Project Highlight: Pygmy Rabbits in Idaho – Using Genetic Analyses to Estimate Occupancy

By Kylie Baker Mapping the Hidden World of Pygmy Rabbits: Genetic Tools and Collaborative Surveys in Idaho’s Sagebrush Steppe In the arid expanses of the sagebrush steppe, an elusive burrower quietly reshapes the landscape in profound ways: the pygmy rabbit. As the smallest rabbit species in the world, pygmy rabbits (Brachylagus idahoensis) are sagebrush obligates,…

October 2, 2025

Project Highlight: Balancing Fuels Reduction and Wildlife Conservation – Monitoring of Fisher and NSO Response to Fuels Management in Northern California Forests

By Kylie Baker Fighting Fire with Science and Stewardship: Balancing Fuels Reduction and Wildlife Conservation in Northern California Forests In Northern California’s fire-prone forests, land managers face the complex challenge of reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire while conserving habitat for sensitive wildlife species. Pacific fishers (Pekania pennanti) and the federally threatened Northern Spotted Owls…

September 5, 2025

NPS AmeriCorps Internship: Biology Assistant in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park

PURPOSE This Biology Assistant is an AmeriCorps position. SIP participants on this project will collect and analyze data on the status and trends of plant communities within National Park Service units across the Pacific Islands. They will assist with improving data quality and developing efficiencies in data management steps and ultimately contribute to science communication…

July 2, 2025

Department of the Navy Funding Opportunity: BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF CYCAD SCALE, AULACASPIS YASUMATSUI, ON CYCAS MICRONESICA

Request for Statements of Interest/Request for Proposals: Biological Control of Cycad Scale, Aulacaspis Yasumatsui, on Cycas Micronesia [N40192-25-2-8012] Amount: Not to exceed $251,353.56 Timeline for Review of Statements of Interest: The Department of the Navy (DON) intends to use fiscal year 2025 funds for this project. In order to be considered, Statements of Interest shall…

July 1, 2025

USACE Funding Opportunity: Management Species – Sea Turtle Nesting Surveys, Wake Island Airfield

REQUEST FOR STATEMENT OF INTEREST (W9126G-25-2-SOI-5805) for Management Species – Sea Turtle Nesting Surveys, Wake Island Airfield Applicants must be a member in one of the following Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units Regions: Pacific Northwest, Hawaii-Pacific Islands, and Californian Regions. Approximately $271,430.00 is expected to be available to support this project for the Base Period. Additional…

USACE Funding Opportunity: Management of Invasive Species – Biosecurity Wake Island Airfield

REQUEST FOR STATEMENT OF INTEREST (W9126G-25-2-SOI-4998) for Management of Invasive Species – Biosecurity Wake Island AirfieldApplicants must be a member in one of the following Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units Regions: Pacific Northwest, Hawaii-Pacific Islands, and Californian Regions Approximately $230,402.00 is expected to be available to support this project for the base period. Additional funding may…

May 28, 2025

Project Highlight: Digital Asset Management and Community Engagement to Enhance Understanding of Park Resources

By Kylie Baker Enhancing Access and Understanding: Building a Digital Foundation for the Manhattan Project National Historical Park The Manhattan Project National Historical Park (MAPR), spanning Hanford, WA; Los Alamos, NM; and Oak Ridge, TN, shares the history and legacies of one of the most transformative events of the 20th century: the development of the…

May 15, 2025

Project Highlight: Underground Cultural Landscape Report and Monitoring Plan

By Kylie Baker Exploring the Cultural Landscape of Carlsbad Caverns: A Collaborative Research Effort Nestled within the rugged terrain of southeastern New Mexico, Carlsbad Caverns National Park is a subterranean wonder, boasting vast chambers, intricate cave formations, and a complex history of human interaction. A recent Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (PNW CESU) research…

May 13, 2025

Project Highlight: Comparison of Wolf Densities and Diets Across the Prince of Wales Island Complex

By Kylie Baker Marine Mammals, Genetics, and Scat: Innovative Science Uncovers the Complex Diet and Density of Southeast Alaska’s Wolves In the rugged forests of Southeast Alaska, a rare species thrives in the shadows, so elusive that even seasoned biologists struggle to find it. The Alexander Archipelago wolf, a small, dark subspecies of gray wolf,…

April 16, 2025

Project Highlight: Western Snowy Plover Nest Monitoring and Protection

By Kylie Baker A Conservation Success Story: Monitoring and Protecting Oregon’s Western Snowy Plover Along the dynamic and windswept beaches of Oregon’s coast, a rare and resilient bird has made a remarkable comeback. The western snowy plover (Anarhynchus nivosus nivosus), once nearly extirpated from the region, is now at the center of one of the…