2] The critical scholar must cultivate knowledge networks that are committed to addressing the subjugation, cruelties, and deprivations of slavery and operationalizing social justice initiatives. Thus, the vision of the 2022 Special Issue—Historical Trauma: Past Pains, Future Promise is to reflect the social, political, and cultural realities of historical trauma and collective development in the realm of knowledge building and citizenry constructs. To do so, however, requires centralizing the groundwork for understanding how the past has influenced the present and reinvigorating the discussion of how social justice operatives can eliminate non-productive attitudes, beliefs and adaptive behaviors and, build upon the strengths we have gained from the past to heal. [3] In order to address the residual impacts of trauma on African Americans in America and imagine ways in which social justice enterprises can be manifested, this special issue will explore the intersection of racism, trauma, violence, and American chattel slavery as situated in different disciplinary spaces, with sociocultural perspectives and historical legacies. In many respects, authors in this issue are invited to intellectually, psychologically, communally, and resourcefully position themselves as agents of change, and draw on historical, sociocultural, and empowerment-based techniques. This special issue is specifically focused on the varying levels of historical trauma and societal stressors and the practices and perspectives that equip, empower, and advance the lives of African Americans by fortifying professional approaches. By guiding society toward unlocking their own truths by critically evaluating history, science, and education [4], social workers, legal historians, societal officials, and social justice practitioners can reinvigorate the commitment of healing in the lives of those they lead. Teacher Resources: • Dr. Carter G. Woodson’s home—National Historic Site...

Kejimkujik calibrated catchments: A benchmark dataset for long‐term impacts of terrestrial and freshwater acidification

AbstractDelays in forest recovery from terrestrial acidification combined with climate change are leading Acadian Forest ecosystems into new territory. The Kejimkujik Calibrated Catchments (KCC) Study Program was established in and adjacent to Kejimkujik National Park and Historic Site (KNP) in Southwest Nova Scotia (SWNS), Canada, in the late 1970s to study the impacts of acid precipitation on pristine and vulnerable ecosystems. The KCC now have one of the longest continuously monitored water chemistry records in North America, with data collection beginning in 1980. Its infrastructure includes three gauged streams with regular water chemistry sampling, 12 forest inventory plots, and an atmospheric deposition monitoring station. Recently, LiDAR data coverage was acquired for the study basins. Data collected at the KCC form part of the lake monitoring program of Environment and Climate Change Canada used in acidification, climate change, and mercury studies. Important characteristics of the KCC watersheds are their high sensitivity to acid deposition, high and increasing dissolved organic carbon (DOC) levels and lowland topography causing extensive wetlands. The KCC are also emerging as an important location for the study and protection of terrestrial and aquatic species‐at‐risk.

Successful Winter Tourism Destinations

Abstract Climate, whether warm and sunny or cold and snowy, can complement tourism by providing favourable conditions for visitors and their desired activities. As a result, climate is often a main resource upon which tourism destinations depend. Extreme or unpredictable weather may be viewed as unfavourable for attracting visitors. However, even seemingly inclement climate conditions can be used as a resource in tourism. Existing research does not demonstrate how outwardly negative climate conditions might influence destination image, destination selection, and local tourism development. This case study examines how cold climates present both a challenge and an opportunity to developing and promoting an area for tourism. Here we outline how The Forks National Historic Site, located in Winnipeg, Manitoba and a popular summer destination was successfully re-framed as a cold-weather attraction. This case study represents a specific instance of how a tourism destination may highlight a unique feature, such as a frozen river. Readers will understand how harsh weather can become an uncommon resource that facilitates tourism and recreation and enhances overall visitor experience. As such, this case study presents a specific example of how various stakeholders came together to offer a unique experience and transformed an otherwise negative climate condition into a positive and desirable aspect of the destination. VIU logo WLCE logo Information Vancouver Island University World Leisure Centre of Excellence © A.J. Johnson and C. Van Winkle, 2015

Collaborative knowledge mapping to inform environmental policy-making: The case of Canada’s Rideau Canal National Historic Site

The Rideau Canal National Historic Site is a complex social-ecological system that connects the Ottawa River and the St-Lawrence River in Eastern Ontario, Canada. As an interjurisdictional waterway, it presents interconnected social-ecological challenges. In this article, we analyze findings from five participatory workshops held with stakeholder groups in the Rideau Canal system. Participants in the workshops co-produced social-ecological relational maps that represent their knowledge and views about determinants of environmental health in the system. The maps were merged by the authors to create an aggregated, collective map grouping all factors that participants perceived as influencing the environmental health of the Rideau Canal. Our analysis focuses on two dimensions of these co-production exercises. First, we use concepts and methods from social-ecological systems and social network analysis to analyze the content of the maps, examining convergences and divergences in stakeholder perceptions of the system and outlining insights into social-ecological linkages that might be relevant for decision- and policy-makers. Most factors cited were social, emphasizing the need for more careful integration of the social and ecological in our understanding of complex historic waterway systems. Second, we examine the value of our workshops, anchored in collaborative systems thinking and network analysis, as a method for eliciting highly variable local knowledge and experiences, and for summarizing these in a consumable form for decision- and policy-makers. We argue that this method facilitates inclusion of various knowledges and perspectives in decision- and policymaking processes and provides pathways to improve social-ecological resilience.

