NEWS FROM ABOUT: Compiled by Dan McAskill

Concerned about forest health and practices? The last Forest Policy was developed in 1987 and much has changed since then. The Forest Policy web site contains the 1987 Forest Policy and detailed information on what Islanders have been saying about public and private forests over the last decade. It also provides a discussion forum where naturalists, environmentalists, forest owners, farmers, tree and ground hemlock harvesters, tree planters, sawmillers, conservation groups, students, the public and others can share their ideas and hopes for our public and private forests. You can offer your ideas today or when the Forest Policy Discussion Paper is released later this year. Contact http://www.gov.pe.ca/go/forestpolicy

Thought people might be interested in a note from the South Shore Community Newsletter. The Birdwatchers Nature Store has opened an outlet at 28 Callbeck Road in Tyron, PEI. Their phone number is (902) 65 8-25 74 and the email address is sdnewson@pei.sympatico.ca (they can be added to the birders list). The Newsons have a small inventory of product available from the Moncton store and can get product from them in a couple of days. (Adapted from a PEI Birder’s List Server 2004 Ron Arvidson release dated Jul. 3, 2004)

On August 10'“, David Seeler reported that his observations on the low numbers of juvenile shorebirds parallel the reports of a general nesting failure of shorebirds in the Hudson’s Bay area because of cold weather and high nest predation. (adapted from PEI List Server Aug. 10‘”, 2004 & Jean Iron birdchat@listserv.arizona.edu release3)

On June 18'”, two Natural History Society representatives and others met with Mr. Mark Graham of the Museum of Nature in Ottawa to discuss the potential of establishing a Museum of Natural History on Prince Edward Island.

The Canadian Nature Federation has morphed into Nature Canada. Thus, the organization has adopted its corporate name to the name of its magazine.

PetroWorth Resources Inc., the holder of oil exploration permits for a large area in northeastern Prince Edward Island, requested permits for seismic exploration on approximately 100,000 acres of land between Munn’s Road and the Souris Line Road. The Minister of Environment and Energy granted permission for the project to be implemented after conducting an environmental assessment. Some of the conditions which were placed on the project included a botanical assessment of the ~2 metre wide mulching corridors which will allow drilling and placement of the explosive charges and less than one metre wide receiver lines where the cables and receivers for the recording of seismic waves. The botanical surveys resulted in the identification of a number or rare plants and the work licenses for government lands were modified to avoid these areas.

WEATHER EVENTS:

There were a resounding number of complaints about the cold weather this summer. However, the Charlottetown weather station reported that the mean maximum daily temperature was only 0.3 °lower than normal with the mean being 22.9° C while the minimum daily temperature was 0.4° C. higher at 142° C. The total rainfall was only 59.8 mm compared to a mean of 85.8 mm. August’s daily maximum and minimum daily temperatures were slightly higher than normal with 0.8° C. for the maximum with a mean of 23.4° C. and 1.3 ° C. for the minimum with a mean of 14.8° C. Rainfall was 24.3 mm below normal with the mean being 63 mm. June was another story with the mean temperatures being down 1.6° C. (18.0 mean) for the maximum and 1.4° C. for the minimum (8.2° C. mean), and rainfall only down 3.0 mm below normal at 90.2 mm.

ANIMAL AND PLANT SIGHTINGS: Compiled by J. Dan McAskill

PLANTS: Evening Primrose starting into flower at Donagh on Jul. 15 & sweet clover in flower at Fullerton’s Marsh (JDM).

INSECTS: Heavy blackflies at Valleyfield on Jun. 1 (DCS) but, in many areas of central P.E.I., this was one of the lowest

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