Latest news with #PrinceEdwardIsland
CBC
3 hours ago
- Science
- CBC
Islanders are being asked to help track the rare smooth greensnake this summer
Social Sharing If you spot a smooth greensnake in the wild on Prince Edward Island this summer, the province's Forests, Fish and Wildlife Division wants to hear from you. Officials are hoping to gather data on the elusive reptile, which is considered the rarest snake on the Island. The smooth greensnake is harmless and typically lives in grassy fields, in open woodlands and on the edges of wetlands. But little is known about its population or whether it's at risk on P.E.I., said Julie-Lynn Zahavich, a forest conservation specialist with the province, given that the species has never been formally studied on the Island. "Knowing where the species are and what habitat they're using is the first step to being able to help conserve a species. So it's really important that we figure out those key puzzle pieces that we can put things together," Zahavich told CBC's Island Morning. "In the future, if things change — you know, with climate change or if insect populations go down — we'll be able to know what we had before, so that we know if we've lost the species, we can act on that." Bright green and hard to miss Zahavich said the smooth greensnake is about 30 to 50 centimetres long and, as the name suggests, has a vivid green back. Its underside or belly is typically whitish or yellowish. It's also the only egg-laying snake on the Island. The other two commonly seen species, the garter snake and the red-bellied snake, give birth to live young. The smooth greensnake is easy to distinguish from those two species. Garter snakes are larger and can be more than a metre long, and have a brown or grey back with stripes. Red-bellied snakes have a dark back and a vibrant red belly. Though the smooth greensnake may bite if it feels threatened, Zahavich said it is not venomous. "They're very small, and the bite is not going to hurt you," she said. How Islanders can help Zahavich said the division is hoping Islanders can help gather data on the species by snapping a photo if they happen to see one of the snakes. "Make note of the habitat that they're using... whether you're on a lawn or near a wetland or an open woodland," she said. People are also being asked to use their phone to get the GPS co-ordinates of the location or check Google Maps for a sense of where they were when they saw the snake. Photos and location information can be submitted to the Forests, Fish and Wildlife Division via Facebook, by email or by phone. Submissions are being accepted throughout the summer, when the snakes are active. Knowing where the species are and what habitat they're using is the first step to being able to help conserve a species. — Julie-Lynn Zahavich, forest conservation specialist The division is also interested in hearing about historic sightings. "If you remember seeing them as a kid or many years ago, we'd also love to hear about that," Zahavich said. As well, Islanders can upload photos and sightings to the iNaturalist app, which helps researchers gather data for scientific and conservation purposes. Zahavich said her team is monitoring the platform for smooth greensnake sightings on P.E.I. While public reports are key, Zahavich said her team is also doing its own monitoring. Next year, they hope to expand their efforts across more parts of the province and potentially work with watershed groups and other organizations that can help track down more sightings of the reptiles.
CTV News
13 hours ago
- Health
- CTV News
CTV National News: How the measles are spreading across Canada
Watch Prince Edward Island is the latest province to report two possible cases of measles as the busy summer travel season gets underway. John Vennavally-Rao reports.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
The 44th Acadian Games a 'transformative experience' for young French athletes
Metal bleachers overlooking the soccer pitch behind Mathieu-Martin high school in Dieppe are split — on one side, a sea of fans wearing blue shirts and hoodies; on the other, fans sporting fire-engine red. From June 25 to 30, those colours and what they represent motivate young athletes as they compete to help their delegations bring home the most gold medals at the 44th Acadian Games. The annual games have brought together 1,100 athletes this year who qualified from all over the Maritimes in sports including volleyball, badminton and track and field — not to mention cultural events like improvisation, arts and singing. "We're starting into the third generation of youth," said Nicole Melanson, vice-president of communications for the games. "So they have stories from some of their grandparents and their parents, and people are really attached to the Acadian Games now." Competitors between the ages of 11 and 17 are representing 11 delegations from across New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. The games are hosted in a different municipality each year. For Chloe Allain, a mini-handball athlete who is representing Kent, the weekend is all about getting to meet people who are as passionate about their sport as she is. "My favourite part of the games is really when you watch …other teams play and when you get to spend time with some of them," she said. "It's a tremendous experience." WATCH | These young Acadian athletes are loud, proud — and here to win: Once the