Pacific Marten
Martes caurina
Birds & Mammals
Coastal conifer forest
iNaturalist record: Apr 2022
Meet this species
Pacific martens are small forest carnivores that climb, forage and shelter within structurally complex woodland. Their presence adds another predator to the Glasgow Creek and Greene Point landscape and demonstrates that the project area is used by animals whose ecological needs extend far beyond the shoreline itself.
Pacific marten observed in coastal forest near Greene Point.
What to look for:
Look for a slender, long-bodied mammal with dark brown fur, rounded ears and a long bushy tail. Martens are agile and secretive, so a direct sighting can be unusual; they are strongly associated with forest structure rather than open landscapes.
Why It Matters Here:
A marten observation reinforces a central principle of this project: an estuary cannot be understood only by standing at the water's edge. The surrounding forest provides habitat, cover and connectivity for wildlife moving through the wider watershed.
Field Record
Documented at Greene Point through field observations and photographs recorded on iNaturalist.