Revegetation September 7th at Sunrise

The annual Mount Rainier National Park Associates meadow revegetation work party will be Saturday, September 7th.  MRNPA volunteers will again be assisting the Mount Rainier ecological restoration crew in planting wildflower seedlings and working to convert a historic campground area near Sunrise back into alpine meadows.  Approximately 40,000 seedlings have been grown and will need to be planted this fall before the snow covers the meadows.  September 7th will be a big day in getting this effort started.

On the morning of Saturday, September 7th, MRNPA volunteers will meet in the Sunrise parking lot between 8:30 and 9:00 AM.  As you arrive at Sunrise, look for John Titland's dark green Subaru Outback wagon.  It will be parked at the south corner of the parking lot.  Please check in with John as soon as you arrive. There will be volunteers from other organizations milling about so stick close with the MRNPA group and be ready to move out at 9:00 AM.  Work time is expected to last until at least 3 PM with a break for lunch at about at noon.

Be prepared for almost any fall weather.  In the past, this day has featured everything from warmth and sunshine to a driving blizzard.  In addition to your sun hat, sunscreen, and your rain gear, bring a lunch, plenty of fluids to drink, gardening gloves, and a hand digging tool you like to use.  If you have no gardening tools, the NPS will provide small hand tools. You will be working on your hands and knees to do the planting, so you should bring some kind of protection for your knees. The pads available at your local gardening retailer work for most people.  The work site is about a mile hike from the Sunrise parking lot, so plan on carrying everything you need to and from the work site.

This is a great outing to share with your husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend and even your kids.  It is also very inspiring to see how much of the area has been replanted and how it is slowly returning to being a meadow.

There is no charge for volunteers to enter the Park.  When you enter at the White River Entrance, tell the gate attendant that you will be doing volunteer work on the meadow restoration project at Sunrise.  

If you would like to camp for free at the White River Campground the evening prior to or following the work party (or both), please contact John Titland at volunteer@mrnpa.org soon, specifying which nights you wish to camp and how many tent sites you will need.  For free camping, arrangements must be made well in advance of the scheduled date.

If you plan to join the MRNPA volunteers on September 7th for this meadow revegetation work party, please respond to John Titland at volunteer@mrnpa.org.