Volunteer pika watchers wanted in the Columbia River Gorge

Cascades Pika Watch An American pika spotted by Cascades Pika Watch in the Columbia River Gorge. (Michael Durham/Oregon Zoo/Michael Durham/Oregon Zoo) If you love spending time outside with a pair of binoculars, spying on adorable little critters, then this is the job for you.
The Oregon Zoo is once again seeking volunteer pika watchers to scan Columbia River Gorge terrain for the tiny, squeaking mammals.
Pikas are small, potato-sized members of the rabbit family known for their distinctive chirps, squeaks and screams that are used to protect their territory, typically found in rocky talus slopes. While the American pika is usually seen at higher elevations, there is a lower-level population in the Columbia Gorge.

Every summer, volunteers with the Cascades Pika Watch, a collaboration that is convened by the zoo, gather to map and survey pika populations, using binoculars and GPS units. Their data is then sent to biologists who analyze it to better understand where the animals live and whether their range is shifting.