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BreadcrumbInterpretive Panels
      Our Forest Service  Regions and our many partners  have  developed numerous and varied interpretive signs and posters about native plants, plant communities, ethnobotany, pollinators, and more. These images and interpretation help us to tell our story, to inform  and to engage the public and are available to  all who may find them useful.
      
      Creating Pollinator & Native Plant Gardens
      
      **Western U.S. Species**
          **Eastern U.S. Species**
        *The Little Things Run the World*
          “Every time you walk into your garden to enjoy a beautiful flower or pick a fruit, you might thank a bee, butterfly, or hummingbird.”
          There are two versions of this panel, one for Western United States species and the other for Eastern United States species.
          See the artist's website for information about obtaining this panel for your garden: Nancy Seiler, "Native Plants & Pollinators".
      Monarch Waystation
      
      “During the breeding season, monarchs require milkweed plants upon which to rear larvae and nectar sources to sustain the adults during reproduction. Nectar sources are also required by the butterflies to fuel the fall migration to Mexico as well as the spring flights northward. Overwintering monarchs require shelter and water.”
          Download panel (PDF, 8.8 MB)...
      The Wonder of Monarch Migration
      
      “Monarch butterflies travel all the way from Mexico to Wisconsin every summer. This journey may take 3 or 4 generations. They come here seeking the native Common and Swamp Milkweeds, on which they feed, grow, and thrive.”
          Download panel (PDF, 1.1 MB)...
      Native Prairie
      
      “Welcome to the Fire Science Laboratory’s native prairie. Fire Lab staff planted this area in 2010. Perennial grasses and forbs like these once covered Montana’s valleys and foothills. Bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, prairie Junegrass, and needle-and-thread grass dominate these prairies. Penstemons, arrowleaf balsamroot, and aspen fleabane add spring color.”
          Download panel (PDF, 6.1 MB)...
      Pollinator Friendly Practices
      
      Tips for planting a pollinator friendly garden.
          Download panel (PDF, 1.4 MB)...
      Pollinator & Native Plants
      
      *Why "Bee" concerned about Pollinators?*
          “Native Plants and Pollinators go hand-in-hand. Michigan butterflies, moths, bees, hummingbirds, and other insects rely upon native nectar and host plants.”
          Download panel (PDF, 1.2 MB)...
      Pollinator - Plants - People, A Partnership for Life
      
      Descriptions of pollinators and their interrelationships with plants and people.
          Download panel (PDF, 1.1 MB)...
      
      From the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, Wisconsin
      What's Buzzing at Boulder Lake Campground?
      
      **Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest Native Plant and Pollinator Garden**
          *“Bee” Inspired*
          *Go Wild - Landscape with Native Plants*
          Download panel (PDF, 1.0 MB)...
      What's Buzzing at Laona Ranger Station?
      
      **Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest Native Plant and Pollinator Garden**
          *“Bee” Inspired*
          *Go Wild - Landscape with Native Plants*
          Download panel (PDF, 1.0 MB)...
      An Old Friend Returns
      
      *“American elm trees were once a very important part of our lowland forests. They also lined city streets and created a graceful canopy over roadways. These remarkable trees could live over 200 years and grew so large that several people joining hands could not reach around them. Today, it is hard to find an Aemerican elm that is larger than fine inches in diameter.”*
          Susan Nelson of the USDA Forest Service Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, consulting with Linda Haugen, Plant Pathologist, Northeastern Area, and Dr. Jim Slavicek, Elm Project Leader, State & Private Forestry developed this panel.
          Download panel (PDF, 0.1 MB)...
      Welcome to Our Gardens!
      
      **Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center Native Plant and Pollinator Gardens**
          *“Bee” Inspired*
          *Go Wild - Landscape with Native Plants*
          Download panel (PDF, 0.9 MB)...
      Battle for the Landscape
      
      **Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center**
          *An Invader Wins the Fight*
          Download panel (PDF, 0.9 MB)...
      Microscopic Clues to the Past
      
      **Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center**
          *Plants move in at the end of the Ice Age.*
          Download panel (PDF, 0.7 MB)...
      Swamp Survivor
      
      **Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center**
          *The tree that breathes underwater.*
          Download panel (PDF, 1.0 MB)...
      
      From the Deschutes and Mt. Hood National Forests, Washington
      Rugged Survivors...In Serious Decline
      
      *“Whitebark Pine has one good friend and several really bad enemies...”*
          Download panel (PDF, 8.6 MB)...
      
      From the Green Mountain & Finger Lakes National Forests, Vermont
      Manchester Native Plant Garden
      
      *“The species of native plants you see here have been growing in this region since before European settlers arrived. Native plants are important habitat for wildlife, providing food and shelter.”*
          Download panel (PDF, 0.6 MB)...
      Native Plant Garden
      
      *What Can I See Here?*
          *“Native plants are important because they have aesthetic, recreational, biological, medicinal, economic, and conservation value. What can you find in the garden that fits one of these categories?”*
          Download panel (PDF, 0.7 MB)...
      Rain Barrel
      
      *What is a rain barrel?*
          *“A rain barrel collects and stores rainwater for you until you are ready to use it in your garden. It can save you money on your water and electric bills. It is also a good way to store water for dry periods.”*
          Download panel (PDF, 0.2 MB)...
      Wildflower Garden
      
      *“Native plants are important because they have aesthetic, recreational, biological, medicinal, economic and conservation value.”*
          Download panel (PDF, 0.9 MB)...
      Wildflower Garden
      
      *“Native plants are important because they have aesthetic, recreational, biological, medicinal, economic and conservation value.”*
          Download panel (PDF, 21.3 MB)...
      
