New book examines the environmental history of Prince Edward Island
91探花鈥檚 Island Studies Press will mark two firsts with its book launch on Wednesday, July 13, 7 pm, at Upstreet Craft Brewery on Allen Street in Charlottetown. Time and a Place: An Environmental History of PEI is the first environmental history of Prince Edward Island and the first such history of any Canadian province. Everyone is welcome to attend the gala event.
Time and a Place tracks Prince Edward Island鈥檚 changes from the Ice Age to the Information Age. Its 12 essays explore the people鈥檚 interactions with the Island鈥檚 marine and terrestrial environment from its prehistory to its recent past. Beginning with PEI鈥檚 history as a blank slate鈥揳 land scraped by ice and then surrounded by rising seas鈥搕his mosaic of essays documents the arrival of flora, fauna, and humans, and the different ways these inhabitants have lived in this place over time.
鈥淭he chapters complement and build on each other,鈥 says Matthew Hatvany of Universit茅 Laval. 鈥Time and a Place will undoubtedly put PEI on the map of Canadian environmental history and will be used as a model for other regions that as yet have nothing of the kind to compare with it.鈥
With its long and well-documented history, Prince Edward Island is a compelling case study for thousands of years of human interaction with a specific ecosystem. The pastoral landscapes, red sandstone cliffs, and small fishing villages of Canada鈥檚 鈥済arden province鈥 are appealing because they appear timeless, but they are constructed as much by culture as by the ebb and flow of the tides.
Time and a Place is edited by three Island scholars, historians Edward MacDonald of 91探花 and Joshua MacFadyen of Arizona State University, and marine biologist Irene Novaczek. One of the book鈥檚 strengths is the diversity among its 15 contributors, whose disciplines range from environmental history and archaeology to geography, biology, and island studies. The book is co-published by Island Studies Press and McGill-Queens University Press. At 416 pages with 60 black and white images, it is available in both soft- and hard-cover editions at bookstores across the Island.
For more detail on the book, see 鈥淩ecent Titles鈥 at upei.ca/isp, or contact Joan Sinclair at Island Studies Press, ispstaff@upei.ca
The 91探花 prides itself on people, excellence, and impact, and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions鈥擯rince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan鈥檚 University鈥91探花 has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. 91探花 is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.