Franklin’s Ground Squirrels in Alberta

04/23/2026

Check out this webinar - we’re one of the presenters!

🕵️‍♂️Looking to get involved this spring/summer? Join the Alberta Citizen Science Community of Practice for a fun and fast paced webinar during Citizen Science Month where you can explore a range of ⚛ citizen science programs and find the right fit for you.

👉Learn more at https://naturealberta.ca/april-speed-dating-with-citizen-science/

08/11/2025

We really enjoyed meeting everyone who stopped by our booth in Pigeon lake this weekend and we appreciate the Pigeon Lake Watershed Alliance for inviting us to be a part of their event. If you missed the event, make sure you plan to check it out next year!

07/30/2025

Trail Camera Tuesday!

This series of pictures caught on the trail camera demonstrates why Franklin’s ground squirrels are considered semi-arboreal. They are the only ground squirrel species known to climb and, while they spend most of their time on the ground in shrubby or grassy areas, they can also climb trees to forage or escape predators!

07/25/2025

Last night, Dr. Jessica Haines took the spotlight in the 2025 Community Presentation Series with an engaging talk on Alberta’s ground squirrels, hosted by the Camrose Wildlife Stewardship Society!

07/22/2025

This week on Trail Camera Tuesday, we got quite the surprise—while checking the trail camera footage for any videos of a Franklin's ground squirrel, we instead captured a video of a fisher!

Fishers are cat-sized carnivores that primarily live in the forests of the Boreal and Rocky Mountain natural regions, though they can sometimes be found in forested areas of the Parkland region as well. They’re secretive and difficult to spot in their natural habitat, making this a rare and exciting sight to capture on the trail cameras set up looking for the Franklin’s Ground Squirrels.

07/16/2025

While conducting fieldwork this week, we got to see juvenile Franklin's ground squirrels that have emerged for the summer! Juveniles first appear above ground in early July, about 30 days after birth. They grow quickly, reaching nearly adult size before their first hibernation, so it's always a cool sight to see juvenile Franklin’s ground squirrels when they are still quite small.

📷: Nick Carter

07/09/2025

Trail Camera Tuesday!

This summer, we are continuing to use baited trail cameras to gather information on the distribution of Franklin’s ground squirrels. These motion-activated cameras also give us the opportunity to capture footage of many other species, both big and small! In this video, we caught a glimpse of what a curious moose calf looks like through a trail camera set up for squirrels.

07/03/2025

Is it a phone? Is it a bird? No, it’s a Franklin’s Ground Squirrel!

Franklin’s Ground Squirrels are more secretive than most other ground squirrels, as they like to hide in shrublands. Their distinct, bird-like calls provide a helpful way to locate the species in an area!

Did you know that their call also makes the best ringtone! If you head to the Franklin's Ground Squirrel Project on the Nature Alberta website you can download the distinctive trill call and set it as your ringtone. It will help you learn to recognize it and spark conversations to help raise awareness for this squirrel.
https://naturealberta.ca/ground-squirrel/

07/01/2025

The 2025 field season has begun! Help us learn more about Franklin’s ground squirrels this summer by submitting your observations to iNaturalist. If you'd like to get involved but are new to citizen science or iNaturalist, check out Nature Alberta’s guide to getting started, available using the link in the bio.

03/01/2025

We’ll be at this event tonight! Come check out this great film, hear from Dr. Jess Haines talk about her conservation work, and meet other women who work in STEM!

As part of STEMapalooza, enjoy a special IMAX screening of Jane Goodall: Reasons for Hope in recognition of the 10th annual International Day of Women and Girls in Science. The screening will be followed by a live Q&A with ecologist Jessica Haines, plus opportunities to meet renowned STEM guest experts and explore the Science Centre galleries.

March 1, 2025 | 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Buy Tickets: twose.ca/womeninscience.

Thank you to our supporting sponsors , and