Science & Research

Behind the Binoculars: What It’s Like to Train as a Marmoteer in Olympic

Ever wonder what it's like to volunteer as a marmoteer at Olympic National Park? Read about the training day here! From the gear, community building, to the wildlife research, WNPF donors make this citizen science project possible.

Returning a Meadow: Research in Action at Mount Rainier National Park

Your support is driving new science to restore Mount Rainier’s fragile subalpine meadows, long strained by human impact and shifting weather, as researchers pursue lasting solutions for healthier, resilient landscapes.

Pika Power: Volunteers Power Alpine Wildlife Research at Mount Rainier

Thanks to donor support, Mount Rainier has launched its first-ever pika community science program, connecting trained volunteers with cutting-edge research opportunities and empowering them to collect data that will help determine how these animals are faring in our changing world.

Follow the Flush: Protecting Olympic National Park’s Coast by Solving a Growing Wastewater Problem

If you've ever hiked, camped, or backpacked along Olympic National Park’s Pacific Coast, you’ve likely benefited from a backcountry toilet. Get an inside look at how these are made and how you can support this project!

Monitoring Marmots, Managing Meadows: Meet Olympic’s ‘Marmoteers’

Get to know Olympic National Park's marmot monitoring volunteers called the "Marmoteers"! From the gear, community building, to the wildlife research, WNPF donors make this citizen science project possible.

Mapping the Wilderness Character of the Stephen Mather Wilderness

In a recent virtual field trip, we explored a project that WNPF supported in the North Cascades – specifically the Stephen Mather Wilderness – and the mapping tool created to observe and monitor the wilderness character of the park.

From Research to Reality: Restoring Paradise & Returning a Meadow

With heavy visitor traffic & climate challenges threatening Paradise's sensitive ecosystem, researchers and park staff are pioneering ways to restore and safeguard this beloved landscape – and through our multi-year Together for the Parks campaign, donors are playing an important role in protecting these fragile flowers.

A Summer of Science for Interns at Olympic National Park

At Olympic National Park, a group of dedicated Scientists in Parks interns contributed to interpretation programs and scientific research efforts this past summer. If you visited the park this summer, you may have interacted with them! Learn about their work and how WNPF donors supported these positions.

Exploring Historic Photos of North Cascades National Park

In a virtual field trip, North Cascades Museum Curator, Sam Richert, took us through archived historical photos of North Cascades National Park, specifically the Cascade Pass area, and showcased how we can access these photo collections online - a project made possible by WNPF donors!