Learn About Local Research On American Pikas Tonight

Join Erik Beever at 7 p.m. today at the Los Alamos Nature Center to learn about his research on pikas and other wildlife. Courtesy/PEEC

PEEC News:

The community is invited to hear USGS Research Ecologist Erik Beever speak about the local mountain ecosystems and wildlife, especially the American pika.

Beever’s presentation is 7 p.m. today and free at the Los Alamos Nature Center at 2600 Canyon Road.

Beever has been researching pikas since 1994 and is returning to north-central New Mexico for a third consecutive summer to survey pikas, other wildlife species, and their high-elevation habitats. Beever and his team are documenting patterns of current and past distribution and abundance of pikas and other mammals that use talus (broken rock) areas in mountain landscapes.

His talk will explain the rationale, goals, and some of the results of the research effort so far. Pikas represent a wonderful study organism to understand what is happening in our mountain ecosystems and are a great opportunity for citizen science to contribute meaningfully to improve understanding of their status and trends over time.

Beever has performed field research on plants, soils, amphibians, birds, reptiles, fishes, insects, and mammals of all sizes. His work has spanned a wide variety of ecosystems and he has published over 80 articles in diverse scientific journals and has edited two books. He is interested in questions at the nexus of basic and applied science, especially those that also inform management and conservation efforts for species, communities, and ecosystems.

For more information about this and other PEEC programs, visit www.peecnature.org, email programs@peecnature.org or call 505.662.0460.

PEEC was founded in 2000 to serve the community of Los Alamos. It offers people of all ages a way to enrich their lives by strengthening their connections to our canyons, mesas, mountains, and skies. PEEC operates the Los Alamos Nature Center at 2600 Canyon Road, holds regular programs and events, and hosts a number of interest groups from birding to hiking to butterfly watching. PEEC activities are open to everyone; however, members receive exclusive benefits such as discounts on programs and merchandise. Annual memberships start at $35. To learn more, visit www.peecnature.org.

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