Whitebark pine education day at Whitefish Mountain Resort
Whitefish Pilot | UPDATED 5 days, 10 hours AGO
Healthy whitebark pine at Whitefish Mountain Resort. The resort is one of the few places in the region where there is a healthy stand of whitebark pine trees. (Photo by Jenny Nichols, courtesy of American Forests)
In 2016, Whitefish Mountain Resort became the first ski resort in the nation certified by the foundation as a Whitebark Pine Friendly Ski Area.
Experts with the Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation will deliver a free educational presentation on the lower level of the Summit House on Friday, March 13 at 12:30 p.m. The group will then ski or ride down Toni Matt to study a whitebark pine up close.
This event is a great opportunity for guests of all ages to learn about whitebark pine research, conservation and citizen-science initiatives. Participants will hear from experts about the plight of the whitebark pine and efforts to protect this important tree species on Big Mountain and beyond.
Learn about this unique tree's ecology, its dependence on a bird to plant its seeds, and plans for restoration. Also learn how Whitefish Mountain Resort works to protect and restore this magnificent tree through a program that encourages ski areas to be whitebark pine friendly.
The Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation is a nonprofit based in Missoula that promotes the conservation and restoration of whitebark pine and other high-elevation, five-needle white pines through education, outreach, research and collaborations.
Listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, whitebark pines have disappeared in large numbers due to climate change, wildfires, mountain pine beetles and a fungus known as white pine blister rust.