Carbon River Rainforest Trail: Above It All Exhibit Panel

Competition is fierce for light and space in dense temperate rainforest.

NPS Photo

Quick Facts

Location:

Carbon River Rainforest Trail

Amenities

1 listed

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits

Title: Above It All: The Upper Canopy

Main Text
Only the tallest of the trees - Sitka spruce, Douglas-fir, and Western red-cedar - are able to burst free of the dense green confines of the rainforest canopy and bask in the sunlight. But emerging from the protection of the canopy can be risky. These tall trees are battered by winds and storms, which sometimes knock them to the ground.

Secondary Text
Marbled murrelets reside at sea but raise their young in the moss-covered limbs of large rainforest trees. These birds travel from Mount Rainier to Puget Sound to fish for their families, making the 70-mile round-trip flight each day. A seabird, the marbled murrelet is not the best at forest landings. It relies on the sturdy limbs of old growth trees to provide support for hard, fast landings and sharp, drop launches.

Exhibit Panel Description
The main text of the exhibit panel stretches across the top third of the panel against a solid green background. The bottom two thirds of the panel is filled with a photo of a forest canopy with interlocking tree branches against a pale sky. In the upper left corner of the photo against a black band, a caption reads: "The crowns of the tall trees overlap, forming the upper canopy and shielding the rest of the rainforest from wind and rain, like an umbrella. Some of the moisture from the fog and rain remains trapped beneath this green ceiling." On the right side of the exhibit panel, two smaller photos overlap each other and the background photo at slight angles. The top photo shows a small bird with a dark grey back and head with white on the cheeks, throat, and sides floating on still water. The second small photo, located beneath the first small photo, shows a similar bird nesting on a moss-covered tree branch. The secondary text is to the left of the small photos. A small box in the lower left 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
This exhibit panel is located along the Carbon River Rainforest Trail, which begins at the Carbon River Entrance. The Carbon River Entrance is open year-round. NOTE: The Carbon River Rainforest Trail has been damaged by fallen trees and sections are closed. Please travel with caution.