Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation

The Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation is a science based nonprofit organization based in Missoula, Montana, dedicated to the conservation and restoration of whitebark pine and other high elevation, five needle white pines across western North America. Founded in 2001, the organization supports restoration, education, management, and research projects that protect these high mountain ecosystems. Whitebark pine seeds are an important food source for at least 13 species of birds and 8 species of mammals, including Clark’s nutcrackers, red squirrels, and grizzly and black bears, across the Rocky Mountains.

A Keystone Species of Yellowstone

On our Yellowstone National Park expedition, travelers explore the high country where whitebark pine forms a keystone part of the ecosystem, its seeds a critical food source for grizzly bears preparing for winter and for the Clark’s nutcrackers that help disperse the tree’s seeds each fall. 

A conservation donation to the Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation is made on behalf of every Yellowstone traveler, supporting the restoration of a tree species that so much of Yellowstone’s wildlife depends on. Visit the Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation’s website to learn more about their work.