Project CAT (Cougars & Teaching) was established in 2000 as a partnership between the Cle Elum-Roslyn School District and the Washington State Department of Fish & Wildlife (WSDFW) to research the impacts of local development on cougar habitat and behavior along the eastern slopes of Washington's Cascade Range. The project has been a powerful vehicle for engaging hundreds of K-12 students, teachers, and community members in authentic scientific research and has fostered an understanding and appreciation for the wildlife living in their backyard.

Although the eight year field research component has come to an end, elements of Project CAT continue through Cle Elum-Roslyn School District's Stewardship of Place curriculum. Our hope is that this site serves as a resource for others to create similar research partnerships.