The 2007 Lichen Inventory Project - Yosemite Valley and Tuolumne Meadows

Climbers Became  "Citizen-Scientists" as part of a new project in Yosemite National Park

This Multi-Year Project is helping scientists understand the role of Lichens in Yosemite ecosystems and possibly discover of new Lichen species

The American Alpine Club brought climbers together to help scientists with two important stewardship projects in Yosemite. Scientific training was provided, so this was a particularly valuable project for college students and others who love to learn more about the park’s ecosystems. This innovative service project also was a unique and outstanding way to add the title “Citizen-Scientist” to the participants' resumé or school application.

National Park Service (NPS) lichenologist and climber Suzanne Thomas ably led these projects, which were very popular and valuable. Lichens are excellent indicator species to monitor overall ecosystem health, particularly air and water quality and climate changes that are impacting Yosemite.

PROJECT GOAL : To update the NPS lichen inventory by collecting data as efficiently as possible to figure out what currently exists. Since the scope of the project was the entire park, we worked on areas which represent each of the park’s vegetation zones, including the alpine zone. Lichenologists at the University of Washington are helping provide identification assistance for the samples we gathered.

WHY THIS MATTERS: Climbers greatly enhanced this project by exploring microhabitats off the ground. The project continues in 2008 to discover what other lichens occur in the park.

Yosemite climbers are joining others around the world who are volunteering their climbing skills to help scientists preserve and protect parks, such as these climbers in South Africa removing invasive plant species from cliffs.

Climbers around the world like these are lending their special skills to help Park scientists with crucial species projects.