Wildlife monitoring volunteers capture images of wolverine near Stevens Pass
Conservation Northwest / Mar 31, 2016 / Wildlife Monitoring, Wolverine
By Alaina Kowitz, Communications and Outreach Associate
Our Citizen Wildlife Monitoring Project harnesses the power of Northwest hikers, backcountry skiers, wildlife trackers and other volunteers to gather important data that informs land management and wildlife conservation policies.
This month, two of our dedicated (and very patient) project volunteers picked up long-awaited wolverine photos on remote camera near Stevens Pass!
We’re thrilled every time we get a glimpse of this elusive and threatened species. But more than that, these are the first photos we’ve recorded of wolverines in this specific area, which is just northeast of Stevens Pass Mountain Resort near the headwaters of Nason Creek.
Knowing that wolverines are using this high-quality habitat will help Conservation Northwest and state and federal agencies monitor their recovery in the North Cascades. It may even help inform the future management and conservation of this wild area.
Learn more about our Citizen Wildlife Monitoring Project here! Or contact Project Coordinator Aleah Jaeger at aleah (at) conservationnw.org.
Wolverines are seldom-seen carnivores that favor remote, rugged, snowy landscapes like those of alpine and subalpine areas of Washington’s Cascades. They are the largest terrestrial members of the weasel family, and some estimates report that there many be as many three dozen in Washington, nearly all in the North Cascades.
Our Citizen Wildlife Monitoring Project has documented several individual wolverines in the Cascades using unique chest markings photographed at “run pole” stations and DNA obtained from “hair snares”. Over the years, our project volunteers have captured amazing images of these mysterious creatures, including this wolverine frolicking in front of a remote camera in Icicle Creek Canyon west of Leavenworth.
Learn more about wolverines and our work supporting their comeback in Washington here.
This citizen-science effort gets results that help rare and recovering wildlife like wolverines. At the same time, it informs and inspires people across our region. Will you consider helping us expand this impactful project in 2016 by sponsoring a wildlife monitoring team?