2026 Rocky Mountain National Park Community Science Award Presented to Colorado Pika Project

Rocky Mountain National Park is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2026 Community Science Award. This award recognizes community science projects or individuals who have made substantial contributions to public engagement in science and have helped to address management-related issues through public data collection.

Bryce Ehrhardt of Rocky Mountain Wild and Julie Krajewski of Denver Zoo (left) accept the 2026 Community Science Award on behalf of the Colorado Pika Project during the Rocky Mountain National Park Biennial Research Conference. NPS

The Colorado Pika Project is a powerful example of community science in action - uniting volunteers, scientists, land managers, and partner organizations to advance conservation of the American pika (Ochotona princeps), a climate-sensitive indicator species native to alpine ecosystems. This project serves as a model for aspiring community science programs to follow due to their dedication to management-quality data collection while increasing science literacy and engagement with members of the public through survey efforts.

Founded in 2010 as the Front Range Pika Project through a partnership between Rocky Mountain Wild and the Denver Zoo, the program expanded over time to include monitoring sites across the Front Range, Rocky Mountain National Park and the White River National Forest. In 2021, volunteers voted to rename the initiative the Colorado Pika Project, reflecting its growing reach and impact across the state.

At the heart of the project are Pika Patrollers – a group of dedicated community scientists trained to collect long-term monitoring data on the American pika. By hiking to remote, mountainous survey sites and recording pika presence and habitat characteristics, volunteers have helped generate one of North America’s most comprehensive pika datasets.

These data are invaluable for researchers and land managers seeking to understand how changing conditions affect wildlife and high-elevation ecosystems. Beyond rigorous field surveys, the project embraces accessible engagement through tools like the Pika Patrol app, enabling community members of all backgrounds to contribute observations of pikas wherever they find them — further broadening public involvement in science and conservation.

The Colorado Pika Project exemplifies the spirit of community science: empowering volunteers to contribute to real research, fostering stewardship through education, and providing reliable data that informs conservation decisions. Its success demonstrates how collaborative efforts between volunteers, scientists, and partner organizations can create enduring partnerships and meaningful conservation outcomes in response to changing conditions.

We sincerely thank Colorado Pika Project for their significant contributions and are pleased to present them with this Community Science Award in recognition of their commitment to the mission of Rocky Mountain National Park.

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