WALLA WALLA, Wash. –
Conservation efforts with the use of technology in the Blue Mountain area are gaining attention.
Dr. Ben Vernasco, a research scientist for Whitman College, shared insights into how sound and DNA are being used to study local wildlife.
“Animals, birds in particular, make sounds for a variety of reasons, whether it’s to communicate with their mate or offspring or alert everybody to the presence of a predator,” said Dr. Vernasco.
The affordability and ease of measuring sound allows researchers to deploy devices throughout forests to capture soundscapes. These recordings are then analyzed with AI to identify different bird species.
The data helps researchers learn where animals are located across landscapes and how they use their habitats. It provides insights into where species are reproducing, a task challenging to observe directly.
Dr. Vernasco also highlighted the use of DNA in studying elusive species like the gray-crowned rosy finch. This songbird breeds at high elevations in the Wallowa Mountains, making traditional study methods difficult.
“We can use DNA to understand questions that are otherwise really difficult to answer,” he said, including diet, population connectivity, and evolutionary history.
These topics will be discussed at an event at 7:00 p.m. at First Lutheran Church in Kennewick.
The Lower Columbia Basin Audubon Society is assisting with the event.
Speaking of Audubon Societies, Blue Mountain’s own is a large part of the citizen-research being done on the local wildlife.
The Friends of Blue Mountain Audubon Society is taking steps to prevent bird-window collisions in collaboration with the Walla Walla Community College Water and Environmental Center.
The society, founded in 1972, focuses on conservation and education.
Bruce Barga from the Audubon Society explained that their initiative began about a year ago when the Water Center noticed numerous birds striking their windows.
“We’ve all had that happen. It’s a sickening feeling,” Barga said.
The group has been monitoring the windows daily for a year, documenting where birds hit, the species involved, and which windows need treatment.
For those interested in bird conservation, the Friends of Blue Mountain Audubon Society offers opportunities to get involved.
They host Tuesday morning bird walks at Bennington Lake, starting at 8:00 a.m., rain or shine.
Participants record their observations and share the data with eBird to track migration patterns and other concerns.
More information on the Blue Mountain Audubon Society can be found on their website.
The society’s efforts, alongside the efforts of researchers like Vernasco, highlight the importance of community involvement in conservation and the role citizen scientists play in research and preservation.