Artistic license: Celebrating the talents of students and educators

This monthly column features a print by student Daniela Lujan focusing on wasteful practices in slaughterhouses that cause animal suffering and a photograph by art professor Gina Mumma Wenger of a dragon-shaped tree at Manzanar National Historic Site.

Experiences in Archaeology, Social Justice, and Democratic Principles

ABSTRACTFrom 2016 to 2019, the University of Hawai‘i West O‘ahu conducted archaeological field schools at Honouliuli National Historic Site to teach our students basic archaeological skills. Because the site was the largest Japanese and Japanese American concentration camp on O‘ahu, the field school initiated a program related to social justice and democratic principles for the imprisonment of US citizens and legal residents based on racial and national profiling. The demography of O‘ahu created a special bond to the incarcerees’ stories and the students of Asian and Hawaiian descent. Through field trips, student discussion, and curriculum development, we focused on the pedagogical benefit of experiential learning. Field trips to the National Park Service's World War II Valor in the Pacific Park System on O‘ahu, King Kamehameha V Judiciary History Center, and the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i allowed the students to see and understand the historical context of the Japanese internment from the mid-nineteenth century, with the development of plantations and early colonialism, to the beginning of World War II and the internment of the more than 300 Japanese and Japanese American—as well as European and Okinawan—civilians and the imprisonment of over 4,000 prisoners of war.

Using Citizen Science Observations to Develop Managed Area Watch Lists

Invasive species are a major threat to natural ecosystems. To combat the destructive potential of arriving invasive species, many natural resource managers have adopted an “early detection and rapid response” (EDRR) strategy. A key component of EDRR is a “watch list” of invasive species that have yet to be detected in a managed area and are prioritized for surveillance, reporting, and other responses. However, managed areas with limited resources may not have the capacity to develop useful watch lists. To address this need, we developed an automated process to use data from iNaturalist, a popular citizen science platform, and a United States national list of nonnative plant species to compile a provisional watch list of the 100 most frequently reported nonnative species within a 160 km buffer around a managed area. We demonstrated the application of the process using 36 US National Park Service units with relatively small operating budgets. Using Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, Washington, as an example, we show how provisional watch lists can be refined by removing species that are unlikely to occur in the unit due to the absence of suitable habitat and prioritizing species from the state priority invasive plant list. The automated process has the advantage of being easily repeatable at regular intervals to alert managers of newly arrived species. Managers can readily modify this method for use anywhere if they have access to observation data from a citizen science platform and a list of nonnative species in the area of interest.

“Merely to See and Touch It”: On Service, McCrae, and Literary Tourism in Canada

Long dismissed as a “critical error” ( Booth 2016 ) and still capable of inciting “embarrassment palpable” ( Watson 2006 ) among scholars otherwise happy to emphasize the material contexts that inform the circulation of texts, literary tourism has recently become the focus of serious academic inquiry. Recent work has begun to disaggregate the various forms of literary tourist sites ( Fawcett and Cormack 2001 ), but continues to have a methodological gap surrounding the specifically literary aspects of the practice itself, and—with the notable exception of Green Gables (Squire 1992; Devereux 2001 )—has left Canada predictably unexamined. This essay begins with a brief introduction to literary tourism in Canada before moving into a comparative analysis of two National Historic Sites associated with Canadian literary authors: the Robert Service cabin in Dawson City, Yukon, and the John McCrae House in Guelph, Ontario. The sites offer a compelling comparison as the former homes of two of the best-known Canadian poets of the early twentieth century whose works have become popularly synonymous with two of Canada’s most heavily mythologized eras. The enduring popularity of poems like “The Cremation of Sam McGee” reflect not only Service’s central role in mythologizing Canada’s north but also a strategic “cultural commoditization” of the area’s gold rush heritage ( Jarvenpa 1994 ; Grace 2001 ), while McCrae’s “In Flanders Fields” retains its status not only as the “most popular poem” of the First World War in Canada and beyond ( Fussell 2000 ), but also as a primary example of the ideological function of Great War literature within Canada ( Holmes 2005 ; Gordon 2014 ). Although the two author houses may initially appear a study in contrasts, I draw on recent work in literary tourist studies to argue they are linked in their function as “materialized fictions” ( Hendrix 2008 ), or concrete interpretative frames that aim to offer tangible evidence of the Canadian myths their former inhabitants helped to fashion.

