# UCLA marmot research fundraising

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/ucla-marmot-research-fundraising
> Updated: 2026-08-24T04:01:13.000Z. Sources: 22. Developments: 5.

In August 2026, the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Colorado, in collaboration with UCLA ecologists, launched “Fat Marmot Week.” This bracket-style competition, scheduled from August 24 to August 29, allows the public to vote on which of eight yellow-bellied marmots accumulates the most fat before hibernation. The initiative aims to raise awareness and funding for long-term research, particularly as researchers noted that insufficient snow cover last winter caused approximately two-thirds of one marmot population to die during hibernation.

The event highlights the biological necessity for these animals to gain significant weight during summer to survive hibernation. As true hibernators, marmots spend roughly half the year in a deep slumber where body temperatures drop to match their underground burrows. To prepare, they consume double their body weight during the summer, eventually losing between 30 and 50 percent of that mass while hibernating.

To combat dwindling federal science grants, the research team, including UCLA professor Daniel Blumstein and graduate students Emily Renkey and Katie Adler, also established an OnlyFans profile named “OnlyMarms.” The account features non-adult videos of marmot social interactions and burrow activities to solicit subscriptions and tips. While the profile initially generated roughly $650 in its first month, subsequent reports indicate it has raised several thousand dollars, including $5,000 in subscriptions and contributions from meme-coin campaigns. These funds are directed toward laboratory supplies to sustain the decades-long study of the species, which researchers describe as “flexibly social” animals. Recent developments show the project has secured over 85,000 euros to sustain the study, which has been collecting data since 1962.

## Claims

- Two-thirds of a specific marmot population in the Colorado mountains died during hibernation due to insufficient snow cover. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- The inaugural Fat Marmot Week begins on Monday. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- The event aims to raise donations for marmot research following federal funding cuts. (corroborated by 3 sources)

## Timeline

### 2026-08-24: Colorado marmots participate in Fat Marmot Week

The Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory is hosting Fat Marmot Week to celebrate Colorado marmots preparing for hibernation through significant weight gain.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/colorado-marmots-participate-in-fat-marmot-week

### 2026-08-21: Colorado researchers launch inaugural Fat Marmot Week

The Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory is launching 'Fat Marmot Week' to raise research funds following a harsh winter that killed two-thirds of a local marmot population due to low snow cover.

6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/colorado-researchers-launch-inaugural-fat-marmot-week

### 2026-08-20: Marmot research project secures funding via OnlyFans and cryptocurrency

Researchers have raised over 85,000 euros for a long-running marmot study using an OnlyFans account and a dedicated cryptocurrency following scientific funding cuts.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/marmot-research-project-secures-funding-via-onlyfans-and-cryptocurrency

### 2026-08-07: UCLA Researchers Launch OnlyFans Marmot Channel to Fund Study

UCLA ecologists created an OnlyFans account, OnlyMarms, featuring marmot videos to raise funds for a long‑term Colorado study, generating several thousand dollars amid federal science cuts.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/ucla-researchers-launch-onlyfans-marmot-channel-to-fund-study

### 2026-08-07: Colorado's Fat Marmot Week Launches to Boost Marmot Research

Colorado's Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory starts Fat Marmot Week, a voting competition for yellow‑bellied marmots to raise awareness and funds for research on hibernation survival.

7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/colorados-fat-marmot-week-launches-to-boost-marmot-research

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Cite as: UCLA marmot research fundraising. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/ucla-marmot-research-fundraising