Three workshops have been rescheduled in mid-April for those interested in botany and learning to use the online Illustrated Flora of PEI.

• Tuesday, April 18th, 7:40-9:40pm, Beaconsfield Carriage House, Charlottetown
• Wednesday, April 19th, 9-11am, Beaconsfield Carriage House, Charlottetown
• Wednesday, April 19th, 2-4pm, Eptek Centre, Summerside

Illustrated Flora of Prince Edward Island www.accdc.ca

The goal in 2003 was a new Flora of PEI in book form. Now, twenty years later, we are proud to announce the launch of the online Illustrated Flora of Prince Edward Island

WORKSHOPS: to help you learn to use the new Illustrated Flora of Prince Edward Island

Sean Blaney, senior scientist with Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre, is presenting these workshops on how to use the Flora of PEI online.

Tuesday, April 18th, 2023 7:40 pm -9:40 pm Carriage House, 2 Kent, Charlottetown.

Wednesday, April 19th, 2023, 9-11am, Carriage House, 2 Kent, Charlottetown.

Thursday, April 19th, 2023, 2-4pm, Eptek Centre, 150 Heather Moyse Drive, Summerside.

Pre-register with chris@naturepei.ca

HIGHLIGHTS:

The new Illustrated Flora of Prince Edward Island includes information on approximately 1191 species of plants that occur outside of cultivation in the province. This represents a substantial increase over previous knowledge. In 1960, 939 species were known for the island. In 1985 that had increased to 993 species and in 2005 there were 1080 species known. New species keep arriving via accidental transport and escape from horticulture and we continue to find native

species hidden away in PEI’s natural areas that have likely always been here but have previously escaped botanists’ detection.

740 species (62% of the flora) are considered native to PEI (believed present prior to European arrival) and 431 species (36%) are introduced by people since the 1600s. 20 species (2%) are of undetermined origin.

The illustrated flora includes thousands of beautiful photographs of all the plants taken in the field and displayed so as to maximize their display of key identification features.

The flora’s identification key is especially well illustrated to provide users with visual clues that can be much simpler than the often specialized and technical terminology. This should make it much more accessible to amateurs and students than a traditional flora in book form. The technical botanical terminology is also explained in a comprehensive glossary for those so inclined.

HISTORY:

In 2003, the Island Nature Trust, the Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre (ACCDC), the Province, and a committed team of volunteers initiated plant surveys with the goal to update the 1960 edition of Plants of Prince Edward Island and its successor, the1985 Plants of Prince Edward Island with new records…; both showed a list of plants present and their mapped distributions, but no plant illustrations. Over the ensuing three years, habitats were surveyed, specimens collected, and plant identities verified. The information collected was stored by the ACCDC, but writing of the text and funding for the book lagged behind the 2006 target date. A decade later, the Island Nature Trust and Nature PEI again discussed the need to complete this valuable project. It was agreed to have Nature PEI assume its leadership and to maintain communications between the parties. A Flora of PEI team was formed consisting of Dan McAskill (Chair), David Keenlyside (PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation), Sean Blaney (ACCDC), and Rosemary Curley (Nature PEI).

An online Flora of PEI would be produced. It was agreed to commence with the Orchids found on PEI, and so began the piecemeal assembly and release of the Flora, with the Orchids, then the Ferns, Clubmosses, Horsetails, Conifers, and Family by Family in turn. The images, maps, keys to identification and completion of all the remaining families from Poppies to Pitcher Plants and Saxifrages to Sarsaparillas, fell into place as many new funding partners helped it along. The project’s success can be attributed to Dan McAskill’s persistence in seeking funding through Nature PEI and to Botanists Colin Chapman and Sarah Robinson of the AC CDC for providing the text, keys and online formatting. Major funders were the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation, the Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre, the PEI Wildlife Conservation Fund and the PEI Forests, Fish and Wildlife Division. All our partners and funders and all our data contributors will be acknowledged online and in our Island Naturalist newsletter.

Read more: Rescheduled Workshops for using the online Illustrated Flora of PEI