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Marmot Recovery Foundation @marmotrecovery.bsky.social · 5d

But the end result is worth it - a species returning from the brink of extinction! Photo Kevin Gourlay

Four field crew with backpacks - L to R: Kevin Gourlay, Shayn McAskin, Heather Heim, and Tyler Gill.

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Marmot Recovery Foundation @marmotrecovery.bsky.social · 5d

The insects can be intense, both for us and the marmots! Video Adam Taylor

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Marmot Recovery Foundation @marmotrecovery.bsky.social · 5d

The marmots are most active at dawn and dusk, and often disappear during the heat of the day. At least it provides an opportunity for a little rest. Photo Heather Heim.

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Marmot Recovery Foundation @marmotrecovery.bsky.social · 5d

Often that means being self-contained in the backcountry for several days, responsible for both your kit and additional field gear. Photo Heather Heim.

Two tents on a rock field overlooking mountain peaks. Photo Heather Heim

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Marmot Recovery Foundation @marmotrecovery.bsky.social · 5d

Normally I post about the marmots, but this time I’d like to take a moment and some photos of the people who do the on-the-ground recovery work to recover this species. We work where the marmots live: remote, high elevation. Photo Heather Heim

Tyler Gill hikes along the edge of steep rock slope above the tree line.

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Marmot Recovery Foundation @marmotrecovery.bsky.social · 7d

RIP Dr. Jane Goodall. Her work and spirit inspired many of us to get involved in - and continue with - conservation. She often used the Vancouver Island marmots as example of what conservation can accomplish. May we all find hope in resiliency.
thetyee.ca/Culture/2018...

Jane Goodall Isn’t Giving Up | The Tyee

Faced with mass species die-offs and presidential horrors, the dazzling doctor still finds hope in resiliency. A Tyee interview.

thetyee.ca

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Marmot Recovery Foundation @marmotrecovery.bsky.social · 7d

Congrats to "Chunk" for wining Fat Bear Week! The question is can he go up against fat marmot “Gob” who is also prepping for hibernation?!?

Yeah, he probably can. In fact, on second thought, we should walk this back … forget we said anything.

A Vancouver Island marmot, with chocolate brown fur, a white nose, and white belly, stands up. He is chunky - for a marmot. But not for a Grizzly. He also has really big paws! Again, for a marmot, not a Grizzly.

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Marmot Recovery Foundation @marmotrecovery.bsky.social · 15d

Hmmm, I will take this under consideration. Despite their cute appearance, marmots can be bitingly sarcastic. I firmly believe Joey was taunting my trapping skills in the first photo.

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Marmot Recovery Foundation @marmotrecovery.bsky.social · 16d

We are happy to see him in good health! It is likely he will continue to explore his new mountain home for a couple more weeks, and then settle down for hibernation.

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Marmot Recovery Foundation @marmotrecovery.bsky.social · 16d

Born at @thetorontozoo.bsky.social in 2024 and released to the wild earlier this summer, Gob has decided visit his layover "hotel" at the Tony Barrett Mount Washington Recovery Centre.

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Marmot Recovery Foundation @marmotrecovery.bsky.social · 16d

WARNING: Guard Marmot on Duty

A Vancouver Island Marmot sits in the grass in front of a sign that reads "Restricted Area"

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Marmot Recovery Foundation @marmotrecovery.bsky.social · 17d

Thank you to Mount Washington and everyone who came out yesterday for Plaid at the Peak to support Vancouver Island marmot recovery efforts!

Gob kept a careful eye on all the visitors to make sure they behaved!

Photo taken by Adam Taylor during the Plaid at the Peak event.

A Vancouver Island marmot watches the camera among green shrubs and white wildflowers (For those curious Pearly everlasting, and yes marmots eat them, though they don't appear to be a favorite). Photo Adam Taylor

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Marmot Recovery Foundation @marmotrecovery.bsky.social · 23d

Is this an example of blepping? Is blepping a word? We find in both cases the answer is we’ll accept it.

