East Vail Pass between Copper Mountain Resort and the top of Vail Pass has long been identified as one of the most important wildlife movement corridors in Colorado. To restore connectivity in the area, three wildlife crossing structures – one overpass and two underpasses – have been recommended to allow wildlife to safely cross I-70. Check out this StoryMap to learn more about this important project.
The Colorado Corridors Project is an initiative of Rocky Mountain Wild and Denver Zoo to engage volunteers in wildlife monitoring at the proposed crossing structure sites. Volunteers assist with setting up and checking remote-triggered cameras in the field as well as identifying and cataloging species captured on the cameras through Zooniverse.
The wildlife data that volunteers help us collect through this project will be used to assess the effectiveness of the I-70 East Vail Pass Wildlife Crossings by comparing data collected before and after construction of the overpass.
So, be a community scientist and help us identify wildlife from the cameras on I-70, and support building a wildlife bridge so that they can cross safely!
To volunteer for the project in 2024, please fill out this form and we will let you know as soon as we have our field dates set. (Please note that transportation can be provided to the field site from the T-Rex Park and Ride in Golden.)
To volunteer on Zooniverse, visit the platform and get cataloging!