There are certain, shared experiences that unite those of us who grew up on PEI. For example, getting storm-stayed in winter, going to the beach in summer, and having annual run-ins with Jellyfish! There are at least three species of Jellyfish in the waters around PEI: the Lion’s Mane (Cyanea capillata), shown here, the smaller and more cinnamon-coloured Atlantic Lion’s Mane (Cyanea fulva), and the white Moon Jelly (Aurelia aurita). Of the three, the Lion’s Mane is the most

PEI has wildflowers that are beautiful, edible, and ecologically important. Today we have an example that’s all three, and flowering now: Fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium)! Fireweed can be found across the Island, blooming in vacant urban lots, along rural roads and fields, and among forests impacted by 2022’s Hurricane Fiona. While it gets its name from an ability to recolonize land following wildfire, it doesn’t need fire to appear: any disturbance will do. Fireweed i

We humans tend to divide insects into two camps. There are those we don’t like (Earwigs, I’m looking at you!), and those we do, with no better example than Fireflies. I captured this lone Firefly’s flash at my home in central PEI recently and thought it’s time we took a closer look at these interesting insects! Fireflies are beetles, not flies, and not all have ‘fire’ – many species are daytime-fliers that use pheromones, rather than light, to communicate. The night-flying,

This week, we’re looking at a couple of edible non-native wildflowers that are in season right now. First up: Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca). Tufted Vetch is a member of the Pea Family (Fabaceae) with clusters of purple flowers at the ends of stalks that arise from the leaf axils. (If you look closely at a flower cluster in person, you’ll see that each tiny blossom resembles a little bird with its beak against the flower stalk). Vetch leaves are like narrow versions of garden