Who We Are

A conservation science research nongovernmental organization.

Our Mission is to study and restore carnivore populations at risk of extinction and the mountain ecosystems they call home through innovative science, strong partnerships and local community action.

Dale–A Mount Rainier wolverine from our study area. Photo Credit: Kayla Shively, Cascades Carnivore Project Field Alumnus

Our Vision

Ensure thriving carnivore populations and healthy mountain ecosystems for generations to come by developing actionable conservation strategies with management partners for carnivore recovery and coexistence that is threatened by human encroachment, habitat fragmentation and climate change.

Subalpine carnivore habitat, Mount Adams, WA. Photo credit: Michael Hanson — TREKKING THROUGH RARE CARNIVORE HABITAT ON PAHTO | MOUNT ADAMS, WA. Photo Credit: Michael Hanson

Our Goals

Collaborate with Native American Tribes, government agencies, other conservation groups, and local individuals to understand the drivers of carnivore declines and develop management priorities for their recovery that will inform conservation strategies and plans.
Make long-standing change through local community action that raises public awareness and support for the protection of carnivores and their mountain homes.
Inspire the next generation of scientists and conservationists.

Cascade red fox (known as Ginger) in Mount Rainier. Photo by: Gretchen Kay Stuart

Our Science Program and Projects

Monitoring the Return of Wolverines to Washington’s South Cascades Ecosystem.
Cascade Red Fox Ecology and Conservation.
Canada Lynx Abundance, Genetic Status and Connectivity in Washington’s North Cascades and British Columbia.
Niche Partitioning of North Cascades Montane Carnivores in Face of a Changing Climate.

Cascade Red Fox by Gretchen Kay Stuart — Cross-phase Cascade Red Fox of Mount Rainier National Park (known as Whitefoot). Photo Credit: Gretchen Kay Stuart

Our Values

Scientific integrity - We employ innovative and rigorous scientific practices to advance our collective understanding of carnivore populations and mountain ecosystems
Collaboration - Our work is made possible through collaborations with State Parks, Fish & Wildlife, research universities, tribes, and community scientists
Interdependence - We believe that everything is connected. By understanding and protecting the mountain home of high alpine carnivores, we protect and preserve our own home as well
Dogged determination - We work in wild and rugged environments and solve problems as they arise. We are driven by passion and tenacity. We keep at it until No’s become YES.

Watch our film collaboration with Mount Rainier National Park. Join the movement to protect the Cascade red fox and other rare carnivores. Learn about our community science program.

Cascades Carnivore Project, in collaboration with the National Park Service, discovered the first reproductive female wolverine and her kits in Mount Rainier National Park in over a century. Read more about the news.

The two kits of female wolverine nicknamed in July 2020 at Mount Rainier National Park.

Carnivore Conservation in Our Changing World

During the last century, many carnivore species have suffered significant declines in their distribution and abundance including several local extinctions (also known as extirpations) in the Cascade Range - of wolverines, fishers, gray wolves and grizzly bears. The good news is that some of these species are starting to recover as the historical threats of overharvest and predator control programs have been significantly reduced and these species are returning on their own and with human’s help. We have the opportunity to coexist and understand that our iconic Northwest landscape once again includes wolverine kits playing in the snow, gray wolves howling in wild, alpine meadows, and fishers finding protection in mature forests. However, climate change, significant human development and increased outdoor recreation pose novel challenges for wildlife today. Our aim is to meet these challenges by studying rare carnivores across landscapes and providing clear solutions to promote thriving carnivore populations in the West.

Camera trap photo of a wolverine captured at one of Cascades Carnivore Project’s noninvasive bait stations.

Our Approach

Long or short (ermine) -tailed weasel in the snow? #mustelafrenata #mustelaerminea

Spring has sprung, even at high elevations in the Cascades. The snow is melting, corn snow is forming, Clark’s nutcrackers are nesting, temps are rising. We enjoyed a gorgeous day on Mount Adams yesterday looking for wolverines and foxes, and testing out our new Browning cell-enabled wildlife cameras.

Great 🦊 gift card by foundandrewound.com, our friends up in Parkdale, Oregon

Bobcat (Lynx rufus) on Bethel Ridge, east of Mount Rainier

Pacific marten at an integrated wolverine monitoring station m Washington’s South Cascades.

Mountain goat in a little gap on the NE side of Mount Rainier.

Spent a day in the field with the indomitable Mirjam Barrueto @wolverine_watch Skied through some gorgeous Selkirk valleys, encountered wolverine tracks on several occasions, and endlessly chatted about all things wolverine. A really fantastic day and an incredible project! Can’t wait to see what you find. #selkirkmountains #gulogulo

Bobcat on Tamanos Peak last summer. This little notch on a ridge northeast of Mount Rainier proper drew a whole slew of critters #mountrainier #washington #boredofhashtags

Wolverine M6 on the Helena National Forest captured in this incredible shot by our friend @kalonbaughan in partnership with @mpg_ranch They are conducting some really cool wolverine monitoring. See more of Kalon’s incredible artwork at the link in our bio. #wolverine #kalonbaughan #wildlifeart #montana #wildmontana #wolverineresearch #conservationbiology #nature

Fisher near Skyline Lake

Pacific marten peering out at a lone backcountry skier in Washington’s Central Cascades

Cascade red fox in a subalpine habitat. Kids please send us your carnivore illustrations!

Bobcat tracks on Mount Hood

Stunned by the flash? Probably. This male wolverine that we nicknamed Van has been roaming the South Cascades since at least 2017 when we first documented him. He bred last spring with a Mount Rainier female nicknamed Joni. #gulogulo

Wolverine in a snowstorm on Mount Rainier this past summer! #gulogulo

Thank you everyone for your incredible support this year! HAPPY NEW YEAR! ❤️ 🐾 Donate at least $20 today and we’ll send you a blue CCP T-Shirt!

Canada lynx in North Cascades National Park. We spent the past 3 summers collecting data on carnivore presence and their food habits in the North Cascades Ecosystem to study who eats what and how interactions amongst carnivores may shift with climate change. This is a super fruitful collaboration with our friends @ncascadesnps and #washingtonstateuniversity. We’ll be sharing photos from the trail cameras the 3 partner teams set in the park during 2018 and 2019.

Pacific marten resting on a rock along a trail above Stehekin in North Cascades National Park. This photo is from a 2-year effort to study carnivore predation in the park with Washington State University.

Pacific marten (Martes caurina) at an Integrated Monitoring Station in the Goat Rocks Wilderness. These stations integrate cameras with DNA collection so we can identify individuals and species via both photographs and DNA, and allow us to assess how well carnivore populations are faring in the Cascades from a conservation standpoint.

Wolverine in profile coming up onto a cedar tree, bent by snow, to find a beaver bait.

We’re dedicated to long-term research that drives real conservation action—protecting rare and elusive carnivores like wolverines, Cascade red foxes, and Canada lynx, and helping them thrive in the wild for generations to come.

For these species of conservation concern, we provide critical data and analysis on their status and threats to help inform and promote effective management strategies. Much of our research employs non-invasively collected DNA samples to understand how populations are connected across large landscapes.

Do good things with great people!

We believe that lasting change happens when passionate people work well together. We accomplish more by working with others through public participation, local community action and genuine collaborations where all partner bring their best and actively participate on the project. We are committed to growing together and nurturing these vital relationships. We love working with stakeholders who share common goals and are willing to jointly share the responsibilities, resources, and rewards of our conservation efforts to ensure we all do better to protect our planet.