Then and now in Dunelands

It was a rare day, sunny, just above zero and without any wind or ice under foot. The north shore called to my husband and me, one of our favourite areas any time of year. We enjoy the National Park at Cavendish and wanted to visit the Beach and Dunelands in winter.

The Dunelands is near the entrance to Cavendish Beach. 

Macneill’s Pond, once an inlet of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, was formed when sand dunes cut off the inlet from the shoreline. Today a fence keeps people off the delicate dunes which are important in the prevention of erosion.

A floating boardwalk traverses the pond and provides a unique experience as the water laps underneath the walkway as it sways from the foot traffic. 

Not today though. 

The area is flooded from the recent rain, preventing foot traffic on the boardwalk. It is icy here in places as well, treacherous under foot. Today we just look.

The environment takes a beating for a few months every year.

 Before long, as the sun spends longer in the sky and has more heat, we will return to enjoy the other seasons among the dunes of Cavendish.

Dunelands

The name could be a title for a science fiction novel. Not this time however. It is an area in the national park on Prince Edward Island and while it isn’t a science fiction setting, it has an interesting geography.

This area includes the sand dunes of Cavendish Beach in the center of the island. 

Here, a pond, like so many on the island, was an inlet of the Gulf of St Lawrence which was cut off from the sea by the accumulation of beach sand.

Over the ages, the salt water in the pond was neutralized by rain and fresh water flowing into it. Now Macneill’s Pond is a home to fish and a resting/feeding place for Canada geese.

The dunes are covered in Maram grass and other vegetation. 

They are a great habitat for a variety of plants and animals, including foxes which have dens in the dunes. We saw a fox just west of Dunelands, making his rounds in a parking lot.

A rustic fence keeps park goers from walking on the dunes.

A boardwalk traverses the pond and provides a great view of the geese and fish in the water.

The area is in the flight path of the geese 

and we were pleased with the photos we took of the geese overhead.

Dunelands isn’t a large area but it is a natural wonder.