Meet the Arctic fox, the true master of survival at the edge of the world. This small predator is built for extremes, with fur so insulating it’s been recorded as the warmest of any Arctic mammal. In winter, its coat turns pure white to vanish against snow and ice. In summer, it shifts to brown or grey, nature’s camouflage changing with the seasons.
With temperatures plunging to –50°C, the Arctic fox can conserve heat so efficiently it loses almost no body warmth through its paws or nose. It doesn’t waste a scrap of the Arctic either, when food is scarce, it follows polar bears across the ice, scavenging leftovers to stay alive.
But warming temperatures and shrinking sea ice are changing the rules of survival. As the Arctic melts, their hunting grounds disappear, and competition from expanding red fox populations is pushing them out of their own territory.
⚡️Original pen & ink illustration available! Highest bidder wins via Instagram Stories. 100% of proceeds go directly to @wwfcanada conservation efforts — you just cover postage. Bid here https://www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE4MDgxOTg1Mzg4MDU1ODYy?story_media_id=3747303234601114818&igsh=bm54Nm5uaXBjb3dh
What are you most proud of in your life?
First and always, my kids. Watching them grow up in an environment filled with love, creativity, and freedom is my greatest achievement. Our home is not just where we live, it’s where we create the life we actually want. Together as a family, we’re building a permaculture farm, one tree, one goat, one hopeful act at a time. It’s messy, joyful, slow, and powerful, because every step forward is a step toward a life that we chose on purpose.
This farm isn’t about some fantasy of perfection. It’s about connection. To the land. To our food. To each other. It’s about waking up every day knowing we’re actively shaping the future with our hands, our hearts, and the stubborn belief that small actions, done consistently, can transform everything.
And that brings me to my stubbornness, my most underrated superpower. I am ridiculously proud of my pig-headed refusal to quit, especially when it comes to my art. My Inktober streak is proof of that. Day after day, pen to paper, I show up. I keep going. Not because it’s easy, but because it matters.
I am determined to become a thriving artist, not just for myself, but as a living example that it can be done. I want to rewrite the starving artist narrative and replace it with something bold, thriving, and regenerative. And while I’m doing that, I’m determined to shine a spotlight on the world’s uncommon animals, those weird, wild, overlooked species that need storytellers and champions before they disappear into silence.
My goals are lofty. They should be. Playing small doesn’t help my kids. It doesn’t help the planet. It doesn’t help the artists who are searching for proof that their dreams are possible.
You only live once. This isn’t a dress rehearsal.
Kids Book Illustrator Andy C Marshall 