2018

Vashon-Maury Island is a perfect storm for many human-wildlife coexistence issues, from large carnivore management to marine shoreline overharvest. With support from CREOi, Vashon Nature Center (VNC) created a Living with Wildlife program on Vashon-Maury Islands including: information resources to empower community members with knowledge about living with large carnivores and beach harvest rules and practices; and community science projects… Read Project SummaryLiving with Wildlife

Many native prairie butterfly species are highly at-risk due to habitat loss from agriculture. In western Washington, less than three percent of original prairie remains, with much of the former prairie grazed by cattle. This study aimed to understand how cattle grazing management strategies influence butterfly behavior and diffusion rates. We conducted behavioral experiments with two species of common native… 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 is a continuation of 2016 and 2017 CREOi-funded projects. Canada lynx, one of three wild cat species native to Washington State, depend on large pristine tracts of boreal forest habitat with ample snowshoe hare and persistent deep snow. In Washington, lynx populations steeply declined due to trapping and habitat degradation and they were afforded federal protection under the Endangered Species… Read Project SummaryAssessing the status of Canada lynx in the Kettle River Mountain Range