Indigenous people once roamed Island mountains on foot—and marmots were key to their survival – Capital Daily
April 1, 2025
Marmot bones and charcoal found in remote alpine caves have distinct human markings dating back 2,400 years.
On a sunny day in the summer of 2023, Jessie Everson was sitting in an alpine meadow, sketching marmots.
He wasn’t relaxing though. He was working as a field technician for the Marmot Recovery Foundation, and the little rodents he was observing were Canada’s most endangered mammal, the Vancouver Island Marmot.
The Marmot Recovery Foundation was founded in 1999 in response to growing calls from scientists and community members for more action to stop the creatures from going extinct. Its mission is to help the population of Vancouver Island marmots recover.
