November 12, 2020 – Conservation leader Beth Pratt is hosting a free virtual talk on Wednesday, November 18 about the American pika, which will include photos and videos from her extensive encounters. Pratt, who has been observing and studying pika in Yellowstone, Yosemite and the Sierra for over a decade, claims “they are also one of the most intrepid creatures in the world for all their adorableness.”
The American pika, a small relative of hares and rabbits, lives in rocky terrain typically at high elevations. Also fondly referred to as rock rabbits, boulder bunnies, or “little chief hares,” pikas are often heard rather than seen and they call with a distinctive high-pitched “meep!” Despite the harsh winters they experience, pikas do not hibernate but instead collect vegetation, place it in the sun to dry, and then stash it into a “haystack” for winter consumption. “Pika are one of the few animals in the Sierra high country to tough it out all winter—most others migrate or hibernate to escape the challenging conditions. That’s pretty amazing for a creature that resembles a fluffy potato.”
During her talk, Pratt will also introduce people to some pika friends from the animals she observes. “Pika, like all animals, have distinct personalities, and I enjoy the cast of characters I have encountered in the pika world. For the past two years, I have been tracking Sophie and Petey and their adventures in the Tioga Pass area.” Pratt will also discuss how pika are faring with the impacts of climate change, give tips for those who would like to view pika in the wild, and take questions from the audience.
A lifelong advocate for wildlife, Pratt has worked in environmental leadership roles for over twenty-five years, and in two of the country’s largest national parks: Yosemite and Yellowstone. As the California Regional Executive Director for the National Wildlife Federation, she says, “I have the best job in the world—advocating for the state’s remarkable wildlife.” Beth leads the #SaveLACougars campaign to build the largest wildlife crossing in the world in the Los Angeles area to help save a population of mountain lions from extinction, and her conservation work has been featured by The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC World Service, CBS This Morning, the Los Angeles Times, Men’s Journal, and NPR.
Her new book, I Heart Wildlife: A Guided Activity Journal for Connecting With the Wild World, was released in August, and she is also the author of When Mountain Lions are Neighbors: People and Wildlife Working It Out In California, published by Heyday Books. The book, The Nature of Yosemite: A Visual Journey, features an essay she wrote about the pika. She has given a TEDx talk about coexisting with wildlife called, “How a Lonely Cougar in Los Angeles Inspired the World,” and is featured in the new documentary, “The Cat that Changed America.” Beth spends much of her time in LA, but makes her home outside of Yosemite, “my north star,” with her five dogs, two cats, and the mountain lions, bears, foxes, and other wildlife that frequent her backyard.
WHAT: Pika Palooza: A Fun Virtual Talk About the Most Adorable Animal on the Planet
WHEN: Wednesday, November 18, at 5:00 P.M. PT
WHERE: A live video on Beth Pratt’s Facebook Page.
For more information on Pika Palooza, visit the event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/368085214430351
For more information about Beth and her work visit: www.bethpratt.com
Source & photo credit: Beth Pratt
