Join Us at the South Shore Fest on June 13th!
Summer on the South Shore is calling at Mariners’ Park for a FREE full day event celebrating nature, music, learning, and community spirit.
From guided walks (due to high demand WE'VE ADDED MORE SPOTS & AN AFTERNOON WALK register here) and hands‑on Wild Thing outdoor educational activities to live music, local food, and a spectacular laser guided Sky Tour (register here), South Shore Fest is your chance to explore the rare and beautiful area we love and learn about the people who are helping to protect it.
📍 Bring your curiosity and walk the South Shore at Mariners Park. Follow a gentle, winding path with fun stops that introduce the special places featured on the SSJI South Shore Map. View new SSJI exhibit at Mariner's Museum with cool Wild Thing items, and more.
🐾 Don't miss Terry Sprague's presentation at 10:30 AM - Giants & Giants-in-Disguise: The County’s Wildest Wildlife Surprises!
👀 Keep an eye out for a special Step Into Nature 2026 Raffle ... some wonderful prizes are on the horizon.
Free admission (donations gratefully accepted), rain or shine—come spend the day with us!
Click HERE for more information and to register for guided walks and evening Laser Guided Sky Tour.
Giants & Giants-in-Disguise: The County’s Wildest Wildlife Surprises
Don't miss this talk by legendary local naturalist Terry Sprague at South Shore Fest on June 13th!
We are thrilled to welcome Terry Sprague, a true pioneer of natural history and a beloved voice for conservation in Prince Edward County. Raised on a Big Island farm, Terry has spent over 50 years educating our community through columns, guided tours, and careers with Sandbanks and Quinte Conservation.
Winner of the Pioneer Conservationist Award, Terry's deep connection to this land makes him the perfect guide to uncover the bizarre and beautiful secrets of our local ecosystem.
Prepare to look at Prince Edward County’s wildlife in a whole new way! This engaging presentation will be delivered at 10:30 AM on June 13th during South Shore Fest. It is perfect for families, nature enthusiasts, and curious minds of all ages.
Join Terry Sprague for a fascinating exploration of the big and little surprises hidden within our local ecosystem. Using unique specimens from opposite ends of the size spectrum—including a historic Canada lynx and a tiny pygmy shrew—Terry will reveal how the grandest predators and the smallest mammals both play vital roles in our environment.
You will hear the stories behind these remarkable animals, learn how they adapt to our changing landscape, and discover what their presence tells us about the health of the County's wilderness.
Come discover how the big and the little things make our local biodiversity so unique, and leave with a newfound appreciation for the wild spaces right in our own backyard.
Take a look at South Shore Fest program page here. Please note that some activities require registration. This is a free event - donations will be gratefully accepted.
South Shore Footpath Blog
Spring on the South Shore has been full of surprises. As the Path Building Team began its early‑season walks, each visit revealed new stories held in the land—from old homesteads and turtle nesting sites to the first wildlife sightings of the year. These walks are offering more than route planning; they’re deepening our connection to the history, ecology, and spirit of the South Shore. Read the full update by Dale Smith to see what we’ve discovered along the way.
This month’s sky highlights from Steven Burr:
💚 Shop with purpose!
Our merch is proudly fulfilled locally by Northern Branding and features designs, graphics and photographs by local artists.
We've got some new T shirts! Local PEC artist Jan Swaren, who participated in SSJI's Square Foot Art Show, has generously shared a beautiful South Shore flora artwork — and now you can wear it while supporting South Shore Joint Initiative’s mission to protect, preserve, and restore our South Shore lands and waters. This original artwork features local Prince Edward County plants: Four-leaved Milkweed, Limestone Hedge Hyssop, Ram’s-head Lady’s-slipper, Ontario Aster, Downy Woodmint, Clammyweed, Eastern Few-fruited Sedge, Bicknell’s Sedge, Green Arrow-Arum.
Every purchase helps protect the South Shore, celebrates the creativity of our community and supports our work including:
🚶 South Shore Fest, guided walks, dark sky and other FREE events
🌿 Wild Thing educational programs
🦋 Monarch Day … & so much more!
Support our programs!
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