Assessing the Effect of Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) Decline from Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Adelges tsugae) Infestation on Ectomycorrhizal Colonization and Growth of Red Oak (Quercus rubra) Seedlings

Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carrière) is a foundation species in eastern North American forests, providing critical habitats for a number of species. These trees are experiencing widespread decline due to the spread of hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA: Adelges tsugae Annand Order Hemiptera) into their range, potentially resulting in the disappearance of hemlocks from eastern forests. Hemlock dieback can lead to cascading effects on associated ecosystems, including belowground, mycorrhizal fungal communities. Ectomycorrhizal fungi (EM), which are mutualistic with many tree species and provide nutrients to plant hosts, are known to colonize hemlock as well as neighboring tree species at lower levels following HWA infection. This study investigated the effect of hemlock decline from HWA infestation on mycorrhizal communities, as inferred from colonization on northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) “bait” seedlings grown near “host” hemlock trees. Hemlock health surveys were conducted in healthy (Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site – CARL) and declining (Warren Wilson College – WWC) stands in western North Carolina, and host trees were paired between stands based on diameter. In each stand, northern red oak seedlings were planted within a meter of host hemlocks in early summer and allowed to grow for 8 w, when they were harvested. Seedling growth and dry biomass were recorded at harvest and roots were sampled for mycorrhizal colonization frequencies. Different mycorrhizal morphotypes were collected from seedling roots for subsequent DNA barcoding analyses to characterize EM taxonomic richness to compare mycorrhizal community assemblages between the two stands. Mycorrhizal colonization frequencies (percentage of the total number of EM-colonized root tips per seedling) and growth in seedling height were significantly greater at CARL than WWC, suggesting healthy hemlock stands are more favorable for oak seedling growth than declining stands. Moreover, a greater proportion of seedlings grown in the healthy stand were colonized by EM, indicating EM assemblages differ between a healthy and a declining hemlock stand. Differences between EM communities corresponded with altered seedling growth allocation, as seedlings in the declining stand had higher root to shoot ratios with reduced stem height, but showed greater investment in root biomass and stem diameter growth. We conclude EM communities differ between a healthy and declining hemlock stands, and changes in EM communities following hemlock dieback may affect the growth of replacement species.

Historical, contemporary, and future perspectives on a coupled social–ecological system in a changing world: Canada’s historic Rideau Canal

Anthropogenic waterways and canal systems have been part of the cultural and natural landscape for thousands for years. As of the late 20th century, more than 63 000 km of canals exist worldwide as transport routes for navigation, many with barriers (e.g., locks, dams) that fragment the system and decrease connectivity. Fragmentation alone can have negative implications for freshwater biodiversity; by isolating populations and communities, other human-mediated disturbances associated with canals like poor water quality and invasive species can exacerbate these negative effects. As such, the capacity of these interconnected freshwater systems to support biodiversity is continuously degrading at a global level. One critical, highly complex issue that unites canals worldwide is the challenge of governing these systems in a holistic, unified way to both protect biodiversity and preserve historical elements. Managing historic canals involves multiple objectives across many agencies and stakeholders, often with different or conflicting objectives. Here, we use the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and National Historic Site of Canada, as a case study to demonstrate the importance of considering canals as social–ecological systems for effective and efficient governance. Historic canals are integrated systems of both humans (social) and the environment (ecological), linked by mutual feedbacks and coevolution, and must be managed as such to achieve conservation goals while maintaining commemorative integrity. We discuss the history of the Rideau Canal and its current governance, biodiversity in the waterway, different threats and issues (user conflicts, aquatic pollution, shoreline development, water management, species at risk, and invasive species), and conclude by outlining ways to address the challenges of managing it as a coupled social–ecological system. We present different research needs and opportunities that would enable better management, though above all, we propose a shift from the current governance structure — which at best can be considered “patchwork” — to a coordinated, multi-scalar and multi-stakeholder governance regime such that the Rideau Canal can be maintained for its historical integrity without compromising biodiversity conservation. Given that canals are now pervasive worldwide, this article is not only topical to the Rideau Canal, but also to other waterways in Canada and beyond.

