MEDIA RELEASE

26 March, 2018. Illustrations Secured for Upcoming Mammals Book.

A mammal book without illustrations is like a striped skunk without its musk glands — its message will not be as effective as it could be. Nature PEI is pleased to secure a set of 62 illustrations for the upcoming book “Mammals of Prince Edward Island and Marine Mammals of the Southern Gulf,” to be published in 2019 by Island Studies Press at UPEI.

The illustrations depict range maps for each species, and colour illustrations of mammals and their tracks and skulls. Twenty-four of the sets of illustrations will portray the marine mammals species that occur — or once occurred – within the waters of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. Few would suspect that list would be so long, which is one reason for capturing their history and details in this upcoming book.

The illustrations were produced for the Canadian Museum of Nature, and initially enhanced Donna Naughton’s 2012 book, “The Natural History of Canadian Mammals.” The artwork was secured with financial contributions from diverse sources including Purity Dairy, the Prince Edward Island Museum and Heritage Foundation, the PEI Wildlife Conservation Fund, and Nature PEI.

A team of five authors are producing the mammal accounts and incorporating significant new and remarkable information from recent studies employing modern study techniques. They also aim to take a closer look at local mammal information, including historical information.  Rosemary Curley of Nature PEI notes “It has not been done before and there appears to be a lot of interest in our product.”

Media Contacts: Island Studies Press ispstaff@upei.ca; 902-566- 0386

Rosemary Curley, President, Nature PEI rcurleypei@eastlink.ca 902-569-1209