Bringing the Marsh Monitoring Program back to Prince Edward Island

Media release

May 25, 2026 – Charlottetown, PEI 

The Maritimes Marsh Monitoring Program will undergo a resurgence in Prince Edward Island this summer, thanks to funding from the PEI Wildlife Conservation Fund. Marsh bird species are notoriously difficult to detect, and this dedicated survey will be key to understanding the presence, distribution, and conservation needs of wetland birds on the island for years to come. 

This spring, several new survey routes have been established across PEI, with volunteers stepping up to cover many of them, while Birds Canada’s Atlantic Programs Biologist, Jenna McDermott, will support additional routes to help ensure as much valuable data as possible is collected. “The PEI Wildlife Conservation Fund has played a vital role in re-establishing this important monitoring program in our province.” says Jenna McDermott. “We’re very excited to see results of how PEI’s wetland birds are doing for years to come.”  

Birds Canada’s Maritimes Marsh Monitoring Program is a volunteer monitoring program that was established in 2012 to monitor all wetland-associated species and their habitats around the Maritime provinces. The first 6 routes in PEI were created in 2015 but have not been regularly surveyed and the program has not been active since 2023. When surveys are done annually, Birds Canada biologists can track long-term population trends and help establish wetland conservation and management priorities. Data collected by the Marsh Monitoring Program are routinely used in large national conservation status reports like the State of Canada’s Birds.  

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About Birds Canada: Birds Canada is a national charity dedicated to bird conservation. Our mission is to drive action to increase the understanding, appreciation and conservation of birds in Canada. 

Associated Links: 

• Birds Canada’s Marsh Monitoring Program  

• State of Canada’s Birds 

Media Contacts: 

Jenna McDermott 
Atlantic Programs Biologist
Birds Canada 
jmcdermott@birdscanada.org 
(519) 586-3531 ext: 339 

A volunteer surveyor participating in Birds Canada’s Marsh Monitoring Program. Photo by Kyle Cameron.