Contact: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Embere Hall

North American Pika Consortium

307.413.2253

emberehall@gmail.com

THE NORTH AMERICAN PIKA CONSORTIUM COMES TO GOLDEN

Free Keynote Address with Dr. Preston Somers

Dr. Preston Somers will share his pioneering research on the vocalizations of the American pika at a free event on Friday, April 17 at 730p at American Mountaineering Center in Golden, Colorado.

Dr. Somers, Professor Emeritus of Biology at Fort Lewis College, will also talk about his experiences with citizen efforts to monitor pika populations.

The keynote address is part of the 3rd Conference of the North American Pika Consortium (April 17-18).

The conference features 26 presentations by researchers, biologists and ecologists who study the pika. Topics include pika conservation, habitat use, behavior and population trends as well as next-steps in pika research and citizen outreach.

“This conference is cute-and-fuzzy meets global change. Imagine trekking up a mountain to learn about climate by looking at how it affects one species along the way." says Chris Ray, Research Associate with the University of Colorado-Boulder and member of the conference planning team. The conference provides an exceptional opportunity to learn both about pikas, and about how studying one species can refine our understanding of a global process."

American pikas were petitioned for listing under the Endangered Species Act in 2007 amid concerns about the effects of climate change. The petition was denied in 2010, largely due to a lack of information on the species and how it might respond to new climate dynamics.

A full conference program, along with registration details, can be found at the conference website (http://www.tetonscience.org/teton-research-institute/pika- conference).

The conference is sponsored by Teton Science Schools and the Craighead Institute.

The North American Pika Consortium, founded in 2010, is an organization of researchers, educators and citizens interested in American pikas.

Teton Science Schools is an organization in northwest Wyoming and Idaho comprised of seven program areas sharing a common vision of education. TSS has been teaching about the natural world and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem since 1967. Teton Science Schools' mission is to connect people, nature and place through education, science and stewardship.

The Craighead Institute has been in operation for 50 years and was founded in 1964 by renowned grizzly bear researcher Dr. Frank Craighead. The institute’s mission is to maintain healthy populations of native plants, wildlife and people as part of sustainable, functioning ecosystems.

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