By Alex Day, Marketing & Communications Director
This spring, Washington’s National Park Fund hosted a Virtual Field Trip exploring one of the most exciting donor-funded community science efforts happening right now at Mount Rainier National Park: surveys of Mount Rainier’s pika populations.
Led by Washington State University PhD student Allie Stift in partnership with National Park Service staff, the project brings volunteers directly into the field. Our Virtual Field Trip gave attendees a behind-the-scenes look at how researchers and community members are working together to better understand how these small alpine mammals are responding to changing conditions and weather fluctuations.
Pikas may be tiny, but they play an important role in helping scientists understand the health of alpine ecosystems. Because they are highly sensitive to heat and changing snow levels, pika populations can provide important clues about how shifts in climate conditions are impacting mountain environments over time.
You can watch the full Virtual Field Trip recording on YouTube to hear directly from Allie about the research, the volunteers, and what’s ahead for the project.
What makes this project especially inspiring is the collaborative approach behind it. Volunteers are helping collect meaningful scientific data by surveying pika habitat, recording sightings, and contributing observations that will help inform long-term conservation and management decisions at Mount Rainier.
And none of it happens without donor support.
Thanks to WNPF supporters, this pilot project was able to launch its first community science season — connecting researchers, park staff, and volunteers in a way that expands both scientific understanding and stewardship of the park. It’s a powerful example of how donor support can help spark innovative partnerships that bring people closer to the landscapes and wildlife they care about.
One of the most memorable themes from the conversation was how accessible and community-driven the project truly is. From volunteers hiking alpine trails at sunrise to survey talus fields to visitors logging pika sightings through the Pika Patrol app, this project creates new opportunities for people to actively participate in protecting the future of Mount Rainier’s alpine ecosystems.
At Washington’s National Park Fund, we’re proud to support projects like this that connect science, stewardship, volunteerism, and community. These kinds of partnerships not only strengthen research happening in the parks today — they help build long-term care and advocacy for these landscapes into the future.
Washington’s National Park Fund is the official philanthropic partner of Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks. Through donor support, WNPF funds critical park projects that protect wildlife, preserve ecosystems, and enhance visitor experiences. You can join the movement by giving back at wnpf.org/donate.
Cover photo: Pika in Mount Rainier National Park, by WNPF Board Member Karen Povey.