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Ancient clam gardens nourish the Mamalilikulla’s past and future

Mamalilikulla Chief Winidi, or John Powell, wiggles his pitchfork back and forth to loosen the sand and gravel along a remote stretch of beach in the Broughton Archipelago, sandwiched between Vancouver Island and the BC mainland.

As he churns over layers of sediment, a fistful of clams surface with a couple of disturbingly large, fiery red marine worms that flail hundreds of legs to rapidly burrow back into the sand.

“Look at all those worms. That’s a good sign,” Powell said.  

“You see those a lot when you’re digging. They seem to aerate the soil.” 

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