weekend begins, the athletes enter a kind of miniature Olympic village. Melanson said they don't stay with their parents. They sleep overnight inside classrooms at the high school and a local community college with their teammates, and all of their meals are made by volunteers. But it's more than games, she said: it's a chance for youth to grow and be part of something bigger. "It's almost a transformative experience for the kids," said Melanson, who also has children who have competed in the games. While the red worn by the Chaleur region, the blue of the Kent area or the purple of Prince Edward Island pits these athletes against each other on the field or court, they connect on a deeper level based on what they have in common. Since 1979, the games have been a weekend for French-Acadian youth to feel like their Acadian roots matter. That's the case this year for one mini-handball competitor from Yarmouth, N.S. "It is pretty special because there's not exactly a ton of people who speak French where I'm from," Finely Hanf said. "It feels pretty cool." Melanson said the games were created at a time when bolstering the French language and Acadian culture was an important part of building New Brunswick's identity. "The idea was as a minority language group to bring these youth together, make those contacts ... learn about the customs and the other regions and the fun differences in their accents," she said. More than 132,000 young people have taken part in the games between 1979 and 2019, according to the games' website, and more than 4,000 volunteers are needed to put on the games each year. For first-time competitors like Hanf, a big part of the weekend is being able to play in front of larger audiences, and on larger courts than what they might be used to in their hometowns. "There's a lot more seating so a lot more people are watching," Hanf said about her first experience at the games. "You kind of got to block them out ... at the same time, if your team scores a goal, enjoy them cheering." Gabby Arsenault, who is representing her province of Prince Edward Island for the first time in badminton, said this weekend is all about making memories in a new place. "I'm hoping to have a lot of fun and to tell good stories to my friends at home," she said. "It feels even more special because there's more people to communicate [with] in French." To Melanson, seeing the happy faces of young athletes and watching them meet new French speakers as she walks though the hallways and on the sidelines means the games are still accomplishing the goal they set out to. "The kids suddenly feel like this is really important," Melanson said. "I'm part of something, right? And I'm included." While finals for some sports have already taken place, all medals will be awarded Sunday when delegations will find out which region has taken home the most medals. One of the medals she's most looking forward to seeing awarded isn't a sport or cultural medal at all. She said throughout the weekend, some of the more than 750 volunteers at the games have a secret mission of keeping an eye out for athletes who showcase sportsmanship, and are supportive of other delegations during competitions. That player will get the weekend's friendship award. "Parents will never stop talking about when they were here. They're in the stands and they're exchanging their stories," Melanson said. "It's creating lasting bonds."
CTV News
19 hours ago
- Climate
- CTV News
P.E.I. opens parts of Confederation Trail to horses this summer
A horse's nose is seen in this undated file image. (Lum3n/ Horses will be able to trot down parts of the Confederation Trail in Prince Edward Island this summer. Equestrians will be able to use select portions of the trail 30 minutes after sunrise to 30 minutes before sunset, according to a news release from the province. The designated areas are: Prince County (Harper to Alama, and O'Leary to Piusville) Queens County (Kinkora to Freetown, and Emerald to Hazelgrove) Kings County (Lake Verde to Hermitage, and Hermitage to Fodhla) 'The gravel base along the Confederation Trail is typically dry and hard during the summer months,' the release reads. 'Riding on the trail is not recommended after heavy rain and trails will be closed to equestrians after extreme weather events to prevent damage to the trail.' The trail will be open to horses from July 1 to Oct. 31. Confederation Trail spans 449 total kilometres and spans from Tignish to Elmira. For more P.E.I. news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTV News
a day ago
- CTV News
Charlottetown police participate in emergency training exercise
A Charlottetown Police Services sign is pictured in this file photo. Police in Charlottetown are participating in a training exercise at a city school Friday. The Charlottetown Police Service will be at Colonel Gray High School for the day and access to the school property will be limited to those participating in the exercise, according to a post on social media. 'The purpose of the training exercise is to create a real-time emergency situation that activates an integrated emergency response across multiple departments,' reads the post. The tactical response unit, crisis negotiators and critical incident command will take part in the exercise. Charlottetown Police Service says the exercise does not pose a threat to the public. For more P.E.I. news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
