Steward a Meadow- Think Like a Mountain
Protecting Bears, Berries, and Bees in the North Cascades
Subalpine and alpine meadows are among the most popular
visitor attractions in the North Cascades. They provide summer habitat for
iconic North Cascades species such as black bears, huckleberries, and bumble
bees. Unfortunately, many of these beautiful meadows are threatened by climate
change, fire suppression, development (e.g., roads, parking lots), invasive
species, and visitor disturbance. Very little monitoring is taking place to
document impacts.
Aldo Leopold challenged conservationists to “think like a
mountain” when developing a stewardship ethic. The North Cascades Meadow
Stewards program engages volunteers in monitoring key ecosystem parameters and
provide opportunities to protect and restore subalpine and alpine meadows.
Individuals, families, or teams monitor meadow transects regularly during
the year to record flowering abundance and bumblebee presence. Training is be provided, no
experience is needed to participate.
Core Program Activities
- Identify flowering plants
- Determine the phenology of flowering plants
- Quantify the abundance of huckleberries
- Identify major huckleberry pollinators
- Quantify the abundance of bumble bees
