Skinner Pond Dunes EarthCache

Skinner Pond Dunes

Skinners Pond is a rural unincorporated community located in Prince County, Prince Edward Island. It is located northwest of the town of Tignish, near the northwestern tip of the province. The primary industries for the area are agriculture and fishing. Skinners Pond is probably best known as the boyhood home of Canadian musician Stompin' Tom Connors, who was adopted and raised by a family on a local farm.

Skinners Pond Beach is a long stretch of beach (4km) which is wide and red sand just south of North Cape. The beach is split by the wharf where Skinners Pond flows out into the gulf. At the wharf there is a bridge over Skinners Pond that provides access to the beach to the southwest. The sand dunes are 40ft high and covered in sand and grass. If you look to the north you can see North Cape Lighthouse in the distance and the many windmills at North Cape.

How was PEI formed geologically?

Prince Edward Island’s landmass is young in geological terms. Freshwater streams created an enormous sedimentary basin underlying the present-day Gulf of St. Lawrence. These streams drained ancient highlands. The ice ages left an imprint on the land, especially during the late Pleistocene period between 75,000 and 10,000 years ago. When the last glaciers receded they uncovered what is now PEI. The glaciers left debris and scouring marks on the exposed land. Gradually, the land assumed its present character. A low plain covering much of the present-day Northumberland Strait connected the island to the mainland. This plain existed because of lower ocean beds and land depressed by the glaciers’ weight. As glaciers melted and ocean levels rose, the land also rebounded, and the crescent shape of the island emerged about 5,000 years ago.

Sand Dunes

Sand dunes are an important feature of Prince Edward Island’s environment. A sand dune can generally be described as a large sand deposit created from the movement of sand by wind and/or wave action. Dune areas are vegetated primarily with marram grass which is resistant to drying out and the influence of the nearby salt water environment. This natural grassland is home to birds such as the horned lark and the savannah sparrow.

The red-breasted merganser specializes in nesting on isolated sand spits or islands near nesting colonies of gulls and terns. As well, there are many other wildlife species that depend on sand dunes. Piping Plovers favour sand beaches, and the threatened Gulf of St Lawrence Aster can be found on a few north shore dunes near the high water mark. Hardiness is essential to any plant or animal for survival in dune habitats.

Coastal erosion has always been a threat to sand dunes, but has become a much more significant issue on PEI in the last two decades. As sea levels are predicted to continue to rise over the coming decades, the loss of more dunes systems into the ocean is almost guaranteed. Lack of ice around the shoreline in winter, more frequent tidal surges and increased storm events will only increase the threat to these sensitive and unique features.

Dune structure

A sand dune as a wind or wave-deposited formation of vegetated or drifting wind-blown sand that lies generally parallel to and landward of the beach and between the upland limit of the beach and the foot of the most inland dune slope.

Types of sand dunes include: primary sand dunes, which are located immediately inland of the beach and may be vegetated with marram grass; and secondary sand dunes, which are located adjacent to and inland of a primary sand dune and may support vegetation such as marram grass, bayberry, lichen, and scattered white spruce.

Given how sensitive these natural sand features are, they have been protected under the Environmental Protection Act from disturbance by new developments, motorized vehicle traffic, or alteration of any kind. A Watercourse, Wetland and Buffer Zone Activity Permit or a Special Permit is required in order to carry out any prohibited activities in or around any sand dune on PEI.

To log this Earthcache visit the viewing location. Please answer the following questions and send in a timely manner to my geocaching profile or email. Answers not received will result in deleted logs.

Note: Look up and down the coast to appreciate the length and size of the Dune.

Questions:

1. How tall are the Dunes at Ground Zero?

2. How far is it from Ground Zero to Ref A (N46° 58.560' W64° 06.524')?

3. Is Dune size/height consistent, what would cause the differences?

4. What helps the dunes stay in place/intact?

5. Will the dune remain the same or change over time, Why?

6. Post a picture in your log with a personal item or hand in picture to prove you were there.

[REQUIRED] In accordance with the updated guidelines from Geocaching Headquarters published in June 2019, photos are now an acceptable logging requirement and WILL BE REQUIRED TO LOG THIS CACHE. Please provide a photo of yourself or a personal item in the picture to prove you visited the site.