Meadows And ‘Marmoteers’: Community Science In Olympic National Park

On a summer visit to Olympic National Park’s high alpine destination, Hurricane Ridge, the first thing many visitors notice is the panoramic view of rocky peaks, lingering snowfields, meadows stitched with wildflowers, and the soft humming of insects. But listen a little closer, and you might hear something else: a sharp whistle echoing through the hills. That unexpected call belongs to the Olympic marmot, one of the park’s most beloved residents.

If you’ve never heard of an Olympic marmot, you’re not alone. A charismatic, highly social rodent, Olympic marmots are endemic to this small corner of the Pacific Northwest and only live in the mountains of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula.

In the 1990s, park scientists observed a steep decline in Olympic marmot numbers and realized they needed better information about how the species was faring. Their answer became one of the the park’s most creative community science efforts — and one of its most beloved.

Since 2010, Olympic National Park has trained teams of volunteer “Marmoteers” to help track and document marmots in alpine and subalpine habitat each summer.

These community scientists hike into designated survey areas and carefully scan the landscape, recording whether marmots are present or absent in each patch of habitat. Over time, these surveys reveal population trends, re-colonization of old burrows, and areas where marmots may be disappearing.

The program now surveys 30 areas across the park. About 124 volunteers take part each year, and over the past 14 years more than 1,000 people have contributed upwards of 44,000 volunteer hours to the effort.

Roughly two-thirds of them come back for more than one season — an impressive retention rate for a physically demanding volunteer project. That commitment speaks to what the Marmoteers program really is: not just data collection, but a pipeline for building life-long stewards of Olympic National Park and its wildlife.

Field science doesn’t always sound like a fun family activity, but marmot monitoring is changing that perception. Each volunteer group must include at least two adults for safety, but kids are welcome — and they often become the best marmot spotters in the crew.

New and returning Marmoteers participate in a full day of training, where they learn about marmot biology, data collection methods, and backcountry safety before hitting the trail. Many come away with a deeper understanding of how fragile alpine and subalpine ecosystems can be — and how much work it takes to keep them functioning.

Why Monitoring Marmots Matters

Olympic marmots’ burrowing helps aerate soils, making them an important species in high-elevation meadows. Those meadows, in turn, are a huge part of the visitor experience in Olympic National Park. Whether you’re walking a short, paved trail from a popular viewpoint or backpacking deep into the backcountry, the sight of a marmot perched on a rock or ambling through the wildflowers — or pausing to munch on them — is often a highlight of the day.

By tracking where marmots are thriving and where they aren’t, the Marmoteers help park biologists understand how climate change, changing snowpack, predators, and human use may be affecting the species. That information guides management decisions designed to keep both marmots and meadows healthy — and helps ensure future visitors will still hear those signature whistles.

The Role of Philanthropy

Programs like this do not run on passion alone. They require staff time, training days, backcountry permits, safety planning, and reliable equipment.

Washington’s National Park Fund, the official philanthropic partner to Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks, has provided key support to the Olympic Marmot Monitoring Program over the years. Donor contributions have helped purchase gear such as satellite communications tools and bear-resistant food canisters, allowing volunteers and staff to work more safely and effectively in remote terrain.

That kind of funding rarely makes headlines, but it plays an important role in the program’s success. When a volunteer team can reliably communicate with rangers, navigate to precise survey sites, and stay out for multiple nights at a time, the quality and reach of the data improve. That, in turn, improves the park’s ability to understand and protect a species found almost nowhere else.

Philanthropic support is also helping the program evolve. Plans include involving more local youth, adding tools such as burrow temperature gauges to track changing habitat conditions, and integrating predator monitoring through scat collection.

In a time when national parks are seeing growing numbers of visitors and park funding struggles to keep pace with on-the-ground needs, this kind of partnership between parks, volunteers, and donors is becoming increasingly important.

A Model for What’s Possible

The Olympic Marmot Monitoring Program has far-reaching impact. Volunteers are able to connect with a landscape that most visitors only see from a viewpoint. Visitors connect with the parks and its wildlife when a ranger points out a marmot from the trail. Park scientists receive needed data to help understand how a rare, endemic species is faring. And donors connect their generosity to a tangible outcome — one that they can see (and hear) on their summer visits.

Marmoteers are a powerful example of how philanthropy can amplify the work of the National Park Service and build a broader circle of people who feel responsible for the future of these places.

Washington’s National Park Fund is the official philanthropic partner of Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic national parks. Donations fund scientific research, youth and family experiences, and projects that will keep these parks strong and vital now and forever, for everyone.

Join us in making an impact today.

Cover photo and marmot photos courtesy of Ken and Mary Campbell.