High Country Citizen Science participants are equipped to conduct back-country surveys to collect data on the number and distribution of mountain goats and bighorn sheep and presence/absence data on pikas, three species of concern in the high country of Montana's Glacier National Park. This contribution will enable the park to more effectively manage these species and their habitats.
Participants attend a one-day classroom and field-based education program to learn about species identification, management concerns, and how to observe and document observations of each species. They also learn how to use field equipment such as spotting scopes, compasses, and global positioning system (GPS) units. Once trained, participants select survey sites from a list of mapped locations and hike to sites to conduct a one hour observational survey on mountain goats and bighorn sheep or pikas. Hiking distances vary between 3 to 15 miles one way. During pika surveys, participants traverse talus (boulder) fields looking under rocks for signs of pikas.
