Looks like it’s not quite time to put away our winter clothes! This morning, the resident BC ‘groundhog’, Van Isle Violet, managed to see her shadow, predicting 6 more weeks of winter. But don’t despair too much, because there’s quite a lot to be happy about.
Turns out that Van Isle Violet is a Vancouver Island Marmot, which is a critically endangered species of marmot that still belongs to the ‘groundhog’ (Sciuridae) family. And while we might not be super stoked about 6 more weeks of winter, more snow on the ground means a longer cycle for endemic plants, keeping meadows greener for longer. Van Isle Violet, the BC resident ‘groundhog’ is monitored by the Marmot Recovery Foundation, which has been working since 1999 to save the species from extinction.
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Van Isle Violet delivers her #GroundHogDay2022 prediction. Yes, you have to watch the science stuff first. There’s hardly any, and features marmots Louis and Bluebell. Also Dr. McAdie’s hands. pic.twitter.com/LDcsu6tQfp
— Marmot Recovery Fdn (@MarmotRecovery) February 2, 2022
What’s more, the Vancouver Island Marmot population seems to be growing, with a notable 17% increase back in 2019. If longer winters means these cute little animals get to prosper even more, then we can definitely stomach some cold weather.
So, what are we going to do in the meanwhile? Well, maybe it’s time to revisit some of the best winter activities in and around Vancouver. Then, once we’re done with that, we might just have to give one of our favourite movies a little rewatch.
Of course, we’d much rather hang out with Van Isle Violet than Punxsutawney Phil. She’s just cooler.
