I am strongly committed to sharing the results of my research with a diverse group of audiences. I am also passionate about bringing authentic research experiences to K-12 schools and other citizen groups. I have focused on using pikas as a platform for talking to middle school students about climate change in their local ecosystems. Below is a sampling of ongoing projects and other activities in which I have been involved.
Cascades Pika Watch
Training citizen scientists in the Gorge, June 2018. Photo Courtesy Steven Clark
In collaboration with the Oregon Zoo, K-12 educators, the Columbia Gorge Ecology Institute, and other pika researchers, I co-founded a citizen science program to track pika range, status, and distribution in the Pacific Northwest.
We received funding from the US Forest Service to study pika survival following the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire! After several years off due to COVID, we have revived the program in 2023. Volunteers can sign up for virtual or in-person trainings and participate in monitoring activities. For more information about Cascades Pika Watch, or to get involved, visit: http://www.oregonzoo.org/cascades-pika-watch
This project in the news!
Columbia River Gorge's tiny pikas may be valuable indicator species for climate change
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/07/columbia_river_gorges_tiny_pik.html#incart_river
We received funding from the US Forest Service to study pika survival following the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire! After several years off due to COVID, we have revived the program in 2023. Volunteers can sign up for virtual or in-person trainings and participate in monitoring activities. For more information about Cascades Pika Watch, or to get involved, visit: http://www.oregonzoo.org/cascades-pika-watch
This project in the news!
Columbia River Gorge's tiny pikas may be valuable indicator species for climate change
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/07/columbia_river_gorges_tiny_pik.html#incart_river
JGEMS 8th Grade Conservation Biology Research
In 2012, I hosted the first group of students from Jane Goodall Environmental Middle School (JGEMS), a public charter school in Salem, OR.
Each eighth grade student at JGEMS conducts an original field research project in conservation biology. A group of incoming students surveyed 3 sites on Mt. Hood for pikas and vegetation in an area affected by wildfire. These data are part of a larger project on pika survival and recolonization after fire and serve as a stand-alone project for the students. The students then analyze their data and present their results to their peers as well as government agencies and interest groups in the Pacific northwest.
More information about JGEMS can be found at http://www.jgems.net
Each eighth grade student at JGEMS conducts an original field research project in conservation biology. A group of incoming students surveyed 3 sites on Mt. Hood for pikas and vegetation in an area affected by wildfire. These data are part of a larger project on pika survival and recolonization after fire and serve as a stand-alone project for the students. The students then analyze their data and present their results to their peers as well as government agencies and interest groups in the Pacific northwest.
More information about JGEMS can be found at http://www.jgems.net
Uintas Pika Watch
In collaboration with teachers at Salt Lake Center for Science Education (SLCSE), a public charter school, I helped found a long-term partnership to monitor pikas in the Uinta Mountains. Seventh grade students are monitoring pika occupancy, density, and food resources at four sites along an elevational gradient from 7,000 to 10,000 ft.
This project in the news!
Seventh graders gather data to document the plight of a small mammal: http://exploreutahscience.org/science-topics/environment/item/134-the-west-s-pika-plight-captivates-middle-schoolers-scientific-minds#sthash.zpcDzNYr.dpuf
This project in the news!
Seventh graders gather data to document the plight of a small mammal: http://exploreutahscience.org/science-topics/environment/item/134-the-west-s-pika-plight-captivates-middle-schoolers-scientific-minds#sthash.zpcDzNYr.dpuf
Other Presentations
I am committed to sharing my research with diverse audiences.
These presentations include an activity for children to understand how much work goes into foraging. My field crew and I have also led several natural history hikes to introduce campers to local pika populations.
These presentations include an activity for children to understand how much work goes into foraging. My field crew and I have also led several natural history hikes to introduce campers to local pika populations.
