British Columbia is known throughout the world for its spectacular nature and magnificent wildlife, but there is little awareness of the many species under threat of extinction.

The Royal BC Museum is hitting the road this summer to spark a conversation with British Columbians on what B.C. could lose if people don’t make big changes to their relationship with the natural world.

Species at Risk will be on display at the Fort Langley Canada Day celebration on July 1 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Species at Risk is a new travelling exhibition produced in-house at the Royal BC Museum, with the support of TELUS, The Robert Bateman Centre and the John and Joan Walton Innovators Fund. Beginning this summer, and for the next three years, Species at Risk will deliver essential information on B.C.’s endangered species to the doorsteps of communities around the province.

“This is one of the most important conversations British Columbians should be having right now, and yet you don’t hear much about it,” said Gavin Hanke, curator of Vertebrate Zoology at the Royal BC Museum. “We’re excited to be spreading the word and starting conversations with B.C. residents, on the ground, face-to-face, out in the province.”

Over 50,000 plants and animals live in B.C., more than anywhere else in Canada. More than 1,500 species in B.C. alone are now at risk.

Housed in an inventively modified trailer and accompanied by skilled and personable interpreters, Species at Risk will visit Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland and the Okanagan this summer, setting up shop at summer camps, community museums and other important regional partners.

As a legacy component of this initiative, beautifully designed Mini-Museums will be made available to B.C. schools in the fall, giving students the opportunity to study four notable species at risk through actual specimens and hands-on learning. These Mini-Museums will also be included in the touring exhibition.

Langley Advance