What are the geographical features of the island?

The southern shores of PEI neighbour the Northumberland Strait (near Eastern Canada). There
are a few main cities: Charlottetown, Cornwall, Stratford being the most urban while smaller
towns such as Summerside Harbour and Charlottetown Harbour forming smaller towns.
Interestingly, the harbours of Charlottetown and Summerside are formed by rias.
What are rias?
Rias are long, usually narrow inlets (lakes, rivers - similar to a bay) that are formed because a
river valley is partially submerged. An example Ive personally seen but never realised the
significance of being a ria, is Sydney Harbour and the Georges River in Sydney.
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insert image of Rias -

Most of the islands landscape is pastoral, with scenic rolling hills, woods, white sand beaches,
8ocean coves and with the renowned red soil. The economy of most rural communities is based
on small-scale agriculture, which focuses on sustainable farming methods.
The coastline of PEI consists of long beaches, dunes, red sandstone cliffs, salt water marshes,
and a large number of bays and harbours.
What distinguishes these areas from other parts of Canada?
After some research, I have found that the beaches and sandstone cliffs are made up of
sedimentary rock and materials with high iron concentration, which in turn oxidises when it is
exposed to the air. Even more interestingly, the white silica (insert sketch) found in some of the
beaches are entirely unique because the sand causes a rubbing noise as they are subjected to
friction, and this has led to them being called singing sands
The dune fields neighbouring the northern shore - specifically Greenwich - are a parabolic dune
system.
What is a parabolic dune system?
A parabolic dune system consists of U shaped mounds caused by erosion of vegetation and are
found in semiarid areas. The parabolic dune systems in PEI are home to a range of plants and
birds.
Overall, PEI has a small island size (approximately 5660m2) with a dense population of roughly
145, 855 (2012 figures).

To the big question now, what is being done by the PEI community to conserve
these geographical features and achieve sustainability?
There has been much done by the government, community and individuals to conserve the
natural environment of PEI.
What is the government policy on conserving?
The government of PEI has created laws to preserve the land through regulating what is used.
The Planning Act details that municipalities have the option to take responsibility for land-use
planning if they adopt official plans and laws concerning land use. To date, 31 municipalities
have taken responsibility for planning, and the remaining have remained under control of the
government for development.
PEI depends on the land and sea for its three primary industries - farming, tourism and fishery.
The three industries are independent, and rely on a healthy environment where crops can
flourish, shellfish survive and visitors receive the scenic advantages.
The PEI Department of Agriculture and Forestry has enacted:

Legislation relating to crop rotation and riparian buffer zones.

a food trust that supports sustainable growing and harvesting practices.
A Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program that provides support to communities

to enhance streams and forests.

A Young Environmentalist Program which annually hires students to work on
stream enhancement, erosion control, etc.
A Waste Watch which, through its recycling and composting program projects a
65% diversion of waste from disposal sites
Anti-littering laws that administer fines all the way up to $50,000
A Green Power Program which sells power generated at the North Cape wind
power research farm

What do the farms do?

PEI has the highest rate in Canada of farmers completing the Enhanced Environmental Farm
Plans - which helps farmers construct practical plans for operating their farmer in a manner
that is sustainable, socially acceptable and economically secure. It involves identifying,
evaluating and addressing environmental risks and hazards, as well as innovative opportunities

on the farms e.g. storage of pesticides and fuel, water management, nutrient management and
erosion control.
PEI farms follow regulations that limit agricultural and industry activity near waterways. The
minimum riparian zones are along all brooks, streams and rivers, as well as wetlands and
shorelines. These are created to prevent pesticides and fertiliser from moving into the waterways
during rainfall periods. This thus allows farmers to create healthy waterways safe for water
consumption and to serve as a habitat for the underwater ecosystem.
What is small-scale agriculture, and how is it taking form in PEI?
Small-scale agriculture revolves around sustainable practices in agriculture, such as: organic
farming, arable land use, pastoral processes, rainfed agriculture and biodynamic farming. In
PEI, a majority of farmers use organic farming, by removing chemical pesticides and fertiliser
and instead using biodynamic farming - using natural fertilisers (such as cow manure) on crops
instead. The SC Grit Classifier treatment system is a filtration system which reduced the amount
of species that leave a plant, and what results can be used as fertiliser.
Myles Rose, a potato farmer from North Lake in PEI says growers have three options when it
comes to working the land: mine, maintain, or build the fertility of the soil. Our hope is to at
least maintain our natural resources, and hopefully to build them for future generations.
Evidently, farmers have clear, sustainable terms on how they harvest, and ensure it is done in
the best interests of the natural environment.
Conclusion
To conclude, I look to the community efforts in PEI for a good model in conservation on both
local and national levels. Through truly understanding the ecosystem; each biotic and abiotic
factor; the populations, species, the habitats, communities, as well as the natural environment;
the hills, beaches, lakes, dunes, etc, and how they are all interdependent, the PEI community is
able to effectively bring up mechanisms for sustainability. In the bigger picture, I believe that
while the island is contributing well to action against climate change, there is still more they can
do (greater investments in solar and wind energy). I can see the UWC Mission reflected their in
part, with the great focus on preserving the natural environment in a sustainable fashion to
attract and unite tourists from around the world.

Bibliography:
http://www.aquaculturepei.com/sustainability.php
http://www.tourismpei.com/pei-environment
http://www.peipotato.org/why-pei-potatoes/environmental-sustainability
http://www.peaqua.com/environmental_sustainability.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small-scale_agriculture