Sunrise Reveg!

The annual Mount Rainier National Park Associates meadow revegetation work party will be Saturday, September 6th.  That is the Saturday following the Labor Day weekend, a little over three weeks away.  MRNPA volunteers will again be assisting the Mount Rainier ecological restoration crew in planting wildflower seedlings, working to convert a historic campground area near Sunrise back into alpine meadows.  This year's seedlings need to be planted before the snow covers the meadows.  September 6th will be a big day in getting this effort started.

On the morning of Saturday, September 6th, 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 in the far left (south) corner of the parking lot.  Please check in as soon as you arrive so John can get a count and the names of all MRNPA volunteers.  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.
Be prepared for almost any fall weather.  In the past, these events have seen everything from warm and sunny days 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.  Most of the day, 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 or even your kids.  It is a beautiful location,  It is also very instructive to see how much of the area has been replanted and how it is slowly returning to being a meadow.

If you would like to camp for free at the White River Campground the evening prior to, or the evening of the work party (or both evenings), contact Julie Hover, julie_hover(at)nps.gov and tell her which evenings 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 Saturday, September 7th, for this meadow revegetation work party, please reply to volunteer(at)mrnpa.org to confirm that you will be participating and indicate the number of volunteers that you will bringing with you.