Friends of Jasper National Park
Promoting Understanding, Appreciation and Respect


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Cavell Meadows Restoration Project

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Accomplishments

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Before and After Images

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3 ways you can still help

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Donors & Partners

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Cavell Meadows Hiker Survey 2003

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Footsteps Newsletter


 

  Cavell Meadows Restoration Project 

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Can you find the main trail in this photo?

 

Neither could thousands of visitors.

 

The Friends of JNP and Parks Canada teamed up with volunteers in 2002 - 2004 to actively restore the Cavell Meadows - a popular but damaged area of Jasper National Park.

Trail braiding and vegetation damage like this

were common in Cavell Meadows.

 

 

Spectacular sub-alpine area

Sitting below the face of Mt. Edith Cavell, the Cavell Meadows explode with wildflowers every summer and offer the hiker an opportunity to explore sub-alpine and alpine life in Jasper National Park.

Views of the dramatic peak and the Angel Glacier descending from it's shoulder are an added treat along the way.

Thousands of regional and international visitors hike this 7 km trail between June and September every year. That's a lot of footsteps in a short amount of time.

 

Clouds below Angel Glacier from Cavell Meadows

 

Many misplaced footsteps
 

The extraordinary foot traffic along this trail, concentrated in a short amount of time each year, has caused serious damage to the trail and meadow vegetation.
 

Poor water drainage and a lack of trail marking along the Cavell Meadows Trail has meant that hikers often left the trail to avoid mud and snow, to look for a viewpoint, or simply to find the way through the meadows. With so many people in the area, these patterns repeat. Shortcuts, braided trails, and trampled sections form quickly.

 

The short growing season at and above treeline means the vegetation has very little time to recover from damage. One misplaced footstep can mean decades of regrowth.

Off-trail hiking made this trail,

in two days in September 2002.

 

 

Working together to repair the damage

 

In 2002, the Friends of Jasper National Park teamed up with Parks Canada to restore and protect the sensitive habitat at Cavell Meadows. Working with many volunteers, the Friends and Parks Canada have repaired the trail, camouflaged and revegetated damaged sections of meadow, and established well-defined markers, maps and signs.

 

 

                                     Project Goals

  • Repair and mark main trail

  • Rehabilitate network of unofficial trails

  • Educate visitors about the area and how our actions affect it.

  • Monitor restoration success

  • Involve visitors and residents in the above activities


  Accomplishments 

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We are pleased to report that through the Cavell Meadows Restoration Project we successfully...
  • Involved over 150 park residents and visitors who have contributed over 2100 hours towards restoration efforts

  • Rerouted 200 m of trail to improve drainage

  • Camouflaged, rehabilitated, or blocked access to over 50 shortcuts and unofficial trails

  • Dug 30 water drainage structures and delineated 3 viewpoints along 6km of trail

  • Installed trail markers and 10 map/interpretive panels

  • Created a trailhead kiosk to inform and orient visitors

  • Completed 7 sets of repeat photographs at 28 monitoring points

  • Surveyed 216 hikers in Cavell Meadows and installed a comment book on site

  • Reduced vehicle traffic to the trailhead by renting a van for shuttling project volunteers

  • Installed our expandable Donor Recognition Plaque at the trailhead

  • Raised $145,000 in financial and in-kind support.

 

From our Trail Book:

 

It is wonderful to see the meadows restoring themselves as people become more aware - through your campaign, hard work and care - of the fragility of this beautiful mountain habitat.

Thank you for your efforts.

 

-Janet, Tuscon, AZ   July 20, 2004

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


    Before and After Images    

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These photos have been taking through our volunteer photo monitoring program.

If you'd like to help add to this important collection, check out our volunteer schedule below.

Click on the thumbnail images for a closer look.

 

September 2002   

 July, August 2003

 

September 2002   

 July, August 2003

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

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