Tag: Cascades Pika Watch

PORTLAND, OR – New survey data from Cascades Pika Watch shows numbers of a potato-sized critter are on the rise, and that is significant for the Columbia River Gorge environment.

Pikas are related to rabbit, and they are known for their distinctive, squeak-toy-like calls.  They typically live on mountain slopes at elevations above 6,000 feet, but a unique low-elevation population is living at the Gorge, just a half hour from Portland.  However, the pika habitat was severely damaged in the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire, and their population declined.

Now, volunteer observers report the pika population in the area has been steadily increasing. Last year, those volunteers spotted pikas at more than two-thirds of the sites surveyed, and that number rose even higher here in 2025.

“This year we found pikas at 82% of sites surveyed, which is close to the pre-fire population numbers,” said Dr. Johanna Varner, a biologist at Colorado Mesa University and the scientific adviser for the Cascades Pika Watch program. “This is great news for the Gorge pika population.”

Not only is it good news for pikas, but it’s also good news the overall environment, according to Dr. Varner.  She says the pika is an “indicator species.”  The animals are sensitive to even slight environmental changes.  A shrinking population is considered a bad sign for the environment, while a healthy population is a good sign for all life– plants and animals– in the Gorge.

For the first time, Cascades Pika Watch ventured east as well this year, partnering with the High Desert Museum and Discover Your Forest to survey for pikas in Central Oregon. Trained volunteers detected pikas at 11 out of 27 sites in the region.

“We’re excited to begin the process of monitoring pikas in Central Oregon,” said Jon Nelson, who oversees citizen science programming at the High Desert Museum. “Pikas may be small, but they can tell us a lot about the larger ecosystems where they live.”

There is a need for more volunteers to help with the next pika observation season.  Click here to learn more about becoming a volunteer.

“Each year this program has gotten bigger and better,” Varner said. “The future of Cascades Pika Watch is really bright, and there’s still plenty of room for more people to get involved.”