Learn about pika populations with an OSU-Cascades researcher.

American pikas are charismatic inhabitants of talus and rocky outcroppings. Many findings suggest that climate change poses a significant threat to the species due to increasing temperatures and declining snowpack in alpine habitats. However, modern discoveries of pikas in low-elevation lava flows offer a contrasting perspective. Come learn about what pikas are, observed behavioral differences between the two distinct habitats, and the potential future of pika persistence in central Oregon.

Corrinne Oedekerk is a graduate student at Oregon State University and a research assistant for the Human and Ecosystem Resiliency and Sustainability (HERS) Lab at OSU-Cascades. She has been a research technician on the American Pika Monitoring Project for three years, examining pika occupancy in low-elevation lava flows in national parks and monuments throughout the intermountain west. Corrinne graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources from OSU-Cascades, where she became increasingly passionate about wildlife conservation.