Trail of the Shadows: Border Town Exhibit Panel

Find a diverse range of plants and animals at the transition between forest and meadow.

NPS Photo

Quick Facts

Location:

Trail of the Shadows, Longmire

Amenities

1 listed

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits

Title: Border Town

Main Text
The forest and meadow are different biological communities, and each supports a particular combination of species. These plants and animals seldom overlap. Along this trail where the forest and meadow meet, species of both communities survive in the same area. This is called an edge environment.

An edge environment supports a greater diversity of species than either community can manage alone. Many types of wildlife – birds, mammals, insects, even amphibians – interact with forest and meadow for food, shelter, and refuge. Trees that fall along the edge become growing platforms for forest plants, and retaining walls for water where meadow plants can survive.

Secondary Text
The combination of natural resources available along this edge made it possible for James Longmire to develop a resort. This environment is now preserved by Mount Rainier National Park as a culturally significant landscape. Hence, the natural and cultural histories of the plants, animals, and people tell the story of the edge environment along this trail.

Look around. Can you find evidence of an edge environment? How far into the forest do meadow plants grow? How many forest plants can you see growing in the meadow?  

Exhibit Panel Description
A single photo fills the exhibit panel. On the left side is a meadow with tall green reeds and grasses, while on the right side is a forest. Some of the meadow plants encroach into the forest while some trees lean out into the meadow, but there is a clear border between the two environments. The main text is in the upper left quadrant of the photo against the blue sky over the meadow, with the secondary text overlaying the forest in the upper right corner. In the lower left corner of the panel is the last section of secondary text set into a small grey oval. Above the text is a small graphic of a historic gas lantern lit with a soft yellow light.

Visit This Exhibit Panel
This exhibit panel is located in Longmire along the Trail of the Shadows, a short trail that starts across the street from the National Park Inn. Longmire is open year-round.