Experienced hikers have a unique opportunity to volunteer to help researchers better understand how climate change is affecting the American pika. Pikas are small, furry and very cute mammals that often capture the hearts of wildlife watchers who spend time recreating above timberline. However, pikas may face an uncertain future due to unprecedented changes in climate. The Front Range Pika Project is seeking volunteers to hike to high elevation sites in the Front Range this summer, collecting data that ultimately will aid in the conservation of the American pika and its alpine habitat.
Found exclusively in the rocky talus fields of cool montane ecosystems in western North America, American pikas have adapted to a very narrow set of living conditions. The adaptations that allow this species to thrive in harsh alpine environments also make them vulnerable to a changing climate. As the west warms, there is a pressing need to better understand the impacts of climate change on the American pika.
"In recent decades, pikas have disappeared from some low elevation locations due to warming temperatures," said Megan Mueller, biologist with Rocky Mountain Wild. "Climate warming may threaten pikas by shortening the season available to them to gather food, changing the types of plants in the alpine meadows where they feed, causing animals to die from overheating in summer, or reducing insulating snow pack that protects them from cold temperatures in winter."
"A handful of scientists can't keep track of how pika habitat is changing across an area as vast as the Rockies," said Brian Fauver of Denver Zoo. "We really need citizen scientists to help us answer a number of questions about how climate change is affecting pikas. For example, citizen scientists can find out whether or not pikas are still at a location, and place sensors to detect changes in temperature in pika habitat. This helps us to learn more about whether pika populations are disappearing due to changes in temperature."
"I am a returning volunteer for the Front Range Pika Project because I want to contribute to scientific research regarding pikas and climate change, all while being able to hike in beautiful alpine country," said Heather Batts, volunteer for the Front Range Pika Project.
Volunteers must be able to hike on talus at high altitudes, willing to navigate to somewhat remote field sites independently, and able to attend both an evening classroom training on August 5 or 7 and a half-day field training on August 9. The minimum volunteer age is 12 (when accompanied by an adult).