Her Majesty Holds Court Thursday

Is spring around the corner? Find out when Queen Charlotte, our resident Groundhog, makes her annual weather prediction on Thursday, February 2 during a 4:30pm shadow check. Our local prognosticator will let us know if we are going to have six more weeks of winter weather or an early spring.

The Queen serves as an ambassador species, here to educate all about groundhogs (also known as woodchucks). She has lived at the Museum for several years after being rescued by an animal rehabber who found her malnourished, with overgrown teeth. It was later discovered that she was removed from the wild as a pup (baby groundhog) and was given all the wrong foods to eat. In the great outdoors groundhogs feast on sprouts, seeds, grasses, fruits, vegetables, herbs, weeds, dandelion greens and small invertebrates, such as grasshoppers. Groundhogs need to chew, chew, chew since their front incisors grow continuously and it is important they have root vegetables and wood to gnaw on to prevent their front teeth from overgrowing.

Nestled in her comfy burrow, Queen Charlotte loves to eat carrots, broccoli, greens and corn. She is imprinted on humans and could never be released back into the wilderness. While quite famous for an uncanny ability to predict the weather, year round she helps children and families learn more about backyard wildlife. Visit this wily woodchuck on Groundhog Day, Thursday, February 2 as she leaves her snug burrow to share her forecast for the coming spring.

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