A sign and a picture post stand on the edge of the sidewalk at the entrance to Wolf Trap's native plant demonstration garden.
The sign's title appears over an aerial view of Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts and three inset photographs.
In the Wolf Trap photograph, a lush green woodland forms a backdrop to the performance center. In the circular drive, the restored meadow is highlighted with greyish white and yellow flowers and divided by subtle paths. A "You Are Here" arrow points to the native garden, to the right of the performing art center.
Text in English and Spanish:
"Did you come to Wolf Trap for a show? Don't miss nature's show in the garden! Native plants attract pollinators — bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds — that carry pollen from flower to flower, fertilizing plants to reproduce.
Nature's cues coordinate seasonal timings of life-cycle events like insects hatching and flowers blooming. Rising temperatures could put the timings of flowerings and pollinators out of sync.
Take photos on the nearby picture post to help us monitor impacts of climate change."
Three inset photographs along the bottom of the sign feature close-ups of nature.
The first photo, entitled "Long-term Resilience," shows a clump of mountain mint with some bees on it.
Caption:
"Plants with long blooming times, like mountain mint (below), can help pollinators adapt to climate change. Because it flowers through late summer, pollinators can still eat mountain mint nectar even as nature's timing cues shift."
The second photo shows a bee feeding on a speckled white blossom with tiny purple flecks.
Caption:
"Bee on mountain mint blossom."
The third photograph, entitled "Short Windows for Pollination," shows flowers with five white petals and long thin green leaves growing on the forest floor.
Caption:
"Plants that bloom only briefly, like spring beauty, are vulnerable to climate change. Bees and bee flies have only a week to pollinate its flowers. As warming temperatures cause earlier flowering, will pollinators emerge in time to fertilize spring flowers?"