Ecological Restoration

Two park staff restore wetland plants to Halstead Meadow in Sequoia National Park.

National parks are some of the few places where broad ecosystems are still knit together in a natural way. And when they start to unravel, it's our responsibility to knit them together again.

– Athena Demetry, former Restoration Ecologist, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks

 

Park biologist plants a giant sequoia seedling as part of a Giant Forest restoration project.

Ecological restoration is the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed. In these parks, restoration projects have focused on areas or species actively disturbed by past park management activities or other human actions. Animal populations, lake ecosystems, giant sequoia groves, and meadows have been the focus of intensive restoration projects. In addition, restoration of important processes such as fire (disrupted by years of fire exclusion through historic grazing and active suppression) helps make forests more resilient to drought and climate change.

Learn more about past or on-going park restoration projects by watching the video below, and the restoration links on Disturbed Lands, Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Yellow-legged Frogs, and Fire.

 

 

Restoring Ecosystems

Disturbed Lands

Disturbed lands restoration has targeted meadows and giant sequoia groves.

Mountain Yellow-legged Frogs

Mountain yellow-legged frogs are being restored to lakes, helping frogs and other animals that rely on these habitats.

Restoring Fire as a Process

Restoring fire as a natural process is important to the many fire-adapted ecosystems and species in these parks.

Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep

Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep have recently been reintroduced to areas of these parks where they once lived.