Island seeks 
     
    
   
   
    
     Pro vin cial Tree 
     
    
   
   
    
     BY ROSEMARY CURLEY 
     
    
   
   
    
     Across Canada, The Canadian Institute 
     
     of Forestry is promoting the selection of 
     
     Provincial Trees, and the PEI chapter is 
     
     initiating a selection process here on the 
     
     Island. A number of groups have already' 
     
     supported the basic idead of legislating a 
     
     Provincial Tree and have had some input 
     
     into the criteria which should be used in 
     
     selecting this symbol. A committee has 
     
     been struck, with members from our own so— 
     
     ciety, the Island Nature Trust, the Prov— 
     
     incial Forestry Department and of course, 
     
    

    
     RED OAK the Canadian Institute of Forestry. As 
     
     well, other groups such as the Rural Beautification Society will be con- 
     
     tacted to help promote the idea. 
     
    

    
     Briefly stated, the symbol should be a native tree species which has 
     
     played a significant role in Island life, either historically, or in the 
     
     present. Trees already proclaimed as Provincial symbols, i.e. the Lodge— 
     
     pole Pine (Alberta) and the White Pine (Ontario) will not be considered 
     
     as candidates. Further, the selection process should be used to increase 
     
     public appreciation of trees, and such a process has been defined. 
     
    

    
     Candidates will be nominated by any individual or group, with the 
     
     support of 20 signatures. the closing date for nominations will be Oct— 
     
     ober 15, 1986, so if the Natural History Society decides to nominate a 
     
     a tree, we will do so at our October meeting. A vote will be held in Nov— 
     
     ember after suitable lobbying time for the various nominees. Finally, a 
     
     proclamation should be drafted by November 30, to be presented to the 
     
     Legislature by the Minister of Energy and Forestry, Allison Ellis. 
     
    

    
     If you have a favourite tree that meets the selection criteria, be 
     
     ready to state your choice in October and back it in a public vote in 
     
     November! Dogs are excluded from the vote. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
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     Just in case this newsletter gets out in record time, Terry Power is 
     
     leading a field trip to the Townsend Woodlot near Souris on Saturday, 
     
     July 26. Anyone interested should meet at 9 a.m. in the Provincial Build— 
     
     ing's parking lot, across from Beaconsfield, armed with lunch and bino— 
     
     culars. People living in the eastern part of the Island can meet Terry at 
     
     Pooles Corner (9:30) or Dingwells Mills (9:50). The woodlot should be a 
     
     good site for birds, wildflowers and of course trees. 
     
    
   
   
    
     *********************‘k 
     
    
   
   
    
     For anyone interested in sending in bird sightings, articles or art— 
     
     work for the September-October issue of the Island Naturalist, the dead- 
     
     line will be September 1.