The Oregon Zoo is recruiting volunteers to seek out one of the Columbia River Gorge’s fluffiest residents: the American pika.  Cascades Pika Watch is a collaboration between organizations and volunteers convened by the zoo to locate and map pika populations.  Pikas are potato-sized members of the rabbit family, known for their squeak-toy alarm calls frequently heard among the rocky slopes of the Cascade volcanoes throughout the Columbia River Gorge.  Pikas’ particular habitat and temperature requirements may make them especially vulnerable to a warming climate — and especially interesting to biologists studying the effects of climate change.  Pika Watch volunteers helped document the gorge population’s recovery following the 2017 Eagle Creek fire.  This year, volunteers will begin monitoring sites at the edges of the pika’s core habitat, where the Gorge passes into the dry, eastern rain shadow of the Cascades.  Cascades Pika Watch volunteers conduct regular surveys to track pika presence across the region. Sites are accessed via public hiking trails, and no special skills are required.  A training session is set for May 10 at 5:30 p.m. at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center.  Go to gorgediscovery.org for sign-up information.