School of Woodland Ecology Course Catalogue 2025

See all SWE courses for the 2025 year! All courses take place at Macphail Woods, and are taught by in-house proffessionals. 

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2025 Events 

A year at a glance view of free community workshops and Chainsaw Safety Training course being offered this year. See our School of Woodland Ecology Catalogue for specialized courses.

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2025 Nursery Catalogue 

Catalogue of native plants propagated here at Macphail Woods. Order online, come to Macphail Woods Nursery when we open on April 28th, 2025 or email admin@macphailwoods.org, to order plants. 

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Supporting Teachers: Field Guide in Nature Education 

Macphail Woods has been developing best practices in nature education since 1991. Whether you are an educator, student, parent or guardian, these resources are here to help you have a positive, educational experience outdoors.

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The Buzz is PEI's guide to what's going on, and it includes an article each month by Gary Schneider, project founder at Macphail Woods.

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Stewardship of Black Ash Report 2024

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Stewarding Coastal Krummholzing Habitats 2024

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This publication explores some of PEI's native trees and shrubs and why they are important. It also includes a planting guide, tips on attracting wildlife into your yard, creating hedges, schoolground naturalization, propagation, and more!

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This publication covers the relationship between ecological forestry and wildlife health. It includes information on natural succession, how to create a healthy wildlife community, some of the issues facing Island forests, and more! 

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This publication covers the initial stages of our Krummholz habitat research. Taking course over the winter of 2020-21, we surveyed snowy wind-blown coasts across the province. It includes a breakdown of some of the locations, flora & functions of these unique and integral habitats! 

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This publication covers the secondary stages of our coastal Krummholz habitat research. This stage focused on studying thirteen sites throughout the year, delving deeper into these unique coastal habitats. It describes the diversity of shorelines found across PEI, as well as the myriad of habitats growing under constantly strong winds. This study includes a variety of detailed information about the flora and fauna that call our coastal Krummholz habitats home. 

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This publication covers the third season of our coastal Krummholz habitat research. This study focuses on improving our understanding of historic and on-going ecological disturbances, meteorological patterns, and specimen distribution along our windy Island shores. It also includes starter restoration templates for a variety of coastal types across the province, using a newly developed system of ecological wind zonation.

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This publication covers the fourth season of our coastal Krummholz habitat research. Continuing previous work, this season was focused ecological restoration across five coastal sites, as well as further monitoring and research into coastal habitats, processes & biodiversity.

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This publication summarizes much of the work and findings while surveying for black ash betwen Winter 2020 and Spring 2023. This was made as part of the Abegweit First Nation's Conservation Society's Stewardship of Black Ash Project. 

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This publication focuses on a number of rare native plants that are useful in habitat restoration. It includes species-specific about a diverse array of native flora, from trees and shrubs to wildflowers, ferns and more!

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This publication focuses useful ways to integrate native species into watershed restoration. It includes a variety of handy info, from useful native species to planting plans!

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Hedgerows and Windbreaks

With good planning and use of species, a hedgerow can provide cover and food for birds and wildlife, be a source for fuelwood and lumber, provide privacy, reduce road noise and be beautiful year round, in addition to the other benefits that hedgerows give to the land and the buildings on it. Learn more in this exerpt from our publication: Native Trees and Shrubs 

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