Acadia National Park is measurably different than it was at its founding more than 100 years ago. While its beauty endures, its forests, lakes and coasts are experiencing the impacts of changing land uses, pollution, increased tourism, invasive species, and climate change. These types of changes are likely to continue and accelerate, with dramatic impacts on the park. Acting now is our greatest chance to protect the things we love most about Acadia.
In partnership with the National Park Service, Wabanaki Nations, and Friends of Acadia, we are leading experiments to learn how to restore multiple ecosystems in Acadia. Chris Nadeau and Amina Wilson lead a specialized team of restoration technicians working in Bass Harbor Marsh, Great Meadow Wetland, and Summits.
Current studies include:
- Monitoring of invasive and native plant species continues at 21 plots established throughout Great Meadow and Bass Harbor Marsh to test different native planting strategies to learn if planting native species after removing invasive glossy buckthorn prevents re-invasion.
- The team is also testing a strategy called “critical period cutting” for controlling the invasive species glossy buckthorn without pesticides.
- Planting shrubs from warmer locations (as far south as New Jersey) may be another way to suppress glossy buckthorn. Rather than actually planting shrubs from warmer locations – which has inherent risks (e.g., disease spread) – they are using shade structures to simulate planting.
- We are also comparing the phenology of local shrubs, invasive shrubs, and shrubs that occur south of Acadia. Technicians monitor shrubs in Acadia, and volunteers in Backyard Scientists, a new participatory science program, monitor shrubs in their backyards to determine when they put leaves on in the spring and when they drop leaves in the fall.
- How to restore the rare vegetation on Acadia’s mountain summits. Schoodic Institute staff establish and monitor restoration plots to answer questions such as whether plots should be seeded, how to control erosion, and which soil is best. Soil is carried to the mountains by volunteers during weekly Save Our Summits hikes.
- Multiple monitoring efforts are underway in Great Meadow to understand how restoration efforts (e.g., culvert replacement) will alter biodiversity in Acadia’s largest freshwater wetland. We monitor birds with autonomous recording units, track beaver activity, and process data from vegetation and hydrologic monitoring.