Latest Articles - INT: Island Nature Trust

Seeing the Importance of Forest Features on Agricultural Lands

During the 2025 field season, thanks to Forested Landscape Priority Place (FLPP) funding, Island Nature Trust was able to look at the importance of forested features on agricultural lands, specifically in terms of our local avian species at risk. Rusty Bittermann and Margaret McCallum from Rustaret Farms kindly provided a testimonial to what forests mean to them and why they see value in retaining trees on their farm.

Analysis of a Surveyor’s Fieldbooks Tells Us a Lot About the Island’s Pre-settlement Forests

A brief summary of Dr. Doug Sobey‘s (Research Associate of the Institute of Island Studies at UPEI) most recent work, the analysis of the fieldbooks of Alexander Anderson, the surveyor for Prince County from the 1830s to the 1870s.

To Our Volunteers: Thank You

This year has been an impactful and exciting one for our volunteer Guardian program. Many new Guardians joined a steadfast and committed group of existing volunteers, who continue to be of invaluable support to us.

Jumpstarting Forest Regeneration

The majority of Island forests from tip to tip have had some degree of human disturbance, whether that be past agricultural use, intensive forest harvesting cycles, or habitat-altering plantations. These historic disturbances impact a forest’s natural resiliency, reducing its ability to withstand natural disturbance events. This past field season, INT’s Stewardship Team implemented ecologically focused forest interventions on three different forest plantations on our Farmington Woodlands Natural Area, located in Farmington, PEI, close to St. Peter’s Bay.

McNeill Family Donates Land to Honor Parents and Their Family Legacy

The McNeill family of Days Corner, PE, has made a generous 80 acre donation of land on the Ellis River. This property, which lies just outside of Wellington, is an ecological hotspot, with over a kilometer of coastal salt marsh and habitat for several species at risk.

The Importance of Connectivity

Prince Edward Island is a mosaic of small, privately owned parcels, with high road density and a history of deforestation for farmland. These factors have created fragmented habitat for wildlife in the remaining forest and wetlands, which has increased the occurrence and severity of “edge effects”.

Local Farmers Committed to Bobolink Conservation

The partnership between ALUS and Island Nature Trust has been one that has created a wonderful foundation for farmland bird conservation across Prince Edward Island. Local farmers are proving their commitment to wildlife by providing nesting habitat for multiple grassland species, including bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus), a species at risk.

Remembering John Sylvester

The Staff and Board of Island Nature Trust wish to extend their condolences to the family of John Sylvester, a gifted photographer who captured the beauty of our Island’s ecosystems. John was an ardent supporter of the Trust and his photographs inspired a connection to the natural heritage of Prince Edward Island to all those who saw them.

Portage Bog Natural Area Expansion

Island Nature Trust is thrilled to announce the purchase and protection of 240 acres (97 hectares) of ecologically significant bog, salt marsh, and lowland forest that stretches from the Western Road to the Portage River in Prince County. The acquisition of these two properties adds onto the existing 207-acre Portage Bog and Ivan’s Branch Portage Bog Natural Area, now safeguarding a total of 446 acres (180 hectares) of carbon rich peatland forever.

Survivor for a Cause: How PEI’s Fraser McCallum Used Reality TV to Raise Awareness for Island Nature Trust

In a world of reality TV where backstabbing and strategizing often take center stage, one Islander is using his love for Survivor to make a real difference in conservation. Fraser McCallum, a Parks Canada employee and the lone Canadian contestant in the “Can You Survive?” charity version of Survivor, raised both awareness and funds for Island Nature Trust, channeling his passion for nature into meaningful action. This unique event took place in the remote wilderness of the North Maine Woods with a few dozen American participants.

Category: Latest Articles