Winter Bird Walks are Back
Winter Bird Walks are back!
We will be offering winter bird walks once a month geared towards beginner birdwatchers, but all ages and skill levels are welcome to attend.
We now have binoculars for visitors to borrow on these hikes!
So don't let the lack of binoculars stop you from coming out.
Saturday December 14th
Wednesday January 1st
Saturday February 1st
Hikes will start at 10am from the Camp Office Parking Lot
Please remember a vehicle permit is required for entry into the park all year long. If you have an annual permit please ensure it is on display.
Winter Bird Walks are back!
We will be offering winter bird walks once a month geared towards beginner birdwatchers, but all ages and skill levels are welcome to attend.
We now have binoculars for visitors to borrow on these hikes!
So don't let the lack of binoculars stop you from coming out.
Saturday December 14th
Wednesday January 1st
Saturday February 1st
Hikes will start at 10am from the Camp Office Parking Lot
Please remember a vehicle permit is required for entry into the park all year long. If you have an annual permit please ensure it is on display.
December 10, 2024
Winter Wildlife Detectives Walks
Wildlife Detectives: December 27, January 18, February 18 @10:00am
Winter is a great time to become a wildlife detective. We might not always see all of the animals at Presqu'ile but they leave us clues to help us figure out just who might be living in the park.
Join a park naturalist and use your detective skills to explore the tracks and signs the animals at Presqu’ile leave behind. This program is geared toward children and families, but anyone is welcome to attend.
We meet at the Trail Parking Lot (Entrance of the Group Camp Area)
Please remember a vehicle permit is
December 10, 2024
A Message from Our Chair - Fall 2024 Newsletter
Greetings Friends of Presqu'ile supporters!
Here are some short updates on where we stand after another busy summer at Presqu'ile:
Financial Situation: As of this newsletter, our financial position remains strong. Our board of directors recently conducted its financial review against our budget, and while there are still many expenditures to come, we expect that we should finish the year within budget.
Donations: Various donations have been made throughout the year, none bigger than a single donation of over $30,000. Cumulatively, we have received over $38,000 in
October 4, 2024 - Terry Buchkowsky
2024 Park Update
Another busy summer has come and gone, it feels like just yesterday that we were hiring and preparing for the summer season. Presqu’ile saw another record-breaking season for both camping and day use. August alone saw approximately 42,000 campers and Monday, August 5th was the busiest day of the season with both camping and day-use visitors. This fall season has also been busy especially for camping, as visitors take advantage of this unseasonably warm fall weather.
By next spring, the park looks to continue to improve visitor experience by repainting the day-use loop bike path and
October 3, 2024 - Kristen Osborne, Chief Park Naturalist
Saving Presqu'ile's Turtles
Presqu'ile Provincial Park is home to five species of turtles. The most common are the Snapping and Painted Turtles. Blanding's Turtles are somewhat common. Map and Stinkpot (also called Musk) Turtles are rare but are sometimes spotted at Presqu'ile. These amazing creatures have roamed the earth for millions of years. Once a turtle reaches maturity, it can live for 50 years or more. However, maintaining a stable turtle population is difficult. Turtle eggs and young hatchlings are frequently devoured by predators or hit by vehicles. Losing adult turtles to encounters with
October 2, 2024 - Bev Cook
2024 Student Bursary Winners - Ava Trefiak & Jack Anstead
Every spring, some 60 seasonal employees start working at Presqu’ile Provincial Park. They might be doing maintenance, educational programs, working at the gate or the store. Park visitors are so fortunate to have these cheerful and enthusiastic young people helping to make each visit to Presqu’ile a success.
The Friends of Presqu’ile want to recognize the achievements of the students and to encourage their continuing education. Towards that end, we started a bursary program almost 10 years ago. There are two bursaries available, a $1,000 Student Bursary and a $3,000 Career Bursary.
October 1, 2024 - Bev Cook
Summer 2024 Common Tern Progress Report
2024 was the third most successful breeding year for Common Terns at Presqu’ile in the last 17 years. The colony was the largest it has been during this period: 282 nests were laid at Gull Island this year and nesting started very early in the season. Thus, in June, Common Tern fledglings were already congregating on the beach. Park staff expanded the number of predator grids to protect the majority of the colony.
Unfortunately, at the end of June a predatory Black-crowned Night Heron managed to infiltrate some of the grids and ate and killed some of the tern chicks remaining there.
September 30, 2024 - Jennifer M. Arnold, Ph.D
2024 Volunteer of the Year Award Winner - Larry Paradis
The John Cole Award, named in honour of our first Board Chair, is given to the Volunteer of the Year. The Board of Directors has the difficult task of selecting one volunteer from the many deserving candidates. Our Volunteer of the Year is to be a shining example of the values of our organization and his or her service to the Friends organization over a period of years.
This year’s winner has gotten his hands and boots dirty many times, not only this year, but years in the past. For the past six years, Larry Paradis has served as a director, but also as the Chair of the Operations
September 29, 2024
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