Nature PEI

Nature PEI’s November meeting will feature award-winning scientist and author Dr. John Calder who will be reading from his book “Island at the Centre of the World: the Geological Heritage of Prince Edward Island” recently published by the Island’s own Acorn Press.  John will share the “back stories” of his book, a 4 year labour of love that has sparked new discoveries of PEI’s ancient past. Those stories include why the head of vertebrate paleontology at the Smithsonian was so willing to contribute to the book, how the Mi’kmaq were here to witness the birth of the Island, the story of a very different and sacred rock on Hog Island, and how intrepid Islanders have acted as stewards of an incredible legacy from the Permian Period of Earth history almost 300 million years ago.  The book will be available at a special tax-free price for members and attendees.

Dr. Calder  was the lead scientist in the project to designate the Joggins Fossil Cliffs of Nova Scotia as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. He has published extensively on the geology of our region and his work  has been widely recognized by his peers. He is a ‘down to earth’ presenter with an easy going and engaging style and is happy to respond to his audience.

All are welcome at the Carriage House, Beaconsfield at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, November 6, 2018 to meet Dr.  Calder and learn more about the fascinating geological heritage of our Island.

Weather intervened last weekend and we had to reschedule the Hike and Photographic Event to this coming Sunday.  Also, the time change occurs Saturday evening so we had to adjust the start time to 1:30 pm.

The Hillsborough River Association and go! East PEI together with the Community of Mount Stewart are holding a Photography Walk-Hike on Pigot’s Trail in Mount Stewart on Sunday afternoon November 4th, 2018 between 1:30 and 4:00 pm.  Please distribute copies to those who you feel would be interested.

Islanders who enjoy the outdoors this time of year are invited to participate in this Photography Walk and Hike on the scenic Pigot’s Trail. This hike will feature tips on nature photography during an autumn evening. This event is open to all ages and to people with various photographic skills and equipment and will touch upon I Phone, I Pad, traditional cameras and related equipment. There is no charge.

Dan McAskill of the Hillsborough River Association and Jacob Smith of Eastern Region Sport and Recreation (go! East PEI) are pleased to promote this fall activity on the picturesque Pigot’s Trail along the Hillsborough River, Prince Edward Island’s first designated Canadian Heritage River.   An accomplished photographer will lead the photography portion of the event and there will be a naturalist to answer questions on plants and animals along the Trail.

Participants are asked to gather at the Mount Stewart Community Centre, South Main Street at 1:30 pm. for orientation and instruction before proceeding to the Pigot’s Trail. At the end of the outing, there will be time for light refreshments and further socialization at the Community Centre. Please dress accordingly for the weather and time of year.

To assist in preparing for the food for this event, please preregister at pisquidwatershed@gmail.com or see us on our Facebook site search-HRA-Watershed-Management preregistration. There will be some space to accommodate additional registrations at the event. For information on the event please contact us at ersrcinc@live.com or 902-940-4115.

Fall Colours Outing – come join us in the Valleyfield Woodlot to enjoy blazing colour and other signs of plants and animals getting ready for winter.  Bring your camera!  The walk is short (1-2 km) but there will be lots to see, including mushrooms!

Leaders:  Kathleen and Dave MacNearney;

Date:  Saturday, Oct. 13 (rain date, Sunday, Oct. 14); 10:00 am – 12:00 noon

Meeting Place:  Meet at the corner the Valleyfield Road (Rte 326) and the Dalmaney Road (Rte 354)  at 10:00 am, then adjourn to Robbins Trail parking Lot where we will start the walk.

Nature PEI’s October meeting will feature a discussion with Brendan Kelly on the decline of songbird populations and what we can do at a local level to ensure that the birds keep singing.  Through stories of his personal experiences and a look through his camera lens, Brendan promises to “shed a light on the travesty that is happening to our feathered friends”.  Brendan’s hope is that by sharing the work he has done, he will motivate others to make individual contributions towards conserving birds and their habitats.

Since elementary school, Brendan has been an environmental activist and conservationist, working with local governments and organizations to protect and conserve birds and their native habitats. He continues to actively volunteer for a number of organizations including Ducks Unlimited Canada, the Atlantic Salmon Federation, and the Canadian Wildlife Service. In 2012, Brendan received the title of a Newalta Wetland Hero by Ducks Unlimited Canada and later in 2014, received the Newfoundland Environmental Award.  After many years of building and monitoring over 100 nest boxes across Newfoundland Labrador, Brendan successfully documented the first and second nesting record of Northern Saw-Whet Owl for the island of Newfoundland!  Currently, Brendan Kelly is a student in the University of Prince Edward Island’s Bachelor of Wildlife Conservation program.

All are welcome at the Carriage House, Beaconsfield at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2018 to meet Brendan and learn more about the birds around us and how we can help.

Refreshments will be served – suitable for all ages. Please bring any younger naturalists in your family or neighbourhood who would benefit from this presentation.

Once again my eyes were delighted to see the amazing nature photography from naturalists across the Island today in the Island Naturalist. We do live in an amazing place and the 36 vivid colour images throughout the 24 newsletter attest to that. For many of us the paper copy comes in very handy but for enjoyment of the colour images the digital version takes home the medals.

Among the longest standing publications on PEI,  Island Naturalist has documented  species sightings and provided nature-related news since 1974. The back issues are now available through the efforts of the University of Prince Edward Island.

But, to stay up to date, and to support the citizen science activities of naturalists across the Island you really need to signup or renew membership in Nature PEI. We appreciate your continued support, and wish to acknowledge the epic level of commitment that Island Naturalist’s long-serving editor Dan McAskill has provided in bringing the publication to press once again. Here is a sample page:

Shorebirds and Waterfowl Field Trip

When: Sunday, September 9th, 2018 at 7:00 am

Where: Meet at Covehead Wharf , continue to Tracadie Harbour  and finish at Allisary Creek, Mount Stewart.

Your Leader: Brendan Kelly, offering photography tips, gear advice  and the importance of using ebird