Project CAT

Students, teachers and scientist teams study the cougar in Cle Elum, Washington.by Russell Sparkman, Fusionspark Media, Inc.

Cle Elum students with a kitten that will be ear-tagged as a part of Project CAT research. © Gary Koehler Image of Cle Elum students with a kitten that will be ear-tagged as a part of Project CAT research.

Image of Cle Elum students with a kitten that will be ear-tagged as a part of Project CAT research.

What do Washington state biologist Gary Koehler and middle school teacher Trish Griswold have in common?

The answer is Project CAT, an innovative cougar research program in which students in Cle Clum, Washington work side by side with scientists in the field.

Cle Elum is nestled in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, and covered in snow in winter. In the ridges surrounding the town are deer, elk and ... Cougars. As more people move in, chances of cougar and human interactions increase.

Understanding cougar behavior and alleviating fear of the wild cats is what brought scientists together with the students in Cle Elum.

"Working with kids ... they’re the best ambassadors to get this info into the community and I think that Project CAT has demonstrated that." - Gary Koehler, Cougar Researcher

Project CAT (cougars & teaching) was established in 2000 as a partnership between the Cle Elum-Roslyn school district and the Washington State Department of Fish & Wildlife (WSDFW) to research the impacts of local development on cougar habitat and behavior along the eastern slopes of Washington's Cascade range. The project has been a powerful vehicle for engaging hundreds of k-12 students, teachers, and community members in authentic scientific research and has fostered an understanding and appreciation for the wildlife living in their backyard.

According to Koehler, since 2000 over 40 cats in the Cle Elum area were captured and tagged with GPS and VHS collars.

Joining the scientist in the field during the tracking and radio-collaring expeditions were the students from the Cle Elum-Roslyn School District.

[+ ZOOM] Students from the Cle-Elum middle and high school worked in the field alongside researchers to collect samples and measurements from tranquilized cougars. © Gary Koehler

Image of Students from the Cle-Elum middle and high school worked in the field alongside researchers to collect samples and measurements from tranquilized cougars.

During these outings, explained Griswold, the tranquilized cat would be lowered to the ground, and the students would have an opportunity to touch the cat. The students were also part of the scientific team, and were given responsibilities such as taking measurements of the cat's length and girth, as well as its teeth.

Griswold describes the experience of the students as transformational.

"When the kids come in from the great outdoors and they've been on a capture," she reflects, "they know they're part of a very large ecosytem and they have a lot of respect for their place in it." As a result, the students often became ambassadors for the cougar in their community.

For Koehler, the opportunity to share his cougar research with the community through the students was the key to Project CAT's success.

"It’s a demand from us is that we share this information not only with our colleagues in the scientific world, but in the community," explains Koehler, "because that’s where this information is going to be used. So working with the community is important. Working with kids ... they’re the best ambassadors to get this info into the community and I think that Project Cat has demonstrated that."