Using citizen science to drive community results
Citizen science is when people within a community—like you—help researchers by gathering information, observing wildlife, and contributing to real-world data collection. Whenever you report a sighting on Facebook, Nextdoor, or directly through our reporting page, you are actively participating in citizen science.
Since January 2024, we have been building a centralized database of carnivore activity across the Sierra Nevada Foothills. What began as mountain lion monitoring in El Dorado County has expanded to include black bears, gray wolves, and multiple counties throughout the region. Today, our work spans the broader foothill landscape, integrating public sightings, camera trap data, and, where available, agency-reported information.
This growing dataset allows us to analyze when and where carnivores are moving, how they interact with people and livestock, and what conditions lead to conflict. Just as importantly, it helps identify patterns and practical strategies that reduce risk. By turning community observations into structured data, we provide residents, ranchers, and wildlife managers with timely, actionable insights to support coexistence.
From Community Data to Applied Research
The observations submitted by the community don’t just get mapped—they become part of a growing dataset that we actively analyze. By combining public sightings with camera trap data and other sources, we’re able to move beyond individual reports and begin identifying broader ecological patterns.
This work allows us to answer key questions: Where are carnivores most active? When are they moving? How do landscape features influence their behavior? And under what conditions are conflicts with people or livestock more likely to occur?
The reports below are the result of that effort—turning community-driven data into applied research that supports coexistence, informs management decisions, and advances our understanding of carnivore ecology in El Dorado County, forming the foundation for our ongoing expansion across the Sierra Nevada foothills.
2024 Spatial Analysis of Sightings Data
This report examines where mountain lions were observed across El Dorado County and how environmental features—such as elevation, terrain ruggedness, and proximity to cover—help explain those patterns.
2025 Mountain Lion Annual Report
This report builds on that foundation by analyzing both where and when mountain lions are active within El Dorado County. It identifies landscape-level features associated with a higher likelihood of human encounters and provides practical, research-based recommendations for homeowners and landowners to reduce risk and limit conditions that may increase lion use of residential areas.
