Beaver Creek Watershed's hosting of a Core Wildland NEON site offers many attractive characteristics that would facilitate enactment of the NEON plan for education and outreach. These advantageous features include: the geographic location relative to important audiences; the established mission and capabilities of the chief institutional affiliate (Northern Arizona University) and the federal and other partners; and existing infrastructure and regional commitments for science education and outreach.

        The watershed's geographic location, in easy reach of Phoenix (the nation's fifth largest metropolitan region, and one of the most rapidly growing) and yet also near rural and tribal populations, makes the site appealing to a large and diverse regional population - a rather rare combination of "megapolitan" and rural (including tribal) audiences. The strong fit with the major drivers of environmental change to be studied by NEON (climate and land use) will provide a wealth of regionally relevant data and forecasting efforts with local appeal for educational purposes. If portions of the Domain and Continental Toolbox deployments include explicit urbanization gradients, the strong contrasts between densely settled Phoenix and the wildland Beaver Creek site would offer very attractive material for educational inquiry. Conversely, educational researchers would be able to examine the effect of diverse cultural and community contexts on an audience's reaction to NEON educational and outreach programs.

        Northern Arizona University has long highlighted environmental science, engineering, and management in its instructional, research, and service programs. The university has a history of leadership in sustainability issues (e.g., the work of the Center for Sustainable Environments, directed by Dr. Gary Nabhan). In the current academic year a new undergraduate program in environmental studies has begun, highlighting human (cultural and humanistic) interactions with the environment, to complement a well-established and nationally recognized Center for Environmental Sciences and Education. The College of Engineering & Natural Sciences (enrollment ~ 2800 students) offers undergraduate and master's degrees in a range of science, mathematics, and engineering programs, and doctoral programs in the college's Biological Sciences Department and the School of Forestry collaborate in the recently-established IGERT program "From Genes to Ecosystems." NAU's undergraduate engineering programs have been ranked in the top 40 nationally for three years straight by US News & World Report, in part due to the strong emphasis on hands-on design experience (four-year design curriculum culminating in year-long team projects that might easily incorporate NEON-related engineering problems).

        Because NAU has long had the mandate to deliver higher education options across all rural regions of Arizona, the university has developed advanced technology and faculty engagement in distance learning. Current distance learning activies are increasingly web-enabled, including interactive multi-site video capabilities effective throughout the state. A well-funded and very active E-Learning Center supports faculty in developing and delivering high-quality and innovative educational programs using novel technologies; the Center for Science Teaching and Learning focuses on assisting faculty with effective, research-based science pedagogy no matter what the course delivery mode. NAU's capabilities would provide the potential to deliver courses (short, long, non-traditional audiences, different formats) based on NEON educational opportunities and themes. A final strength of NAU is its central role in preparing teachers for the state and region (NAU was founded as a teacher's college more than 100 years ago). The science and math departments are directly involved in teacher preparation and in professional development for in-service teachers. For example, the summer-school format of the M.A. in Science Teaching, designed to enhance the qualifications of in-service teachers, could very effectively draw upon Beaver Creek's facilities and data streams. Secondary education students (pre-service teachers) actually major in the content departments, so the science and mathematics programs host faculty and students ready to exploit both the ecological and the educational (and educational research) opportunities afforded by a nearby NEON site.

        Finally, existing and developing infrastructure in the watershed is well suited to hosting the kinds of educational and outreach activities (from training to public and policy-maker tours to formal coursework) foreseen for NEON. As described above, this infrastructure includes the USFS ranger station, the USFS commitment to outreach and education, and anticipated high visibility and potential leveraging of site publicity from the nearby Discovery Telescope (a partnership of Lowell Observatory and the Discovery Network). The Merriam Powell Center's established commitment to high quality scientific outreach is exemplified by this year's release of  "A River Reborn," a PBS documentary highlighting stream restoration science being carried out by NAU researchers. Community appreciation and interest in science is exceptional; Flagstaff prides itself on its identity as a science city (e.g., hosting the annual week-long Flagstaff Festival of Science).

Potential for reaching under-represented populations
        As recently documented in a major review by the Arizona Board of Regents of the state university system, Arizona's population of potential students of college age is growing rapidly, especially among Hispanics (both US-born and immigrant). This group has not traditionally been well represented in science (or indeed in higher education in general). The university has a special commitment to serve Native American students (even more poorly represented in science), who comprise 6 % of total university enrollment (8 % of enrollment in the College of Engineering & Natural Sciences). A strong commitment to undergraduate research and engagement, including Native and other students of color, is demonstrated by current funded mentoring and research programs such as NIH, MSD, MARC, and Bridges programs; Undergraduate Mentoring in Environmental Biology; REU Site programs in Mathematics, Environmental Science, Biology, and Astronomy; and the engineering design sequence. NAU's commitment to Native American communities extends beyond the classroom thanks to outreach centers and programs such as the EPA-funded training programs of the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals, the Commission on Native Americans, and the Institute for Native Americans. The Department of Applied Indigenous Studies combines contemporary tribal management skills with respect for indigenous culture, knowledge, values and beliefs. These existing programs could promote and disseminate NEON findings and opportunities effectively throughout the tribal nations of the southwest.

        We also foresee a large potential for citizen science based at Beaver Creek. Central Arizona hosts a large contingent of seasonal and retired residents who could be recruited or at least exposed to NEON science. This population could potentially expand the geographic footprint of the program's impact and engagement of the public.