      From the Hiawatha National Forest, Michigan
      Aquatic Invasives in the Great Lakes Region
      
      Aquatic invasive species in the Great Lakes Region include both plants and animals, which are mostly spread through human activities such as boating and fishing. Once introduced to bodies of water these species proliferate, disrupting the food chain and damaging native fish populations.
          Download panel (PDF, 1.6 MB)...
      
      From the Hoosier National Forest, Indiana
      Early Successional Habitat Area - Haskins Tract
      
      *Improving Habitat with Pollinator Areas*
          Download panel (PDF, 0.7 MB)...
      Early Successional Habitat Area - Mifflin Tract
      
      *Combining Prescribed Fire with Native Plants*
          Download panel (PDF, 0.5 MB)...
      Early Successional Habitat Area - Pollinator Fields
      
      *Improving Habitat with Native Plants*
          Download panel (PDF, 0.4 MB)...
      
      From the Medicine Bow National Forest, Wyoming
      Snowy Range Tiny Creatures... Big Jobs
      
      *Pollinators Help Feed the World*
          ”Fruits and seeds come from flowering plants—but only if the flowers can exchange pollen with others of the same species. Because plants can’t travel, they must rely on wind or animals to move pollen for them. We call these animals pollinators. To attract them, flowers “reward” pollinators with two nourishing foods; sweet nectar and rich pollen—two nourishing foods pollinators need to survive. It’s a great relationship.”
          Download panel (PDF, 4.3 MB)...
      Snowy Range What's the Buzz?
      
      *Hardworking Native Bees are All Around Us!*
          ”Most people don’t realize it, but native bees are everywhere—in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Some hardly look like bees at all!”
          Download panel (PDF, 10.0 MB)...
      
      From the Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia
      What's Buzzing at Stuart Recreation Area
      
      *Monongahela National Forest Pollinator Garden*
          ”Native Plants and Pollinators go hand-in-hand. West Virginia butterflies, moths, bees, hummingbirds, and other insects transfer pollen between plants, assisting plants with reproduction.”
          Download panel (PDF, 1.1 MB)...
      
      From the Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands, Nebraska
      Blowout Penstemon
      
      *Even the toughest customer needs a little help now and then...*
          ”Sand dunes can be very hot or cold, dry and windy - a pretty tough place for most plants to thrive.”
          Download panel (PDF, 488 KB)...
      
      From the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests, Washington
      Tiffany Botanical Area
      
      *"Tiffany Mountain is a panoramic setting for unfolding change. Glaciers shaped this landscape over 10,000 years ago, carving the north-facing cirques, and hollowing out the depression now filled by Tiffany Lake. Ice flowed around, between, and over many of the surrounding peaks, but Tiffany may be a 'nunatak,' a geological term describing a mountain peak that protruded above an ice sheet."*
          Download panel (PDF, 3.1 MB)...
      
      From the Ottawa National Forest, Michigan
      Native Plant Gardens on the Ottawa National Forest
      
      *"Visit one to see how native plants can be used in landscaping and gardening!"*
          Download panel (PDF, 4.0 MB)...
      Ottawa National Forest Rain Garden
      
      “This rain garden is designed to hold stormwater runoff from roofs and pavement of the administrative buildings across the road. Water is collected and piped into the garden on the east side. This garden slows the flow and allows water to infiltrate into the soil. Wetland plants and soil filter the runoff, removing pollutants such as oil and fluids leaded from cars in the parking lots.”
          Download panel (PDF, 1.0 MB)...
      Stop the Spread: Clean your Tread!
      
      “Non-native invasive species threaten the health and sustainability of our North Woods: help stop the spread!
            Please use the bicycle cleaning station before your ride...”
          Download panel (PDF, 336 KB)...
      
      From the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, Oregon
      Iron Mountain Botanical Area
      
      “**Its in the soil** At 4,000 feet elevation, Iron Mountain is one of the tallest mountains in the coast range. Geologically, it is composed of great intrusive masses of granitic rocks bordered by metamorphics such as serpentine, slate, and marble.
            **Two worlds meet** Plants from the northern range (Oregon and Washington) overlap with plants from the southern range (California)...”
          Download panel (PDF, 27.9 MB)...
      
