Category: Blog

Abegweit or Epekwitk / Prince Edward Island has been afflicted by climate change for centuries by mismanagement of land and resources, as have many other Islands in the world.  

With rising sea level, inadequate provincial adaptive measures, and 90% of the land on Epekwitk being privately owned, the ill-effects on the land are hard to ignore. It is up to the Province, the Abegweit Mi’kmaq First Nations, and small conservation groups like Island Nature Trust and watershed groups on Epekwitk, to not only conserve, but to sustain the biodiversity on this unique land.   

Of all trash, plastic rubbish has the greatest potential to harm the environment, wildlife and humans. It can be found floating at the surface, suspended in the water column, or on the bottom of almost all water bodies. It is transported by rivers to the ocean, where it moves with the currents, and is often eaten by birds and fish, concentrating toxic chemicals in their tissues, and filling their stomachs, causing them to starve. Plastic aquatic debris is much more than a mere aesthetic problem.

Please help us to remove this harmful plastic and other items of rubbish from our coastline. INT is targeting two properties in September. The first clean-up on Thursday 10th is the recently acquired Percival River property in Alaska. It is one of the least developed watersheds in PEI and the largest unbroken ribbon of saltmarsh in PEI – host to a rich and diverse habitat for vulnerable wildlife.

The other location is Poverty Beach in Murray Harbour with a clean-up scheduled to take place on Thursday 17th. Poverty Beach is home to the valiant but endangered Piping Plover. With several stresses experienced already by this well-loved bird species such as human encroachment, predation and climate change, let’s give our Piping Plover friends – now migrated South for the winter – a rubbish free nesting home ready for their return next Spring.

Please spread the word as we need all the help we can get!

Thank you for your support – The Island Nature Trust Team

#givingbacktonature

A LAST CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

Island Nature Trust is seeking nominations for the 2020 Hon. J. Angus MacLean Natural Areas Award. This award is named in honour of former Premier and conservationist, J. Angus MacLean. Individuals or groups that have made a significant and lasting difference in increasing or improving natural areas across PEI may be nominated for this prestigious annual award.

Many Islanders feel a deep connection with their land and have made a thoughtful decision to keep it in its natural state. There are also many groups throughout the Island that have put in countless hours improving and protecting natural areas.
In addition to Mr. MacLean himself in 1990, some previous winners include Eric MacPhail and Helen MacPhail for donating their 80-acre Acadian forest in Elmwood and Randy Dibblee for spearheading the mapping of wetlands with scores based on wildlife values for PEI.

Nominations for the MacLean Award should be written and as detailed as possible to allow Island Nature Trust’s awards committee to make a fully informed selection. Nominations should include brief biographies of the nominee as well as a clear outline of the work done to protect or manage natural area(s) in PEI. Guidelines for nominations and a full list of past recipients is available from Island Nature Trust. Please drop us an email at admin@islandnaturetrust.ca for further information.

The final deadline for submissions is Friday, August 28th, 2020.

This fascinating but threatened bird has faced a busy and challenging summer. Now it’s time to wish it a ‘bon voyage’…

@brussell

Island Nature Trust is excited to announce the launch of a new youth award sponsored by local Realtor Leigh Jenkins of Century 21 and available to students finishing high school studies at Bluefield, Charlottetown rural, Colonel Grey, Montague and Francois Buote.

INT has been teaching young people across PEI how to take care of our vulnerable coastline.