The goal of this project is to create a robust Living with Wildlife program combining outreach, community empowerment, and hands-on science to address Vashon-Maury Island’s unique challenges. We wish to empower residents to handle the presence of wildlife (in particular, large carnivores) and keep our rich marine resources safe from overharvest. Vashon-Maury Island is a perfect storm for many Living… Read Project SummaryLiving with Wildlife
Worldwide, many butterfly species are at risk due to the loss of native grasslands. In North America, agricultural intensification, fire suppression, urbanization, and biological invasions threaten grassland butterfly habitat. Since much of the area that was formerly grassland has been converted to agriculture, it is critical to understand how to support native butterflies in an agroecosystem while still supporting the… Read Project SummaryConserving native butterfly species in a Washington agroecosystem
Liberty Bay experiences intense and episodic algal blooms, which is of concern to local residents who perceive that the blooms are ‘getting worse.’ Without a continuous record of monitoring estuarine conditions and algal bloom events, evaluating change over time is difficult. In 2017, we established a community volunteer program to conduct year-round monitoring to document: 1) frequency, timing, and magnitude of phytoplankton blooms, 2)… Read Project SummaryUnderstanding algal blooms in Liberty Bay, WA
Many US laws and policies use “best available science” to determine when a whale or dolphin population requires protection from ship strikes or entanglement in fishing gear. These protection measures may only be triggered when the science shows that we are exceeding some allowable harm threshold, but carcasses detected on the beach reflect only the tip of the iceberg. Many… Read Project SummaryProtecting whales on the US West Coast by assessing and reducing “cryptic mortality”
This is a continuation of a 2017 CREOi award to support assessment of mudminnow populations in Washington State. Olympic mudminnow (Novumbra hubbsi) are Washington State’s only endemic species, and yet are subject to challenges plaguing many noncommercial freshwater species; namely the lack of consistent research and monitoring leading to knowledge gaps that limit conservation actions. The specific objectives of this proposal… Read Project SummaryInformation system and stakeholder symposium to support the conservation of Olympic mudminnow
This project is a continuation of a 2016-2017 CREOi award to assess presence and density of Canada lynx in the Kettle River Mountain Range, an important east-west bridge for meta-populations of lynx and other wide-ranging species that occupy both the Cascades and Rocky Mountains. Based on camera trap surveys of the entire study area in 2016 and 2017, researchers intend to target… Read Project SummaryAssessing the status of Canada lynx in the Kettle River Mountain Range