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Garlic Mustard
In early spring, flashes of green in the PEI landscape can be welcome reminders that longer days and warmer weather are returning....
katemacquarrie22
Apr 14, 20243 min read
133 views
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Vernal Pools
PEI forests provide a critical but temporary habitat this time of year: vernal pools. Although you might think of them as just wet spots...
katemacquarrie22
Apr 10, 20242 min read
96 views
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Misguided Kindness
Spring is a time of renewal, including for PEI’s wildlife. Early breeders such as Coyotes, Foxes, and Ravens have their young now, and...
katemacquarrie22
Apr 3, 20242 min read
79 views
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The Subnivean Zone
We spend our winters in the bright, cold, noisy world above the snow, but all sorts of creatures stay cozy in the darker, warmer, quieter...
katemacquarrie22
Mar 24, 20243 min read
69 views
2 comments


Sand Dune Fungi
If you are at all familiar with PEI’s famous sand dunes, you likely understand the importance of Marram Grass (Ammophila breviligulata)...
katemacquarrie22
Mar 20, 20243 min read
104 views
1 comment


Riparian Zones
Some of PEI’s natural habitats punch well above their weight – their importance far exceeds the area they occupy in the landscape....
katemacquarrie22
Mar 6, 20243 min read
103 views
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Ruffed Grouse Tracks
Most of PEI’s winter wildlife tracks come from mammals, but there are lots to be found from birds, too! Ruffed Grouse is a great species...
katemacquarrie22
Mar 3, 20243 min read
384 views
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Beaver Tracks
Some PEI wildlife travel our fields and forests all winter, leaving conspicuous tracks in their wake. Others prepare a cozy, well-stocked...
katemacquarrie22
Feb 11, 20243 min read
155 views
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Marcescence
Welcome back to Ask a Naturalist: your own personal “Google” for information on all things natural on PEI! In October, I posted about...
katemacquarrie22
Jan 31, 20243 min read
79 views
0 comments


Skunk Tracks
Reading wildlife tracks on PEI has very practical uses. For example, this mild winter has allowed our Striped Skunks to stay active, and...
katemacquarrie22
Jan 28, 20243 min read
320 views
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Springs
Bubbling Spring. The Healing Spring. Spirit Spring. Fountainhead. PEI’s springs are so culturally important that many have names. We may...
katemacquarrie22
Jan 24, 20243 min read
283 views
3 comments


A New Year's Resolution: Nature Literacy
We’ve lost our nature literacy. Here’s why that matters. It wasn’t that long ago that just about every Islander knew how to catch a...
katemacquarrie22
Dec 26, 20232 min read
82 views
4 comments


Witches' Broom
Welcome back to Ask a Naturalist: your own personal “Google” for information on all things natural on PEI! Recently, we looked at the...
katemacquarrie22
Nov 29, 20233 min read
95 views
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Eastern Larch
PEI’s colourful fall leaves are mostly gone, but one native tree is still putting on a show: Eastern Larch, also known as Juniper,...
katemacquarrie22
Nov 22, 20232 min read
204 views
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Green Elf Cup
As a professional botanist, I don’t know my mushrooms well, but I am working to learn more. This fall, I’m sharing some easily...
katemacquarrie22
Nov 19, 20232 min read
233 views
1 comment


Post-Fiona: Wetland to Sand Dune
Hurricane Fiona brought many changes to our Island landscape: some dramatic, others subtle, and a few that are – paradoxically – both. ...
katemacquarrie22
Nov 1, 20232 min read
78 views
1 comment


Nodding Beggar's-tick
PEI’s wild plants have all sorts of innovative ways to disperse their seeds. Some use wind, others water, and a rare few go with...
katemacquarrie22
Oct 25, 20232 min read
48 views
0 comments


Yellow Ladies'-tresses
July is peak orchid season on PEI, and so I am always pleasantly surprised to run into one of our late-flowering species in fall. I came...
katemacquarrie22
Oct 18, 20232 min read
99 views
4 comments


Woodland Agrimony
This time of year, PEI’s wildflowers are busy dispersing their seeds and they’ve come up with many ingenious ways to do this. I've...
katemacquarrie22
Oct 11, 20232 min read
84 views
0 comments


Autumn Leaf Colour
Hurricane Fiona took many things from PEI last year, including our fall leaf colour. As we move into the shorter, cooler days of...
katemacquarrie22
Oct 4, 20232 min read
60 views
0 comments
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