4
The Chiwaukum survey area, primarily set to detect wolverines, also captured two gray wolf events,
the first in February and the second in November. The animal documented in November was fitted
with a GPS collar and was determined by our advisers at Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
to be a female from the Teanaway pack. This animal was collared after the date of the detection event
in February. It is unclear if these two events documented the same individual (before or after it was
captured and collared) or two different individuals.
Canada lynx recorded in the BC Kettle River Range. A genetic sample was collected but analysis has not
yet occurred.
American martens recorded at nine different survey areas in the Cascades, a sign of late successional
forest nearby where martens often den and hunt. While not a target species for our project, data
collected on martens is shared with our Advisory Council members carrying out research on martens.
A high diversity of species observed at eight survey areas this year. Seven survey areas located in the
South Cascades (Rimrock Lake, Taneum, Manastash, Packwood, White Pass, Blue Lake Ridge, and
Blackjack Ridge) each documented the presence of seven or more different recordable species. Our
Chiwaukum survey area, in the southern portion of the North Cascades, documented ten different
recordable species, including two target species, gray wolf and wolverine. Species observed at high-
diversity survey areas include: Black bear, coyote, mule deer, bobcat, elk, snowshoe hare, marten,
mountain goat, gray wolf, wolverine, cougar, and human (non-volunteer).
Animals documented at I-90 survey areas were of particular interest due to the completion of two
wildlife underpasses at Gold Creek last year, and the removal of all construction equipment. Evidence
of six different species in habitat adjacent to these crossing structures serves as an example of their
utility for wildlife to safely cross under I-90. Since the underpasses have transitioned from a
construction to restoration phase, we expect to see wildlife making use of them, and areas adjacent to
them, even more next season. As construction continues for the overpass, we will pay especially close
attention to wildlife activity nearby.
The work of our volunteers through the Citizen Wildlife Monitoring Project increases our understanding of
wildlife on the Washington landscape and in the transboundary region between Washington and British
Columbia. Not only does visual documentation of species influence research and policy decisions, these images
create a narrative and a face for our wildlands; the Citizen Wildlife Monitoring Project emphasizes the
importance of monitoring and conservation efforts to ensure a stable landscape for our region's wildlife.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Over a decade ago, Conservation Northwest began using citizen science as a way to fulfill our mission to
protect and connect wildlife and wildlands from the Washington Coast to the BC Rockies. We continue to train
and deploy over a hundred citizen scientists each year throughout our mission area with the Citizen Wildlife
Monitoring Project (CWMP). This project uses remote cameras and snow tracking to document the presence
and behavior of rare and sensitive species throughout core areas, as well as more common species in
