Title: Restoring Subalpine Meadows

Main Text
The subalpine environments that were impacted by human activity, including the old campground, are being restored to a more natural state. But returning these areas to their original condition takes a great deal of effort. Old roads must be removed and the ground reshaped to match the original topography before native vegetation can be planted. 

As part of the restoration, the National Park Service is researching the effects of blister rust, a disease introduced in the 1920s, on whitebark pine. The whitebark pine plays an important role in subalpine environments. A pioneer species, it is often the first tree species to establish itself after a fire, providing shelter for other trees. 

Secondary Text
The Clark's nutcracker helps the whitebark pine reproduce. Its beak has evolved to fit perfectly between the scales of the whitebark pine cone. It pries out the seeds and buries them for later use. Those that aren't eaten during the winter germinate and grow in the spring. 

Exhibit Panel Description
The main text stretches across the top third of the panel on the left side against a green background. Below the main text, a large photo fills the left side of the panel, showing numerous people planting young plants in a section of bare ground. A caption reads: "Volunteers have donated thousands of hours to meadow restoration." Half overlapping the large photo, roughly in the center of the panel, is a smaller photo of several conifer trees with long needles, labeled "Whitebark pine". Overlapping the whitebark pine photo on the right side of the panel is a photo of a grey bird with black wings and a pointed black beak labeled "Clark's nutcracker". The secondary text is just above the Clark's nutcracker photo. In the upper right corner of the panel is a small illustration in a red circle of a boot stepping on a wildflower crossed out by a red slash. Text next to the illustration reads: "Protect Fragile Meadows, Stay on Trails". A small box in the lower right corner of the panel reads: "User Fee Project. Your Fee Dollars At Work. Entrance fees were used to produce this exhibit."

Visit This Exhibit Panel
Follow the service road that starts on the south side of the Sunrise parking lot to the junction of the Wonderland Trail and Sunrise Camp/Sunrise Rim Trail. The exhibit panel is located next to the trail junction. Sunrise Road is open to vehicles during the summer only, typically from early July to mid-September.