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katemacquarrie22
Aug 6, 20233 min read
Fall Webworms
Welcome back to Ask a Naturalist: your own personal “Google” for information on all things natural on PEI! It seems like everyone is...
2,311 views0 comments
katemacquarrie22
Aug 2, 20232 min read
Ghost Pipe
A beautiful ghostly-white creature is popping up in forests around PEI right now. You could be forgiven for thinking it’s a fungus, but...
2,495 views5 comments
katemacquarrie22
Jul 30, 20232 min read
St. John's Wort
PEI has a wealth of medicinal wild plants. One of the most well-studied is Common St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum, Photo 1). St....
86 views1 comment
katemacquarrie22
Jul 26, 20232 min read
Red-Spotted Newts
If you think amphibians look a bit prehistoric, you’re right: they’re the oldest land animals on Earth and can trace their lineage back...
95 views0 comments
katemacquarrie22
Jul 23, 20232 min read
Fireweed vs. Loosestrife
It’s great to see people becoming increasingly aware of PEI’s invasive species. Unfortunately, I’m seeing more and more cases of people...
874 views0 comments
katemacquarrie22
Jul 19, 20232 min read
Earthstar Fungi
Making a living in PEI’s coastal habitats isn’t easy. Conditions are harsh: temperature extremes, salt spray, low organic matter, and...
115 views2 comments
katemacquarrie22
Jul 16, 20232 min read
Wild Orchids
It’s Orchid season on PEI! To celebrate, I’d like to introduce you to some of the Island species whose paths I’ve crossed recently. The...
126 views0 comments
katemacquarrie22
Jul 12, 20232 min read
Walchia Fossil Find
I’ve been checking my favorite coastal sites to see how they’re doing after Hurricane Fiona. As predicted, our sand dunes are recovering...
193 views1 comment
katemacquarrie22
Jul 9, 20232 min read
Wood Sorrel
If you’ve been working in your garden lately, you’ve likely seen this shamrock-like plant. Did you know it is edible and delicious? This...
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katemacquarrie22
Jul 9, 20232 min read
Wood Sorrel Recipes
The Wood Sorrels are among my favourite wild greens (Photo 1). You can read more about them in the Wood Sorrel post in the Plant (and...
259 views0 comments
katemacquarrie22
Jul 5, 20232 min read
Spittlebugs
Welcome back to Ask a Naturalist: your own personal “Google” for information on all things natural on PEI! Over the past week, I’ve had...
75 views0 comments
katemacquarrie22
Jul 2, 20232 min read
Cow Parsnip and Giant Hogweed
The average person can identify more corporate logos than they can local wild plants. It’s natural for people to fear the unknown, but...
841 views2 comments
katemacquarrie22
Jun 28, 20232 min read
Burdock Roots
I enjoy tasks that let me to two things at once. With today’s plant I’m not only foraging for a delicious wild root, but also getting rid...
304 views0 comments
katemacquarrie22
Jun 28, 20232 min read
Burdock Root Recipes
All parts of Burdock (Arctium minus) are edible, but in my opinion the roots are the best part. In some areas they are grown commercially...
507 views0 comments
katemacquarrie22
Jun 25, 20232 min read
Zombie Flies
Did you know that zombies lurk in the forests and hedges of PEI? Fortunately for us, these aren’t the pop-culture creatures from ‘Night...
33 views1 comment
katemacquarrie22
Jun 21, 20232 min read
A Landscape of Lupins
I recently posted about PEI’s Provincial flower, the Pink Lady’s Slipper. Now let’s look at a plant many people think should be our...
848 views1 comment
katemacquarrie22
Jun 18, 20232 min read
Pheasant Back Mushrooms
While on some work-related training in downtown Charlottetown recently, I took advantage of my lunch break to take a nice walk. It’s...
55 views0 comments
katemacquarrie22
Jun 18, 20232 min read
Using Pheasant Back Mushrooms
Pheasant Back (aka Dryad’s Saddle, Polyporus squamosus, Photo 1) is a beautiful and distinctive fungus. You can read more about where...
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katemacquarrie22
Jun 14, 20232 min read
Winter Cress
I’ve been getting lots of questions about this showy yellow plant, flowering now across PEI. This is Winter Cress (aka Yellow Rocket...
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katemacquarrie22
Jun 11, 20232 min read
Lady's Slippers
Lilacs and Lupins are flowering, so it’s time to look for Lady’s Slippers (my Three L Rule). That means it’s also time for my annual...
4,020 views0 comments
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