This article forms part of our World's Rarest Mammals Series in the Animal News



As many of you know, the Vancouver Island marmot is a uniquely Canadian species, found only on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. Sadly, the current estimate is that there are less than 100 animals left in the world. They have disappeared from about 2/3rds of their natural range in the past several decades and numbers have declined by over 70% in the past decade. The Vancouver Island marmot is assuredly Canada's most critically endangered mammal.

Through the work of the Vancouver Island Marmot Recovery Project the population was finally stabilized in 2000 and 2001, and this year the Vancouver Island marmot population has finally realized an increase of approximately twenty animals. The slow climb from the brink of extinction has begun in earnest. Our goal is 400-600 VIMs living in natural marmot habitat in three separate areas on Vancouver Island.

I have been asked to look at the Marmot Recovery Foundation model used to manage this project.

Recovery Team Model

In 1988 the former BC Ministry of Environment, Land and Parks, now Water, Land and Air Protection, enlisted a group of scientists and wildlife managers (representatives from government, industry and environmental organizations) to remove the rare Vancouver Island marmot from the 'endangered' species list. This group became the Vancouver Island Recovery Team and like many other Recovery Team models has exclusive legal responsibility for managing the assigned species (the Vancouver Island marmot) under the BC Wildlife Act. The Recovery Team developed the National Recovery Plan for the Vancouver Island Marmot (Marmota vancouverensis) approved in 1994 and subsequently updated in 2000.

In addition, a hallmark of the Vancouver Island Marmot Recovery Project is the successful collaboration of varied interests that have traditionally struggled with each other over conservation issues: scientists, government, the forest industry, environmental organizations and the general public. It demonstrates the kind of multi-stakeholder approach necessary to encourage accountability, leverage funding and secure the broad based long-term commitment necessary for species recovery.

Shared Science

The Vancouver Island Marmot Recovery Team works in partnership with scientists, researchers and technical partners nationally and internationally to leverage funding and share scientific understanding of Vancouver Island marmot population recovery through collaborative research and animal management.

Our captive breeding and reintroduction program is operated in partnership with four facilities, the Calgary and Toronto zoos, Mountain View Farms (a private conservations and breeding center in Langley, BC) and our new centre the Tony Barrett Mt Washington Marmot Recovery Centre on Vancouver Island.

The Missing Link - The Marmot Recovery Foundation

The Marmot Recovery Foundation (a publicly registered charitable organization) was formed in 1998, to raise the necessary funds and carry out the associated business and administrative and public awareness activities needed to implement the Recovery Plan as set out by the Recovery Team.

Uniquely, the Marmot Recovery Foundation provides a direct link to the public and public foundations, which in turn provide important fundraising and public outreach opportunities to the Recovery Project and its partners: a very strong and innovative model for species recovery.

Our Model, Shaping a New Tomorrow

Surveys have shown the public has more trust in collaborations where they feel a broader spectrum of viewpoints will be represented and a more solid approach taken to project management. They have lost confidence in any one group's ability to tackle the complex environmental problems facing us today and no longer trust environmentalists, scientists, industry or the government alone to achieve success. They understand that complex issues require complex solutions - a collaborative approach. The Marmot Recovery Foundation represents this kind of collaboration.

The Challenges

The benefits do not come without challenges. Managing a working coalition of this kind is a big job and it is difficult at times to balance interests and ensure the partners work collaboratively. It is also challenging to manage public and private perceptions of the working group when it consists of such varied interests.

However, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. The investment of significant time and resources by our stakeholders secures their commitment and provides many more opportunities than challenges. Opportunities like shared science and knowledge, leveraged funding, public access, and the self-policing and accountability necessary for good project management. In balance, the opportunities far outweigh the challenges and the Marmot Recovery Foundation concept serves well as a model worth replicating for other species recovery plans.



Viki Wilson is the Executive Director of the Marmot Recovery Foundation

Vancouver Island Marmot is a critically endangered species, though is now, thankfully, taking its first steps on the road to recovery.

You can read more on the excellent work being done at http://www.islandnet.com/~marmot/

In support of their work, The Vancouver Island Marmot Recovery Foundation is a registered charity and accepts donations via its 'Adopt A Marmot' facility on -
http://www.islandnet.com/~marmot/subdir/adoption.html

Marmot Recovery Foundation
Box 2332, Station "A"
Nanaimo, B.C.
CANADA V9R 6X9

Phone: (250)753-8080
Toll-free: 1-877-462-7668 (1-877-4MARMOT)
Fax: (250)753-8070

Email: marmot@islandnet.com

Charitable Organization #88998-0629-RR0001