Macphail Woods Ecological Forestry Project

Macphail Woods Ecological Forestry Project Helping Islanders discover the importance of forests by setting an example of stewardship and sustainability. PEI | Epekwitk
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Macphail Woods is a unique project. With our assistance, tens of thousands of native trees, shrubs, wildflowers and ferns have left our nursery and been planted across the Island, restoring lost seed sources, improving diversity and creating homes for wildlife. We’ve started restoring hundreds of acres of forest and our educational activities continue to grow in popularity. More than ever, people

appreciate the beauty that is around us and the potential of our woodlands to provide wildlife habitat, places of recreation and a wide variety of natural products.

Chainsaw Safety Training at Macphail WoodsOur Chainsaw Safety courses are designed for individuals of all skill levels. ...
09/04/2026

Chainsaw Safety Training at Macphail Woods

Our Chainsaw Safety courses are designed for individuals of all skill levels. We teach up-to-date techniques in a safe and inclusive learning environment, with an emphasis on understanding hazards, planning each cut, and developing informed cutting strategies.

Upcoming courses:

Chainsaw Safety Level 1 + 2
- September 12 & 13

Chainsaw Safety Level 3 + 4 (need to have completed Level 1 +2 to participate)
- September 19 & 20

For more information or to register: www.macphailwoods.org

Now that the nesting season has wrapped up, we're back on our forestry game and starting off with some patch cuttingWe’r...
09/02/2026

Now that the nesting season has wrapped up, we're back on our forestry game and starting off with some patch cutting

We’re working in a plantation style stand where the trees are mostly the same species, age and spacing. With such a dense canopy, very little light reaches the forest floor, leaving little opportunity for a diverse understory to develop.

We’re strategically opening patches in the stand to create space and sunlight for a new generation of trees and plants like new sun-loving species such as maple and birch. Over time, this creates a more diverse forest with trees of different ages and species, rather than one uniform stand aging together.

This work is being done in collaboration with the City of Charlottetown and Winter River - Tracadie Bay

Late summer is still full of colour!While some early-season blooms have come and gone, so many plants are just showing o...
08/28/2026

Late summer is still full of colour!

While some early-season blooms have come and gone, so many plants are just showing off now.

Come by and see what’s looking good!

Mapchail Woods | 269 MacPhail Park Road
Monday–Friday | 9am–3pm

*Edit: the first photo is Swamp Milkweed

Festival of Forests Saturday September 26th, 2026
08/20/2026

Festival of Forests
Saturday September 26th, 2026

Festival of Forests is back for another year.Saturday, September 26th at Macphail Woods.For 12 years, we’ve been gatheri...
08/17/2026

Festival of Forests is back for another year.

Saturday, September 26th at Macphail Woods.

For 12 years, we’ve been gathering in the woods to celebrate PEI’s forests, wildlife, conservation, and all the people who care about them.

A day to wander, learn, connect, and enjoy a little time in the woods.

More details coming soon. Save the date.

We get requests from people who look at the wildflowers, grasses, shrubs and plants already growing around their propert...
08/13/2026

We get requests from people who look at the wildflowers, grasses, shrubs and plants already growing around their property and think they’re looking at a garden that just needs to be cleaned up.

what they actually have is a pretty functioning little ecosystem - & we consider that pretty awesome 'round here

Unless something is invasive or actually causing a problem, there usually isn’t a real need to remove everything just because it looks wild.

Try working with what’s already there and think about how you can increase diversity 🤌

Add a few native species that aren’t currently represented. Maybe add a bug hotel using some of the woody debris from your yard. Put up a birdhouse or bat box if it makes sense. Leave some dead wood in place too.

If you want your space to look and feel nice, you don’t necessarily need to turn it into a lawn. Mow a few pathways instead. You can also mulch around individual plants or groups of plants to create a clean, eye-catching edge while still letting the rest of the space grow naturally. A simple border can help frame the plants and make them stand out.

Consider planting some of PEI’s less common native species.

Resources like the Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre .... are super helpful for figuring out which plants are rare or at risk in our region, and where they naturally occur.

A landscape doesn’t have to be perfectly manicured to be beautiful. The colour, texture, and wildlife are the best parts! 👌

Free Workshop tomorrow 🌾Coastal Habitats and Krummholz Forests with Dan McRae Come learn about our unique coastal habita...
08/07/2026

Free Workshop tomorrow 🌾

Coastal Habitats and Krummholz Forests with Dan McRae

Come learn about our unique coastal habitats and wind-blow krummholz forests. Growing along exposed shores, these gnarly and fascinating places are critical habitats for many native species as well as the Island’s natural shield against coastal winds, waves and flooding.

Saturday, August 8th at 10am
at the Nature Centre 269 Mapchali Park Rd.

Register at www.macphailwoods.org

It's a great day to be a sun-loving, heat thrivin' Yellow Cut-Leaf Coneflower 🙂‍↔️
08/06/2026

It's a great day to be a sun-loving, heat thrivin' Yellow Cut-Leaf Coneflower 🙂‍↔️

● Boardwalks and Black Ash ●🌿🌿🌿Black Ash or Wisqoq, is a keystone species of wetland forests, specially adapted to grow ...
07/31/2026

â—Ź Boardwalks and Black Ash â—Ź

🌿🌿🌿

Black Ash or Wisqoq, is a keystone species of wetland forests, specially adapted to grow in water-saturated soils. Once common, wisqoq graced the banks of rivers and wet forests across the Maritimes, reaching heights of 15-20m. Wisqoq has corky bark and delicate, opposite, compound leaves.

For millennia Wisqoq has been used by Mi'kmaq for basketry, furniture making and canoe construction. 

Within their habitat wisqoq supports a diversity of wildlife and contributes to water quality regulation and flood control. Across its range, wisqoq are in decline due to habitat loss, invasive species, and climate change-induced stressors in crucial ecosystems. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION on our Black Ash projects: visit www.macphailwoods.org

And the boardwalk? Milled right here at our nursery from sustainably harvested wood

Address

269 Macphail Park Road
Vernon Bridge, PE
C0A1A0

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 3pm
Tuesday 9am - 3pm
Wednesday 9am - 3pm
Thursday 9am - 3pm
Friday 9am - 3pm

Telephone

+19026512575

Website

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