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Snakes
Finding snakes is one of my favourite springtime activities. Cooler weather means they spend more time sunning themselves in the open,...
katemacquarrie22
May 253 min read
22 views


New Book Coming Soon!
My new book, Wild Foods of Prince Edward Island is coming out this spring and now available for pre-order. Published by The Acorn Press,...
katemacquarrie22
Feb 221 min read
188 views


A Busy Intersection
One of my favourite things about winter tracking is coming across a wildlife intersection: a spot used by a variety of animals. Often...
katemacquarrie22
Feb 162 min read
80 views


Swamp Dodder
The beautiful shades of green in PEI’s landscape are thanks to the 99.5% of our plants that photosynthesize – they make their own food...
katemacquarrie22
Aug 18, 20242 min read
30 views


Spotted Water-Hemlock
I’ve been introducing you to members of the Carrot Family (Apiaceae) including the edible Wild Carrot (aka Queen Anne’s Lace, Daucus...
katemacquarrie22
Aug 4, 20242 min read
143 views


Cat-tail Pickles
Springtime on PEI provides an amazing selection of edible wild plants. From tasty greens like Dandelions, Fiddleheads, and Spruce Tips to...
katemacquarrie22
May 22, 20243 min read
156 views


Fiddleheads
It’s fiddlehead season on PEI! If you have a favourite spot, now’s the time to check it out. If you’d like some tips on finding,...
katemacquarrie22
May 8, 20242 min read
161 views


Frog Song
One of my favourite signs of spring is the return of frog song. Ponds and wetlands across PEI are alive with noisy amphibians doing their...
katemacquarrie22
Apr 24, 20243 min read
91 views


Wetland Sheen
Welcome back to Ask a Naturalist: your own personal “Google” for information on all things natural on PEI. This time of year, I get a...
katemacquarrie22
Apr 17, 20242 min read
531 views


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
106 views


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
110 views


Beaver Extirpation and Reintroduction
Over the past few centuries, PEI has lost some native animals and seen introductions of new, non-native ones. One of the most interesting...
katemacquarrie22
Feb 21, 20243 min read
175 views


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
161 views


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
79 views


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
59 views


Spotted Touch-me-not
There’s a pretty, useful, and downright fun plant flowering along PEI’s streams right now. Meet Spotted Touch-me-not (Impatiens...
katemacquarrie22
Sep 17, 20232 min read
861 views


Early Spring Greens: Fantastic Fiddleheads
Fiddleheads are the best known and most coveted of PEI’s spring greens. I collected my feast last week, but you should still be able to...
katemacquarrie22
May 21, 20232 min read
253 views


Early Spring Greens: Cucumber-y Cat-tails
Springtime on PEI provides an amazing selection of edible wild plants. If you’re out enjoying our freshwater wetlands (or maybe foraging...
katemacquarrie22
May 20, 20232 min read
47 views


Peat Bogs
Peat Bogs (Photo 1) are one of the oldest habitats on the Island; we can trace their beginnings back to the end of the last Ice Age more...
katemacquarrie22
Dec 28, 20222 min read
45 views


Black Marsh, North Cape
I have a post specifically on Peat Bogs, but there is one very special Island bog that merits its own post: Black Marsh at North Cape....
katemacquarrie22
Dec 28, 20222 min read
28 views
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