FORESTS IN P .E.I . 'S PROVINCIAL PARKS 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     An important segment of our provincial parks program is helping people enjoy 
     
     some of the natural features within the parks. This may include anything from 
     
     nature walks and slide talks to discussions about our present ecosystems. 
     
     Depending on which park you choose you may visit tidal estuaries, rivers, ponds, 
     
     bogs, abandoned fields, or softwood and hardwood forests. 
     
    
   
   
    
     In several of our parks,reminants of the old forests once covering P.E.I. 
     
     provide a key to past forests and even the history of P.E.I. In the early to 
     
     mid 1800's,P.E.I. had one of the most concentrated and productive shipbuilding 
     
     industries in the world. Massive white pines provided most of the decking for 
     
     ships as large as 212 feet in length. The hard yellow birch, beech and maple 
     
     provided wood for the keels and ribs. Hardwoods also provided most of the 
     
     planking. Tall Red Pines provided the long straight wood necessary for masts. 
     
     The forests provided life to the colony, both in terms of materials for ships, 
     
     but also for the export of boards. The problem was, a limit to the supply of 
     
     the timber. By the 1870's almost all of the original large softwoods and hard— 
     
     woods had been cut. Ships were being built using a higher composition of soft- 
     
     wood. A higher percentage of the softwood was spruce rather than pine. Tamarack 
     
     began to replace the hardwoods in many instances. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The few reminant stands in our parks are being managed to provide seeds and 
     
     seedlings to re-establish these forests. Access to permit the public to see 
     
     these relics is being improved. In areas where most or all of the original 
     
     tree cover was cut out, effort is being made to embark upon a program to re— 
     
     establish the original forest cover. It is hoped, that with re-establishment 
     
     of the forest cover, other vegetation and animal communities will more closely 
     
     represent the communities present on the Island before man first altered the 
     
     environment. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Townshend Woodlot Nature Preserve Park 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     One of P.E.I.'s better examples of a mature hardwood forest is located in our 
     
     provincial park just north of Souris. This forest, typical of the original 
     
     Acadian Forest,is made up primarily of yellow birch, sugar maple and beech 
     
     with red spruce occuring along the stream. Although it is unlikely that this 
     
     forest was never lumbered, the forest is a mature climax community. Many of 
     
     the large hardwoods have diameters in excess of 36". Because this park is not 
     
     of interest to all visitors, and because such a site is prone to vandalism and 
     
     cutting, the location of the site is not heavily advertised. It has been the 
     
     location of weekly woods walks conducted by the summer naturalist from the 
     
     eastern region of P.E.I., as well as numerous school and organization outings. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The size of the original site has been expanded twice, once through the correction 
     
     of a deed and once through the acquisition of a 30 Ac. parcel of adjacent land. 
     
    
   
   
    
     When you are visiting one of the Provincial Parks check the park pamphlet or 
     
     bulletin to find out when the naturalist will be presenting a program and learn 
     
     more about the old forests of P.E-I.