Workshops at Macphail Woods
Three free events at the Homestead in June
June is always a busy month at Macphail Woods. Forests are teeming with birdsong, and the wildflowers are in their full glory. It’s a great time to be wandering through the woods. There are some free events this month that should be of great interest to anyone with an appreciation for nature.
On June 7 from 10–11:30 am, Kate MacQuarrie will lead a workshop on native plants of PEI. Kate is one of the province’s foremost biologists and hosts the PEI Untamed website. Her talk and walk will highlight many commonly encountered plants—both native and non-native—as well as a variety of rare trees, shrubs, wildflowers, and ferns found in the Macphail Woods arboretum.
On June 14 from 2–3:30 pm, there is a workshop with Bob Bancroft on How Healthy Forests Function. Bob is a well-known CBC Radio Noon guest. Drawing upon his career as a wildlife biologist and avid nature lover, Bob offers a unique perspective on Maritime ecology over the last half-century. PEI sorely needs a land and water ethic—as do most other places. This workshop will explore some of the intricate plant/wild animal/freshwater relationships within Wabanaki/Acadian forests and how those systems have historically coped with change. The last 300 years of land use have degraded most of those relationships, the soils, and the land itself. Ecological understanding can foster new actions to maintain and restore forest health while promoting greater resilience in the face of climate change.
On June 21 from 10–11:30 am, Daniel McRae will lead a timely workshop on Protecting Your Shoreline. Join Daniel for an important discussion on protecting PEI’s fragile shoreline, especially in the face of increasingly harsh weather events. Participants will learn about living shorelines, harmful practices to avoid, and which native plants are best suited to withstand the tough coastal conditions found on PEI.
All workshops begin at the Nature Centre on the Sir Andrew Macphail Homestead in Orwell. Each workshop includes time outside on the Homestead property. Dress for the weather, as these events are rain or shine. Participants are asked to pre-register online at macphailwoods.org/education/free-workshops.