The time to act is now. Vancouver Island marmots, already one of the most endangered mammals in Canada, suffered significant losses this winter. The unique marmot is found on mountain slopes and alpine meadows around Vancouver Island, but is at risk because of habitat loss.
The Royal BC Museum’s travelling exhibition, Species at Risk, highlights the plight of B.C.’s most vulnerable flora and fauna, like the Vancouver Island marmot, emphasizing positive ways we can help our non-human neighbours.
Species at Risk is making stops throughout B.C. this summer at schools, museums and events on Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland, Okanagan and, for the first time, the Kootenays. The public are invited to visit, explore and learn for free.
Species at Risk was at Victoria’s legislature grounds on Canada Day for its send-off from Vancouver Island to the mainland on July 1, and will be at the Creston Museum through Aug. 1.
“We created Species at Risk to tell a story that is of critical importance to this province,” said Prof. Jack Lohman, CEO of the Royal BC Museum. “We are extending our research and expertise to communities around the province to explain better what we do.”
Two friendly and knowledgeable interpreters are working with regional partners to bring the exhibition to life and engage with local communities.
Beautifully designed mini-museum kits featuring real specimens and hands-on activities travel with the exhibition. The eight kits, four of which are new this year, are distributed to schools around the province and used throughout the school year.
This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada, Quality Foods, the Robert Bateman Centre, and the John and Joan Walton Innovation Fund. Telus is the official telecommunications partner for Species at Risk.
The Royal BC Museum explores the province’s natural and human history, advances new knowledge and understanding of B.C., and provides a dynamic forum for discussion and a place for reflection. The museum and archives celebrate nature, culture and history, telling the stories of B.C. in ways that enlighten, stimulate and inspire. Looking to the future, the Royal BC Museum will be a refreshed, modern museum, extending its reach far beyond Victoria as a world-class cultural venue and repository of digital treasures.
ROYAL BC MUSEUM
