Hog Island (Prince Edward Island)
Native name: Pitaweikek | |
|---|---|
  Hog Island | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Gulf of Saint Lawrence and Malpeque Bay |
| Coordinates | 46°36′50″N 63°47′42″W / 46.61389°N 63.79500°W |
| Length | 14.5 km (9.01 mi) |
| Administration | |
| Province | Prince Edward Island |
| County | Prince County |
Hog Island (Mi'kmaq: Pitaweikek, literally "tea broth place") is a 14.5 km (9.0 mi) long barrier island located off the northwest coast of Prince Edward Island in Canada. The island is notable for its unique sandhill ecosystem and cultural significance to the Mi'kmaq people.[1]
Geography
[edit]Hog Island is the largest and southernmost island of a series of barrier islands that separate Malpeque Bay to the southwest from the larger Gulf of Saint Lawrence, to the northeast. It borders Lennox and Bird Islands to the west, and the Conway Sandhills to the northwest.
Wildlife
[edit]The Hog Island Sandhills are home to many endangered species including the piping plover, the gypsy's cuckoo bumblebee, the northern long-eared bat and the little brown bat.[2]
Preservation
[edit]The island is included within the boundaries of Pituamkek National Park Reserve, a national park reserve first proposed by the Mi'kmaq First Nations in 2005. In 2019, Parks Canada began a feasibility assessment on the establishment of a national park reserve,[3][4] and the park reserve was formally established in 2024,[5] although the exact boundaries have not yet been finalized.
The island is also included within an Important Bird Area encompassing the waters and shoreline of Malpeque Bay.[6]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Cascumpec Sandhills and Conway Sandhills". .. Retrieved 2021-03-17.
- ^ "Government of Canada and PEI Mi'kmaq First Nations working together to protect the Hog Island Sandhills". Parks Canada. 4 August 2019. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
- ^ "New P.E.I. national park reserve proposed". CBC News. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
- ^ "The Mi'kmaq Confederacy's Dream For A New National Park In Prince Edward Island". www.nationalparkstraveler.org. Retrieved 2021-03-17.
- ^ "Memorandum of understanding for proposed National Park Reserve in Pituamkek (Hog Island and the Sandhills)". Parks Canada. January 19, 2022. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ "Malpeque Bay". IBA Canada. Birds Canada. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
