Pika: NPS/Lisa Bate; Mountain Goat: NPS
Concern about wildlife in Glacier National Park's alpine environments is growing. High country habitats are highly vulnerable to climate change, yet, little is known about how these changes may affect the wildlife that live near the tops of Glacier's mountains.
In recent years, mountain goat and pika population declines had been documented outside of Glacier, but park staff lacked baseline information to track changes to these priority species. To address this need for baseline data, the High Country Citizen Science Project was established in 2008. Citizen science has proven to be an effective way to conduct wildlife monitoring on spatial and temporal scales not normally possible, especially given the limited availability of funds for trained biologists. This information is then used to enable resource managers to monitor trends over time.
Mountain Goat Surveys
Using survey equipment and protocols, citizen scientists complete one-hour surveys at one of 37 specified sites. First, volunteers are trained in mountain goat ecology, identification, and classification by age and sex.
With this information, biologists can estimate annual mountain goat populations. Using data collected since 2009, researchers are applying new statistical models to improve estimates of relative goat abundance at survey sites and to track changes in population and distribution over time.
Research publications available related to mountain goat research and citizen science.
Source: NPS DataStore Collection 7926 (results presented are a subset) . To search for additional information, visit the NPS DataStore.
Pika Research
Citizen scientists began monitoring pikas alongside biologists in 2008. The goals of starting this project were to gather crucial baseline data on pika populations, and to find the best way to ensure accurate, long-term monitoring with limited funding. Read the paper: Evaluating population estimates of mountain goats based on citizen science!
The citizen science-based approach was further tested in 2011 through 2015 as part of the Pikas in Peril project that evaluated the factors that affect pika persistence in eight national parks.
The park then determined that the next priority for pika research was to learn more about pika genetics. In 2021, the Citizen Science program began a new project - collecting pika scat for DNA analysis. Genetic information from pika pellets, along with information on how pika presence has changed over time across the park, give us valuable insights into how pikas are doing in Glacier.
Learn more about pikas, the Pika Pellet Patrol, and research collaborations in Glacier National Park in the StoryMap below!
Last updated: September 22, 2026