Montgomery County, Maryland, seeks to achieve the “right” balance for development, recreation, and conservation across an urban environment gradient. The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) is charged with meeting this challenge. The M-NCPPC’s Department of Parks identifies, protects, and restores lands and waterways that support important aquatic and terrestrial natural resources. To determine which lands become a priority for protection, park habitats are surveyed and classified by the bird species that utilize them.

Dianna Rose works for Montgomery Parks as a Natural Resources Specialist 3 and Analyst formulating management plans for Parks’ vegetation ecology unit. She works on inventory and monitoring of vegetation and wildlife, as well as developing management plans for the Parks’ meadows and reforestation programs. Dianna holds a BS in Biology from Florida Gulf Coast University and a master’s in Environmental Biology from Hood College, Maryland.