Its not your usual Groundhog Day ceremony. There are no proclamations (too loud) or holding marmots in the air. To get a Vancouver Island marmots’ take on winter takes a more delicate touch.

Vancouver Island Violet is a 3-year-old female Vancouver Island marmot, and she has a full-time job – the weather prognostication is a side hustle.  As part of the captive breeding program, she plays a critical role in recovering her species population from the brink of extinction. She is just reaching adulthood, and still waiting to have her first litter of pups, who in turn would be released to wild to rebuild the fragile Vancouver Island marmot population.

In the meantime, she’s been providing the Marmot Recovery Foundation with Groundhog Day predictions. Her first prediction, made as a yearling in 2022, was six more weeks of winter, which proved to be accurate! It was extremely wintery right into June that year. Her second prediction last year was also more winter, which also proved to be accurate.

What will she predict this year?

Frequently Asked Questions:

Is a Vancouver Island marmot qualified to make a Groundhog Day prediction?

We assume you are asking about her “Goundhoggedness”? Groundhogs are marmots. Usually, the term “Groundhog” refers to Marmota monax, also known as a woodchuck. But most other North American marmot species, including the Vancouver Island marmot, have also been called Groundhogs at times – although is not the most accurate term.

Speaking of accuracy, how accurate has Van Isle Violet been in the past?

While she’s still young, Violet has been spot on to date! Two for two. Can’t complain about that.

In the past videos, it’s clear that Violet is the middle of hibernation! How can she see or not see her shadow if she’s asleep? How does she tell you if she sees her shadow?

Good questions all. We will ask her once she’s out of hibernation.

But isn’t that too late?

Sorry, Violet does not take follow up questions.

Last year, you were inside a building! How is that fair? Don’t you have to be outside?

Violet cares not about fairness. Accuracy and, most importantly, sleep, are her only concerns at this time.

That’s all until the big day. Violet needs to rest up.