      From the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, California
      Black Oak Woodlands, Bread Basket of The People
      
      ”Black oak (Quercus kellogii) is a tree revered by the native people of northern California. The flavorful, oil-rich acorns of this oak are preferred over other oak species as food because of their superior taste and the pudding-like texture of the cooked meal.”
          Download panel (PDF, 638 KB)...
      Fading Gold, Quaking Aspen in Our Forests
      
      ”In the mountains of northern California, deciduous aspen groves are oases of plant and animal diversity in a vast sea of shady conifer forest. Abundant sunlight, moisture and occasional wildfire or other disturbance keep aspen groves vigorous and the understory rich with a diversity of grasses, wildflowers, and shrubs.”
          Download panel (PDF, 571 KB)...
      Klamath-Siskiyou Serpentines Ancient Refuge for Rare Plants
      
      ”The Klamath-Siskiyou Mountains of northwest California and southwest Oregon are the largest body of serpentine type rock in North America. This challenging and unusual substrate, coupled with the ruggedness, isolation, and great age of these mountains, gave rise to a spectacular flora that is peculiar to this corner of the world.”
          Download panel (PDF, 516 KB)...
      A Parade of Pollinators, Follow the Sun
      
      ”Sunny openings in our forests are hotspots for wildflowers and flowering shrubs that provide food for pollinators. In exchange, the pollinators (bees, butterflies, birds, bats, beetles, moths, wasps, and ants) provide the pollen-moving labor necessary to make seeds and fruits. People reap the benefits too because without pollination, much of the food we eat would never come to be.”
          Download panel (PDF, 571 KB)...
      Welcome to the Shasta-McCloud Native Plant Interpretive Garden!
      
      ”This garden, greenhouse and nursery are all part of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest's restoration program.”
          Download panel (PDF, 411 KB)...
      
      From the Tongass National Forest, Alaska
      A Slow Struggle to Reclaim Barren Land
      
      ”The spot you are standing on was first exposed by the retreating glacier around 1950. It has taken pioneering and colonizing plants nearly a half century to get a foothold on the barren glacial outwash. In fact, it will take over two hundred years to establish forest similar to the one you see on the upper slopes of Mendenhall Valley.”
          The panel above and the the set of signs below of southeast Alaska plants are on display at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center in Alaska. They are located in prominent locations at the visitor center area, along its trails, and are seen by thousands of people.
      Barclay's willow.
        Bull's-eye lichen.
        Dwarf fireweed.
        Large-leaved avens.
        Northern groundcone.
        Pink wintergreen.
        Sitka spruce.
        Western hemlock.
      
      From the Umpqua National Forest, Oregon
      Mosses of Clearwater Falls
      
      ”Winter brings new wonders to explore as the rains awaken the hidden diversity of mosses in the forest. Mosses, along with their relatives, the liverworts and hornworts, are know as bryophytes and are unique among plants on their ability to dry out completely, then fully recover when moistened. The winter climate of the Pacific Northwest is perfect for bryophytes since they usually photosynthesize more efficiently at lower temperatures and light conditions than most flowering plants.”
          Download panel (PDF, 161 KB)...
      
      From the Wayne National Forest, Ohio
      The Importance of Pollinators
      
      ”What is a pollinator? Insects (bees, wasps, moths, butterflies, flies, beetles) are the most common pollinators, but as many as 1,500 species of vertebrates such as birds and mammals serve as pollinators also.”
          Download panel (PDF, 698 KB)...
      Landscaping with Native Plants
      
      “Native wildflowers, ferns, grasses, shrubs, and trees are a stunning part of our local heritage. These native plants provide year-round beauty and interest to our gardens. In addition they are an environmentally friendly choice for landscaping and restoration.”
          Download panel (PDF, 2.1 MB)...
      Native Plant Rescue
      
      “What is a plant rescue? It is an opportunity for individuals to salvage native plants from the future construction sites.”
          Download panel (PDF, 5.1 MB)...
      Wayne National Forest Native Pollinator Garden
      
      This is a collection of 19 panels describing native plant species, their pollinators, and habitat.
          Download panels (PDF, 1.9 MB)...
      Prairies of Ohio
      
      “What is a prairie? Why are prairies important? Prairies on the Wayne National Forest
              ”
          Download panels (PDF, 4.7 MB)...
          The PDF file includes two slightly different versions of the same panel.
      Vernal Pools in Ohio
      
      “Vernal pools derive their name from the Latin "vernus", meaning "belonging to spring". The vernal pool is composed of either bedrock or a hard clay layer in the soil that helps keep water in the pool. These seasonal wetlands periodically dry up and do not contain fish. This creates a safe habitat for frogs, toads and salamanders to mate and lay eggs.”
          Download panel (PDF, 2.1 MB)...
      What's Buzzin' on the Wayne?
      
      “Many of the plants in the gardens around this office are native to the southeastern Ohio region. Gardening with native plants is an important step to protect and promote populations of pollinator species. Take a walk and learn more about our native plants and their pollinators.”
          Download panel (PDF, 1.4 MB)...
      
      From the Willamette National Forest, Washington
      The Evolution of Floral Diversity
      
      “Over 300 species of flowering plants call Iron Mountain home. Its unique geologic history and location create a variety of soil types and microclimates that allow for greater plant diversity.”
          Download panel (PDF, 1.0 MB)...
      
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