Shell-bearing mollusks of the order Cephalaspidea (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia) of the Kara Sea: fauna and ecology

The survey of shell-bearing heterobranchs of the order Cephalaspidea of the Kara Sea has been done based on unpublished and literature data. The studied material includes that collected during expeditions aboard R/V Professor Multanovskiy in August–September 2019 and R/V Dalnie Zelentsy in August 2012. Additionally, the material of collections of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Saint Petersburg) has been studied. The fauna of heterobranch molluscs of the order Cephalaspidea in the Kara Sea includes 18 described and 1 undescribed species that belong to 10 genera and 6 families. It has been specified that the type locality of Retusa semen Reeve, 1855 (Port Refuge) is located at Port Refuge National Historic Site of Canada, Devon Island, Nunavut, not in the Kara Sea. Retusa semen is considered here as species inquirenda because of the brief original description, significant differences in drawings of the shell of this species made by different authors, and the absence of type specimens. The presence of Diaphana minuta Brown, 1827, Laona quadrata (Wood, 1839), Philine sinuata Stimpson, 1851 and Retusa semen in the Kara Sea needs confirmation. Species numbers of heterobranch molluscs of the order Cephalaspidea decrease from the Barents Sea (21) through the Kara Sea (19) to the Laptev Sea (15) because of the decreasing proportion of boreal-arctic species. Among cephalaspids of the Kara Sea, the highest average abundance (individuals/m2) was observed for Cylichnoides densistriatus (Leche, 1878), and the highest average biomass for Cylichna corticata (Møller, 1842). The proportion of live individuals in the populations does not exceed 18% in late August – early September. The taxonomic structure of the cephalaspid fauna of the Kara Sea has been studied based exclusively on morphological characters. Further study of the fauna is needed based on molecular analyses of the material fixed in 96˚ alcohol.

Trends in bird abundance differ among protected forests but not bird guilds.

Improved monitoring and associated inferential tools to efficiently identify declining bird populations, particularly of rare or sparsely distributed species, is key to informed conservation and management across large spatiotemporal regions. We assess abundance trends for 106 bird species in a network of eight forested national parks located within the northeast United States from 2006 to 2019 using a novel hierarchical model. We develop a multispecies, multiregion, removal-sampling model that shares information across species and parks to enable inference on rare species and sparsely sampled parks and to evaluate the effects of local forest structure. Trends in bird abundance over time varied widely across parks, but species showed similar trends within parks. Three parks (Acadia National Park and Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller and Morristown National Historical Parks [NHP]) decreased in bird abundance across all species, while three parks (Saratoga NHP and Roosevelt-Vanderbilt and Weir-Farm National Historic Sites) increased in abundance. Bird abundance peaked at medium levels of basal area and high levels of percent forest and forest regeneration, with percent forest having the largest effect. Variation in these effects across parks could be a result of differences in forest structural stage and diversity. By sharing information across both communities and parks, our novel hierarchical model enables uncertainty-quantified estimates of abundance across multiple geographical (i.e., network, park) and taxonomic (i.e., community, guild, species) levels over a large spatiotemporal region. We found large variation in abundance trends across parks but not across bird guilds, suggesting that local forest condition might have a broad and consistent effect on the entire bird community within a given park. Research should target the three parks with overall decreasing trends in bird abundance to further identify what specific factors are driving observed declines across the bird community. Understanding how bird communities respond to local forest structure and other stressors (e.g., pest outbreaks, climate change) is crucial for informed and lasting management.

The role of cultural heritage in the geopolitics of the Arctic: the example of Franklin’s lost expedition

Sir John Franklin’s ships departed from Greenhithe port in Great Britain (1845) with the aim of discovering the Northwest Passage in what is now Canada. During their journey, both ships got stuck in ice near King William Island and eventually sank. Over time, searches were held in order to find both wrecks. More recently, under the Conservative Government of Stephen Harper (2006–2015) there was renewed interest regarding what is now referred to as Franklin’s lost expedition. Searches resumed and narratives were formed regarding the importance of this expedition for Canadian identity. This article is embedded in a sociocultural perspective and will examine the role that cultural heritage can play in the geopolitics of the Arctic while highlighting the process of ‘patrimonialization’ that the Franklin’s lost expedition has undergone during Harper’s term in office. Based on discourse analysis, it brings out the main narratives that surrounded the modern searches of Franklin’s wrecks which are related to history, national historic sites, mystery, diversity, importance of Inuit knowledge and information gathering. This article demonstrates that these narratives were intended to form a new Canadian northern identity and to assert Canada’s sovereignty over the Arctic.

Poe-Land: The Hallowed Haunts of Edgar Allan Poe

Poe-Land: The Hallowed Haunts of Edgar Allan Poe

The Myth of Louis Riel

In recent years Louis Riel has become somewhat of a Canadian folk hero. At the official, scholarly, and popular levels the rebel hanged in 1885 has become the subject of much attention. Manitoba and Saskatchewan, the site of his two uprisings, have commemorated him in statue while the federal government which allowed his execution to take place in the 1880s has, in the 1980s, designated Batoche a national historic site. Canadian government money has also provided a half million dollar grant designed to allow the compilation and publication of all of Riel’s writings. Such scholarly and official interest is complemented by popular interest. Plays, poems, television dramas, and even an opera have been written about him. Riel has assumed mythical stature.