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After many years of drought, Yellowstone is enjoying
the return of normal precipitation. The park starts off
July looking green and lush. In the midst of all that
green is an incredible diversity of plants, many of
which we still know little about.
If you are especially watchful, you may notice mats of
plants with small clusters of white flowers growing in
the sand on the shores of Yellowstone Lake. But you
would probably never guess that these plants are a
part of what makes Yellowstone so
mysterious.
The plants you see could well be sand verbenas, one
of the park's three endemic plants-species found no
where else in the world. The others are Ross's
bentgrass and Yellowstone sulfur wild buckwheat,
both of which are found in thermal areas. While most
of Yellowstone's plants flower for only short periods,
the verbena blooms from mid-June to late August. The
reasons for this long flowering are unknown; possibly
it allows verbenas to take advantage of pollinators,
such as moths, that only visit occasionally. But this is
a guess-nobody knows for sure how the plants are
pollinated.
We shouldn't underestimate the importance of these
small plants. We don't know what role they play in the
ecosystem-or what benefits they may hold for
humans. For example, many plants, such as the
Pacific yew and mayapple have been shown to be
effective in treating cancer. If the sand verbena, or any
of Yellowstone's endemic plants, offers any such
hope, we have yet to discover it.
Visitors to the park are rightly awed by the wildlife and
amazed by the geothermal features. However, we
should remember that some of the most incredible
things in Yellowstone might be growing right by our
feet.
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In Search Of Winter Volunteers!
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Imagine the wildlife and scenic beauty of Yellowstone
in winter, consider spending the season volunteering
with the Yellowstone Association. We are looking for
generous, hardworking, winter-loving individuals and
couples to support our mission to inspire, educate,
and preserve. Our volunteers play a valuable role in
our organization, both as program assistants and
park hosts and are an important part of our
Yellowstone family. Positions vary; please see full
position descriptions on our website for more
information.
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New Exhibits Funded at Norris Geyser Basin
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Yellowstone Association members provided support
for seven new outdoor exhibits throughout the trail
system at Norris Geyser Basin. These new trailside
exhibits provide updated information about trails,
accessibility, visitor safety, and educational
information on the area's unique hydrothermal
features. Please help support other Yellowstone
National Park educational projects and programs and
become a Yellowstone Association member. You can
join by calling 307-344-2289 or on our website.
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Secret Yellowstone: Explore Beyond the Tourist Hotspots
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Yellowstone is filled with places that are known
throughout the world including Old Faithful, Mammoth
Hot Springs, and Norris Geyser Basin. However,
Yellowstone is also filled with dozens of things that
would be world famous if they were not overshadowed
by their more famous neighbors. This DVD will bring
you boiling mud pots, explosive geysers, secret
waterfalls, and ecological mysteries that are rarely
seen by tourists. With special satellite imagery and
computer generated effects, this DVD reveals a side
of Yellowstone you never imagined exists!
Price: $24.99 ($21.24 for members)
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