By Alex Day, Marketing/Communications & Database Director
Mount Rainier National Park is one of the most beautiful and scenic areas in the United States, boasting incredible views and a rich variety of flora and fauna that are unique to the area. The park is home to a wide variety of plant life, including more than 890 vascular plant species and 260 non-vascular plant species and fungi.
However, the natural beauty and ecological diversity are under threat from human activities, which continue to damage the fragile ecosystem. This is especially true in the alpine and subalpine zones, where growing seasons are especially short due to lingering snow long into the summer months. Unfortunately, one of the most significant threats is the trampling of meadows, which causes a decline in plant and animal populations, including beloved wildflowers like lupines, pasqueflowers, mountain daisies, and glacier and avalanche lilies.
To mitigate this problem, the park has established an ecological restoration program that seeks to restore the meadows to their original condition.
The park’s restoration program has two main objectives: controlling invasive species and restoring native plants. The goal is to minimize the impact of human activities on the ecosystem since most of the damage to the meadows is caused by people – especially from construction projects and visitors who walk off-trail.
If left alone, the meadows would eventually restore themselves. However, given the number of visitors to the park – more than two million every year – this slow natural process is not likely to match the pace of the damage caused by humans. That’s why the park’s restoration program is critical in ensuring the long-term survival of the meadows.
Kim Popek is the supervisor of the Ecological Restoration Program at Mount Rainier National Park. She says, “We just can’t do as good of a job as nature does. So, we do our best and we are able to give the meadows a boost, but keeping the damage from occurring in the first place is the most effective – it’s a lot more effective than doing the restoration work after.”
In a typical year, the restoration program employs eight full-time workers who focus on the meadow restoration project in the fall. Volunteers also help with the project, and their assistance is critical in planting the 40,000 to 50,000 plants required each year. “We couldn’t do it without volunteer help,” says Kim.
The planting season is short and runs from September through mid-October when the snow has mostly melted out, and after the peak summer months when droughts often impact water levels in the park. During this very short period, the meadows experience optimal planting conditions because natural rain and snowfall help ensure survival. The plants are delicate, and they require a lot of care to ensure that they grow successfully.
Kim says raising awareness is a critical part of protecting Mount Rainier’s meadows, including educating park visitors on the importance of staying on designated trails and not damaging the meadows. Visitors who venture off-trail may not realize the damage they are causing, so educating them on the importance of protecting the ecosystem is essential.
Washington’s National Park Fund donors provide funding for the restoration program year after year. “Funding from Washington’s National Park Fund helps us facilitate volunteer groups, raise awareness, and provide the tools required for the restoration project,” says Kim.
Last year, donations helped support events that included 91 volunteers, interns, and youth crews that contributed over 740 hours of work to the park. These groups included Northwest Youth Corps Sound to Summit Crews, dedicated volunteer groups like Mount Rainier National Park Associates, Latino Outdoors, and Boy Scouts of America, and students from neighboring Columbia Crest, who sowed native seeds at the greenhouse in the spring and returned to Paradise in the fall to plant those seedlings into their natural habitats.
Visitors to the park can also contribute to the restoration project by spreading the word about the importance of protecting the meadows. Far too often, while the restoration crew is at work they witness the destruction of the meadows that they’re hoping to reverse. “We’re actively working on meadow restoration at the same time you see meadow damage happening.”
By staying on designated trails and educating others on the need to protect the ecosystem, visitors can help to ensure the long-term survival of the delicate plants that make Paradise and other subalpine meadows in the park so spectacular to view. Whether you give back by volunteering, spreading the word about staying on-trail, or donating in support of this project, it’s up to us to ensure that the natural beauty of Mount Rainier National Park remains intact for future generations.
Washington’s National Park Fund is the official philanthropic partner to Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks. With your help, we raise private support to preserve and protect Washington’s national parks, funding scientific research, youth and family experiences, and projects that will keep these parks strong and vital now and forever, for everyone. Support projects like this one by making a donation that will have a positive impact on the parks.