Restoring Native Prairies at San Juan Island National Historical Park

I have mentioned on several occasions that the science conducted in our National Parks is fascinating. One of the main goals of the National Park Service is to maintain the natural habitat of the National Parks. With only 3% of the original prairie existing in western Washington, the preservation and restoration of native plants at San Juan Island National Historical Park is a top priority. This is accomplished by collecting native prairie plant seeds, planting native plants and removing non native plant species:

The windswept landscapes on San Juan Island offer some of the last remnants of native prairies. As Europeans settled into the Pacific Northwest, most prairies were converted into farms and homesteads. At San Juan Island National Historical Park, resource managers are attempting to restore the prairie ecosystem by replacing exotic plant species with native vegetation. This effort benefits not only the plants and animals on the island, but will one day offer visitors a sweeping, unspoiled panorama of Puget Sound as it once existed, hundreds of years ago.