Courtesy of Canon National Parks Science Scholars Program

Canon Scholars join in a field exercise in Baja California Sur, Mexico (near Loreto), as part of the 2005 retreat in which they discussed their research with program sponsors and colleagues and learned about local conservation issues.

Editor's Note: As the introduction to this thematic issue of Park Science, this article is also our "From the Guest Editors" piece.

AN URGENT NEED THROUGHOUT THE AMERICAS and the world is to better understand how to preserve the natural and cultural resources of national parks for future generations. Hence, educating and preparing the next generation of conservation scientists is a vital responsibility. These scientists will learn, discover, invent, and create solutions to preserve national parks in the 21st century. In 1997, Canon U.S.A., Inc., the National Park Service (NPS), and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) collaborated and created the Canon National Parks Science Scholars Program to help address these important challenges. Canon generously supported this program for more than a decade. The program awarded scholarships to more than 75 doctoral students who conducted research in more than 90 national parks throughout the Americas. Today, program alumni work in academia, the private sector (including nongovernmental organizations), and government. This theme issue of Park Science highlights the research activities of selected Canon Scholars and the difference they are making in science and conservation.