By Alex Day, Marketing & Communications Director
High in the rocky talus slopes of Mount Rainier National Park, the piercing “eep!” call of an American pika can stop a hiker in their tracks. These small, round relatives of rabbits and hares are the guardians of the alpine, emitting loud warning calls to warn fellow pikas of the arrival of predators. But despite their charm, pikas are also one of the species considered most at risk of population loss due to shifting ecosystem conditions.
Thanks to your support through Washington’s National Park Fund, Mount Rainier has launched its first-ever pika community science program, connecting trained volunteers with cutting-edge research opportunities and empowering them to collect data that will help determine how these animals are faring in our changing world.
American pikas are considered a “species of greatest conservation concern need” in Washington. Across the West, populations are in decline, yet here at Mount Rainier, their status remains uncertain. Are they holding steady? Declining? Shifting to new habitats? Answering those questions is critical to the park’s long-term wildlife management.
Allie Stift, a PhD student in the Wild Herbivore Ecology Lab at the School of the Environment at Washington State University and the lead for the research, explains:
“Pikas are cold-adapted and highly sensitive to changing weather patterns and hotter summers. We want to know not only whether populations at Rainier are stable, but also how they’re adapting — whether that means hiding in talus during the hottest parts of the day, using forest edges, or even shifting into man-made habitats.”
This summer marked the pilot year of Mount Rainier’s pika community science effort. With WNPF’s donor-funded support, the team trained and equipped around 50 volunteers to survey pika habitat across the park. Here’s what the project looks like in action:
For each survey, volunteers hike to alpine talus fields and spend 30 minutes quietly listening and watching for pikas. They record whether pikas are present and how many they see or hear, and snap standardized photos of the rocky habitat using just a cell phone. These photos will help researchers test new, efficient ways to measure the habitat features most important to pikas.
While this work may sound technical, it’s also deeply human. Volunteers often camp together the night before surveys, rise early, and field questions from curious park visitors who see them on the trails and wonder, “What are you looking for?”
In answering, they help spread the word about the science and research taking place in Mount Rainier — and that everyday people can play a direct role in informing the National Park Service’s efforts to manage resources and protect vulnerable species.
“I think it’s a natural fit to involve community members who already spend time in pika habitat and feel a connection to the park and its wildlife,” shared one pika community science volunteer.
“For me, scanning the talus slopes for my favorite alpine critter has always been a treasured part of hiking at Mount Rainier, so it was a dream volunteer opportunity to turn a habit into a way to meaningfully contribute towards protecting a species I care deeply about. The act of surveying itself was also surprisingly peaceful, with the period of focused silence offering space to be present and appreciate our beautiful surroundings.”
As Allie shared, this first year is all about testing. “We’re figuring out what works, what doesn’t, and how to make this program sustainable long-term,” she explained. “The end goal is a full-scale monitoring project that can run year after year, powered by volunteers.”
At the end of this season, Allie and the research team will refine the protocols and analyze the summer’s data. With nearly 900 pika sites already identified in the park, this project has the potential to expand far beyond the initial pilot and provide managers with a clearer picture of how this species — and alpine ecosystems more broadly — are responding to ecosystem changes year over year.
Your generosity made this pilot season a reality. WNPF funds supported the research coordination, training, and volunteer engagement needed to get the program off the ground.
In the years to come, the data collected will directly inform how Mount Rainier National Park manages and protects pika habitat — all thanks to generous donors.
Washington’s National Park Fund is the official philanthropic partner of Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks. With your help, we raise private support to preserve and protect Washington’s national parks, funding scientific research, youth and family experiences, and projects that will keep these parks strong and vital now and forever, for everyone. You can support projects like this one by giving back at wnpf.org/donate.
Cover photo: Pika in Mount Rainier by WNPF Creative Partner Dene’ Miles