A very young Vancouver Island marmot engages in a full body stretch - including it's tongue while lounging in the green grass of an early summer alpine meadow.

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Marmot Recovery Foundation @marmotrecovery.bsky.social · 23d

There is no serious discussion about whether the correct term is “blepped” or “raspberried.” But there should be. Here is a contemplative blep. Or raspberry.

Esmeralda's blep is that of a thoughtful, thinking Vancouver Island marmot. She retains the white nose and pink tongue of other Vancouver Island marmots, but has grown beyond the white chest patch.

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Marmot Recovery Foundation @marmotrecovery.bsky.social · 23d

New life goal: to be blepped by the world’s rarest mammals. First up – the Vancouver Island marmot. A photo essay.

A Vancouver Island marmot, Joey to be specific, confidently bleps our photographer Adam Taylor. Joey shares his white nose and chest patch chocolate coloured fur and joy of blepping with other Vancouver Island marmots.

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Marmot Recovery Foundation @marmotrecovery.bsky.social · 27d

“The name is Bond. James Bond.”
“Hello Mr. Bond. I’ll just look you up in the database…”
“You don’t need to do that, just…”
“It says here your name is ‘Shimmer’?”
“I TOLD YOU NOT TO LOOK!”

Two marmots peer out of a nest box. The top marmot has an ear tag that reads "007". That's it. That's the joke - the marmot is not named Bond, which, obviously, was a missed opportunity.

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Marmot Recovery Foundation @marmotrecovery.bsky.social · Sep 5

The "feeder" is actually playground equipment. Don't know how we missed that!

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Marmot Recovery Foundation @marmotrecovery.bsky.social · Sep 5

We misunderstood the instructions and put the biscuits *inside* the feeder. Fortunately this marmot was willing to lend a paw and fix our mistake.

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Marmot Recovery Foundation @marmotrecovery.bsky.social · Aug 21

The pup in the photo above would be about 6 to 7 weeks old, and had been above ground for about 2 weeks at the time of the photo. Here is a pup from the same litter (maybe the same pup?) taken almost exactly one month later - it has grown quite a bit! All photos by me (Adam Taylor)

A Vancouver Island marmot pup rests on a rock.

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Marmot Recovery Foundation @marmotrecovery.bsky.social · Aug 21

Of course, our recovery efforts are “putting a finger on the scale” so to speak. One of the primary goals of our spring supplemental feeding program is to bulk up marmot moms, so they have the body condition to produce litters more frequently than they might otherwise.

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Marmot Recovery Foundation @marmotrecovery.bsky.social · Aug 21

However, 68 is the second largest number of pups in the past decade – that’s hardly a down year! And there are likely more pups out there yet to be found.

3 Vancouver Island marmot pups hang out near their burrow. One is feeling a little shouty.

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Marmot Recovery Foundation @marmotrecovery.bsky.social · Aug 21

Vancouver Island marmots moms typically wean a litter every other year during their adult years. As a result, following an “up year” like last summer, it is normal to have a “down year” – which we expected for this year.

A Vancouver Island marmot pup sit on a rock to get a good view of it's surroundings.

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Marmot Recovery Foundation @marmotrecovery.bsky.social · Aug 21

So far this summer, we’ve counted 68 pups, and we are still finding more! Last year, the Vancouver Island marmot set a new record with over 100 wild-born pups, and while we are unlikely to reach those numbers again this year, but we are happily surprised at the number of pups we have counted.

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Marmot Recovery Foundation @marmotrecovery.bsky.social · Aug 17

Zoom and enhance! Okay, it still isn't easy to spot the marmot, but her head is a little more visible!

Among the green is a brown shadow - that's a marmot head!

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Marmot Recovery Foundation @marmotrecovery.bsky.social · Aug 17

Spot the marmot. It's easy to get distracted by the view but you have a job to do.

A steep sub-alpine meadow with blue flowers with more mountains in the background. Oh, and a marmot head. It's there, not big sure, but it is visible (barely).

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