P.E.I. NATIONAL PARK PLOVER PROGRAM information excerpted from Piping Plover Monitoring Program, P.E.I. National Park by Beth Grant, Susan MacLeod, Linda Thomas, and Dale Thompson

This summer, the Parks and People beach monitors working under a Canadian Parks Service contract recorded 32 nesting attempts by 21 pairs of Piping Plover. Thirteen nesting attempts were successful with 41 chicks being fledged at 20 days. The high rate of success in fledging is the direct result of the very active beach and nest protection program undertaken in the P.E.I. National Park. This program included erecting nest exclosures to protect nests from predation, the closure of beaches while the Piping Plover are actively nesting or rearing their eggs or young, and an active education and interpretation program.

In addition to these efforts, staff and/or volunteers from Parks and People, P.E.I. National Park, Kouchibouquac National Park, the Piping Plover Research Program, and the Atlantic Veterinary College, successfully incubated 58% of 33 Piping Plover eggs abandoned by their parents, fostered 17 chicks after 7 days rearing, and reared 2 chicks to fledging. Due to the difficulty in having these chicks survive in the past, a decision was made to feed the chicks and Dre. C. Runyon and Gibson of the AVG was consulted to ascertain the correct food and equipment. This led to the feeding of the chicks with a syringe through a tube inserted down the throat into the stomach (a process called tubing). This program produced 17 chicks in which 4 were fostered successfully to Piping Plover at Kouchibouquac and P.E.I. National Parks. Two additional chicks were raised in captivity being fed a combination of mealworms and other invertebrates. They were released on August 11 at Rustico Island Causeway.

ENVIRONMENTAL OFFENSES AND ACTIONS by Dan McAskill

Many of the conservation groups on Prince Edward Island have played a part in lobbying for laws protecting animals, plants, and their habitats. The passing of such laws is one aspect of the effort to stop illegal destruction of wild animals, plants, and their habitats. The second aspect is the enforcement of these laws.

In the Prince Edward Island National Park the following occurrences (offenses) were recorded between April 1 and November 16, namely, 5 dogs running at large, 1 wildfire, 10 vehicles on a beach, and 47 Piping Plover closed area violations. Two people were charged for entering closed areas, plead guilty, and were fined $75 each.

The P.E.I.D.O.E.'s Water Resources Branch took 43 regulatory actions in 1991 (13 cleanup orders, 4 warnings, 15 charges, and 11 investigations) and 12 up to September in 1992 (l cleanup order and 11 charges). of the 26 charges, 14 pled guilty, 4 were found guilty, 1 was stayed, 1 was withdrawn, 4 plead not guilty, 1 is active and 1 was ordered. Fifty of the actions were under the Environmental Protection Act.

Author's Note: Thanks to Carl Betts, P.E.I. National Park and Claire Murphy, P.E.I. Dept. of Environment for provision of enforcement statistics.

NBS PHOTO CONTEST '92 by Carolyn Meincke

The last meeting for the Natural History Society ends every year with a splash of talent. I was requested to act as judge for the photography contest. The judging of these photos is based on such factors as beauty, contrast, lighting, and design. Many of the photos fit these high standards.

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