The Vancouver Island Marmot Is it worth saving? What can we do? Lindsay Hinds Educ 406 Assignment #11

In Order To Answer This Question We Need To Know About... The Life Cycle of the Vancouver Island Marmot Their Habitat Why they are endangered

But First...Some Terminology We Will Need to Know. Lifecycle Lifecycle: changes an organism passes through during it’s development. Habitat Habitat: place or environment where an animal normally lives. Endangered Endangered: species threatened with extinction.

Let’s Look at Their Lifecycle They have rich chocolate brown fur with contrasting white patches They grow as big as house cats They Build big burrows and hibernate in them from September to April Feed on Grasses and Flowers Highly social and they live in colonies

Let’s Look at Their Habitat high mountain The Marmot are found in high mountain areas on Vancouver Island and nowhere else in the world. sub- alpine meadows These areas are called sub- alpine meadows. They require deep soil for burrowing and good look out spots. colonize Teenage males move and colonize other areas when they are old enough.

Why the Vancouver Island Marmot is Endangered....? Clear-cuts: Colonizing Males mistake clear cuts for sub alpine terrain. Fewer Offspring: Marmots won’t travel as far and seek new mates. Disease: Diseases may spread easily in clear cuts. Predators: Marmots may be more visible in clear cuts.

Facts About Endangered Marmots

Declining Marmot PopulationNumbers. Declining Marmot Population Numbers.

Conclusion The wild populations of Marmots are declining. Some Marmots are in captivity in order to increase their survival and to help produce new offspring. Clear-cuts reduce the survival of the Marmots Marmots are like any organism special and an integral part of an environment (ecosystem). The Vancouver Island Marmots are extra-special because they are found nowhere else on earth The Vancouver Island Marmots need our help.

Your Assignment In order to help increase the survival of the Vancouver Island Marmot you will need to inform more peoples about their dim situation. You will create one of the following documents:  Newspaper Article (letter to the editor)  Journal Entry  Poster or a banner  Letter to a Forestry Company In your document you will state your reasons why the Vancouver Island Marmot must be saved and why you need the intended audiences support.

Evaluation of Assignment Criteria for EvaluationMarked out of Grammar. /10 Creativity /20 You’ve stated your position and defended it. /10 Neatness of format used. /5