Interesting Programs in Provincial Parks

Have you been looking for something a little different to do on your vacation or day off this year. Two programs are now in place which might be of interest.

BEES- These stinging beasties elicit fear in most of us, yet we spread their stolenwinterfood supply on our toast almost daily. Neuldn't it be interesting

to be able to see how the bees transform the nectar into honey or see the intricate hierarchy and workings of a hive, without any chance of being stung. Well this

is possible at Cabot Park and Mill River Provincial Parks.

We have constructed small buildings into which the bee hive is partially inserted. The portion of the hive within the building is largely glass so you can see the bees at work. The naturalist will explain the workings of the hive, and show you the differentkinds of bees - workers, drones, and perhaps even the queen herself. You will be shown how the honey is extracted and prepared for your toast. This will involve giving you a piece of honeycomb to better see the honey cells and learn how the bees store their winter food supply. Best of all you can then eat this piece of honeycomb containing honey — some good! If you are especially fond of the park honey you may want to participate in some of the other park programs such as campfires and sand sculpture contests where the prizes include small bottles of honey.

NILDFLOWER GARDEN TRAIL - Have you wandered through the woods, wondering what some of those beautiful plants were, or wished there was a place where most of the Island's rare or interesting plants, such as Lady Slippers, Trilliums, Jack-in-the— Pulpits were all present in one spot? Both of these objectives can be achieved with a trip to Brudenell River Provincial Park where we have combined with the Island Nature Trust, to develop a trail encompassing a wide variety of habitats and plants. The site was carefully chosen to provide habitat for as many different types of plants as possible. The habitats include hardwoods, mixed woods, softwoods, old fields, a fresh water marsh, salt water marsh and stream valley. The area was

also selected because it has some of the trees typical of P E I.'s old forests; sugar maple, yellow birch and large white pines. So if you want to improve your knowledge of P.E.I.'s plants and enjoy a beautiful walk at the same time, why not spend an afternoon at Brudenell River. Many plants were present, and these have been identified through plaques. Other plants were transplanted to the site in order that people could get maximum benefit from this "garden", which is the only one of its kind in Canada, a naturalist conducts tours over the trail 5 days per week, Wednesday through Sunday.

Because older folk who may be a little concerned about walking in bumpy wooded areas, and those with walking difficulties are so often neglected, a major portion of the trail is boardwalked to meet the requirements of wheelchairs. Thus if you have a friend or relative who hasn't had a chance to get out into the forest and smell the flowers, hear the birds sing and leaves rustling, or feel the bark and moss, this trail is your perfect opportunity.

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