Latest news with #IslandNatureTrust
CBC
3 days ago
- General
- CBC
Purchase of land in Point Deroche 'monumental,' says P.E.I. conservation group
The Island Nature Trust is celebrating the conservation of land that it says has deep historical, cultural and ecological significance along P.E.I.'s North Shore. The not-for-profit organization recently finalized the purchase of nearly 81 hectares in the Point Deroche area, about 30 kilometres northeast of Charlottetown. The land that sits just off the eastern edge of Point Deroche Pond includes a beach, dunes, a peat bog, marshland and forests, along with an abundance of wildlife. "It's a monumental and historical acquisition," said Simon Andrea, Island Nature Trust's land acquisition manager. "There's not many parcels that are forested, that don't have homes on them, that are over 200 acres on P.E.I., so to be able to protect one of those in Queens County is super special." In a social media post, the group said recent events at Point Deroche "have once again led to calls for increased land and coastal protection" in the province. That's in reference to a vacation home that was built in the area that sparked public concern around buffer zones and shoreline access. The massive stone armouring installed at the site to help protect the property from erosion blocks access to a public beach. In 2022, the controversy led then-environment minister Steven Myers to implement a provincial moratorium on shoreline development. The parcel Island Nature Trust purchased has nothing to do with that vacation home property — Andrea said the land was bought from descendants of the original landowners, whose claim to the property dates back to the 1880s. He said open-market land purchases are something Island Nature Trust has been able to do more often recently thanks to funding from the provincial and federal governments, and from organizations like the ECHO and MapleCross foundations. "[Landowners are] on the open market, they want to sell their land, which is fair," Andrea said. "When they hear Island Nature Trust is buying it to conserve it, they do get excited, and we're really happy to have that conversation with them." More land purchased The area holds historical significance not just for the province, but also for Island Nature Trust as an organization. The group was founded in 1979 after a proposed resort development near Point Deroche Pond faced public protest. As a result, the P.E.I. government of the day purchased two properties off MacDonald Road, near Blooming Point Beach, and leased them to Island Nature Trust as its first natural area in 1982. 'Mix of ecosystems' The ultimate goal, said Andrea, is to join this new parcel with the organization's existing properties into one connected preservation area. He said talks are underway with landowners in the area to help make that happen. In fact, during an event Saturday at Blooming Point Beach to celebrate the 81-hectare acquisition, Andrea announced that the trust is finalizing the purchase of an additional 25 hectares along the north side of the pond. While there are no plans to build walking trails on the new Point Deroche land at this point, the public is encouraged to visit the site to see all of its natural wonders. "We know that people like to use the pond for hunting, fishing and canoeing, so the more land that we protect out there the more the water in the pond will become healthier," Andrea said. "That mix of ecosystems isn't something you see in your typical acquisition, so it holds an amazing amount of wildlife habitat."
CBC
13-05-2025
- CBC
Hummingbirds are back on Prince Edward Island, tired and thirsty from their long migration
After a long migration from Southern Mexico and Central America, ruby-throated hummingbirds have arrived in Atlantic Canada for the season. That includes sightings right here on P.E.I. Ornithologist Kathy Martin, a board member of Island Nature Trust, chats about the tiny birds with Louise Martin of CBC News: Compass.
CBC
04-05-2025
- CBC
Endangered piping plovers have returned to P.E.I. for another breeding season
As endangered piping plovers return to P.E.I. for another nesting season, there are simple things Islanders can do to help protect these tiny beach birds. The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada has listed the piping plover as endangered since 1985. Jenna Cahill, coastal project manager at Island Nature Trust, said the birds usually leave P.E.I. in late August for warmer winter locations like the southern U.S. or the Bahamas and return in April. This year, the first piping plover on P.E.I. was spotted on April 15 at Thunder Cove. Cahill said fewer than 60 of these birds are typically seen on the Island each year, with the low numbers mostly due to human disturbance. Here on P.E.I., people going to the beach can encroach on the space the birds need to raise their young. "They're very sensitive to disturbances, so even if you know they're not being directly trampled on or whatever, even if you just disturb them while they're feeding, because they have such long migrations, just that extra energy expenditure can decrease the likelihood that they can make those long migrations," Cahill told CBC News. Simple steps to help Cahill said piping plovers are classified as a conservation-dependent species, meaning they would become extinct without ongoing conservation efforts. Thanks to efforts on P.E.I. by Parks Canada and the Island Nature Trust, plover numbers have been holding relatively steady in recent years, she said. But Islanders still have an important role to play. "The biggest thing we can do is just be mindful ... If there are signs up, just know that there are plovers presents and you're probably not going to be able to see them," she said. "Keep your dog on a leash, because even if you can't see them, your dog probably can. And it's not a lot of work for a dog to chase after a plover." Another tip: Walk on wet sand when you're at the beach. "They usually nest in the dry sand, and their nests are very, very well camouflaged as well. So if you just walk on the wet sand, you're kind of reducing the chance that you could accidentally step on a nest or on a bird," Cahill said. She added that piping plovers often prefer wide sandy beaches along P.E.I.'s North Shore. Get involved to help survey Islanders can also help by joining the Coastal Guardian program run by Island Nature Trust. Volunteers can sign up to help survey beaches and coastal ecosystems across P.E.I. for species at risk and monitor ecosystem health. There are two streams that people can take, surveying for either bank swallows or piping plovers, based on their interest, training level and location, Cahill said. For those living near beaches where piping plovers are often seen, volunteers are asked to go out about once a week. "They will survey for piping plover and basically just provide us with updates as to what they're doing, and talk to the public and spread the word," said Cahill.
