Cascadia Wild

08/08/2026

We had a group of female Elk come and visit one of our cameras! These curious ungulates, also known as Wapiti are the largest cervid in Oregon with males weighing between 700-1,100 pounds! Elk can be identified by their distinctive heavily maned neck and contrasty rump patch.

08/01/2026

In one of the cutest events of the early summer season, young black bear cubs were spotted following their mother on our camera traps in the Mt. Hood National Forest! Cubs will typically stay by their mother's side for about a year and a half, learning the crucial skills of hunting, foraging, and avoiding danger.

07/25/2026

Earlier this spring one of our cameras caught this encounter between a doe and a talkative turkey! Male turkeys can become territorial and aggressive during the spring as they compete for mates. This behavior is actually quite similar to deer behavior during their fall rut. (volume up! 🔊)

07/05/2026

In this past Wildlife Weekly Newsletter for volunteers we got to share this AMAZING video! The camera that took this video is owned and maintained by one of our volunteers who is putting it to use to help the project.

These two wolves were seen using this watering hole near Mt. Hood for a quick hydration break and some balancing practice! watering holes like these provide a spot for a wide variety of wildlife to gather and are critical resources for mammals, birds, amphibians and insects!

06/27/2026

Our camera team captured a picture of our first cougar of the summer! (A.K.A. mountain lion or puma, take your pick, it's all the same for 𝘗𝘶𝘮𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘳). This same individual was spotted at a second camera shortly after! Cougars are highly territorial, so it's not surprising that there aren't too many different individuals in the same area, with their territories ranging from 50-300 square miles.

06/20/2026

Summer survey season is in full swing! Our camera team has already captured a lot of species, including wolves! One of the highlights so far has been the many curious black bears visiting our camera sites.

There are 16 recognized subspecies of Black Bears and these are likely our Pacific Northwest subspecies: Ursus americanus altifrontalis commonly known as the Olympic Black Bear. Black Bear activity is ramping up as mating season approaches and these bears cover more ground!

05/16/2026

Our biggest highlight of the season was seeing this wolf pair visit one of our volunteer owned cameras! They are the breeding pair of the Mt. Hood wolf pack, a new pack recognized by ODFW!

We also saw Western grey squirrels, who are very cute and fluffy but also a species of interest for us. In Oregon, they are a considered a sensitive species due to habitat loss.

What animal visited most of our camera locations? We assumed it would be deer, but it was actually coyote!

Our summer season is starting in a few weeks, stay tuned for more photos!

05/01/2026

Our winter survey season is coming to a close, and Mt. Hood is getting ready for summer, just like we are! A bear emerged from torpor and made a nighttime appearance on one of our wildlife cameras.

Do you want to be a community scientist, or even just hang out in the woods? Come volunteer with us this summer! Between our camera surveys, s**t surveys, and tracking surveys, we have something for everyone! Check out our website (https://www.cascadiawild.org/)to sign up. Registration ends May 18th!

Stay tuned for our end of season wrap up next week!

04/24/2026

Earlier this season, our cameras recorded a fisher in the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge! This is the furthest south one has been spotted since they were reintroduced to Washington. Fisher reintroduction in Washington spanned 2008-2021. The Wolverine Tracking project and our camera surveys play an important role in tracking animal movement, contributing to species management plans and conservation strategies!

Interested in supporting Cascadia Wild? We are raffling off a wind surfing lesson for two, courtesy of Big Winds in Hood River. The raffle ends on Saturday at 5pm! Click the link in our bio to enter!

04/17/2026