Cosumnes River Preserve Mountain Lion Camera Trap Project Begun March 2014 – Concluded March 2018 The Preserve’s mountain lion camera trap project was conducted over the course of four years. It began in 2014 when the Bureau of Land Management initiated the project in collaboration with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. For the last three years, the study was carried forward by our all-volunteer crew of dedicated individuals with continued support and oversight

The Preserve was covered in an early morning sea of mist and we watched as the sun rose and illuminated the tiny water droplets swirling around us. Ground mist even swirled out along the roadway as we passed ducks and coots quietly moving through the ponds on either side of the road. We knew this might be an abbreviated camera check day due to last week’s heavy, steady rains and we weren’t disappointed about that!

Wildlife on the Preserve has still been living with freezing weather as the temperature drops to mid- to low 30s and lower at night, bringing frost and extremely cold mornings. Our lowest temperature on the trail cameras registered at 23 degrees just last week! Wildlife faces daily challenges, including ways to stay warm in cold weather like this. Wild animals spend just about their whole lives on four really important tasks: looking for food and

Some days are more wildlife-prone than others.  We’re always on the lookout for mountain lion sign and hope this will be the day we catch a puma padding by on one of our cameras, but we always find great joy in seeing any and all of the wildlife that calls the Preserve its home. In The Field This morning, in addition to mountain lion sign, we hoped aloud for sightings of the bald eagles that

One word. Cold! Driving out to the Preserve, the sky was aflight with geese seeking morning forage and loafing areas and their silhouettes were dramatic against the flaming background of morning colors. It was 32 degrees with frost on the ground as the sun rose over the Sierra Nevada to the east and gave a gorgeous show through early morning clouds, sending pink, coral and soft orange hues shooting across the sky. It was a