Environmental Studies Students Restoring the Ecosystem of PEI National Park

Environmental Studies students from Dr. Carolyn Peach Brown’s Introduction to Environmental Studies class got a hands-on lesson this fall in restoring damaged ecosystems. In partnership with Parks Canada, the students planted 400 trees to help restore the Acadian forest on Robinson’s Island. The planting of native tree species—such as sugar maple, yellow birch, eastern white pine, and hemlock—is part of Parks Canada’s efforts to restore the forest of PEI National Park to a more natural state. Environmental Studies students also joined Parks Canada staff in planting plugs of marram grass at Brackley Beach. These plantings help to restore the sand dunes, as the roots and rhizomes form a living net which will help hold the dunes in place.

Such experiential learning opportunities are important for students, as it helps to make connections from the classroom to real life. According to Dr. Peach Brown, “sometimes when studying the environment, we can get discouraged by some of the negatives, and so it is great to get out there and do something positive to help the environment. Students can come back in future years to see how the trees they planted have grown or how the sand dunes have been protected. The students also benefit from the knowledge of Parks Canada staff who explained the history of the Park and the ecological aspects of the restoration efforts.”

Parks Canada and UPEI became official partners in 2015. The tree- and marram grass-plantings are some of many projects UPEI students have been involved in.