Buffer Zones: What are they, and why are they important?

Buffer zones are one of the most underappreciated and endangered parts of Prince Edward Island’s watersheds and ecosystems.

Buffer zones, sometimes called strips or riparian zones, are the division between agricultural fields and watersheds, usually measuring 15 metres between the streambed and the field. Crops that are being harvested are also required to have 10 metres of grassed headland between the buffer zone itself and the end of the crop rows.

A long buffer zone in an agricultural zone in Nova Scotia. The right side is thick, dense, and healthy. The left side of the stream is lacking in coverage.

For all tidal areas, they are measured from the top of the bank. Tidal areas include the saltwater part of rivers, bays and the outer coastline. For wetlands, buffer zones are measured from the edge of the wetland vegetation.

Buffer zones are designed to prevent runoff from agricultural fields from entering the watersheds. It reduces surface runoff, controls erosion along streams and coastlines, prevents heavy nutrient loading into streams, creates habitats for birds, amphibians, and reptiles, increases species diversity, and controls pollution uptake by adjacent waterways.

A healthy buffer zone leads to thick, dense root systems and deep soils that filter pollution from streams. Excess nutrients, pesticides, fertilizers, and foreign sediments are controlled with a healthy buffer zone. The root systems also prevent erosion, holding stream banks intact during storms, heavy rainfalls or surges.

Another benefit of buffer zones is that they can shade and regulate stream temperatures. Thick, dense canopies can protect streams, rivers and brooks from harsh sunlight, preventing water from overheating on hot summer days.

Extreme heat and sunlight can cause harmful algal blooms and deplete oxygen levels, affecting fish sensitive to low oxygen, such as trout. Algal blooms can cause fish kills, dead zones, and land animal deaths as well. Harmful algal blooms can cause diseases in humans, especially if shellfish or fish are consumed after being caught in a stream with an algal bloom.

Algal blooms usually form a greenish film on water, however it can also be a variety of other colours.

Buffer zones are protected in many ways. You may not plant agricultural crops or use pesticides in buffer zones unless next to wetlands that are completely shrub swamps, bogs, wooded swamps, seasonally flooded flats, meadows and landlocked ponds. However, tractors are allowed to turn within the 15-metre zone when harvesting.

If the farm is a livestock farm, the same rules above apply to the operation. Any building or expansion of livestock operations within 90 metres of any watercourse or wetland without authorization from the government.

Livestock are prohibited from entering watersheds because they may introduce harmful pathogens into waterways, track heavy nutrients into the water, and degrade the natural environment, such as stream banks. This can lead to runoff and, in some cases, fish kills in streams.

However, maintaining and restoring buffer zones is more difficult than it might seem.

For example, extreme weather conditions can greatly affect buffer zones. Hurricanes, like Dorian and Fiona, knocked down many trees in buffer zones, exposing streams to runoff and chemicals from spraying.

Trees in buffer zones are especially vulnerable to strong winds. The ground tends to be wetter, making it easier for the trees to topple. Being next to large, sprawling open fields also creates stronger winds. In winter, this can lead to large snow drifts building up in buffer zones.

The Tignish Watershed Management Group strives to build connections between local farmers and environmental organizations. Throughout the summer, we will continue planting trees along buffer zones in the Tignish area, protecting watersheds one tree at a time.

Ticks: How to spot, manage, and treat ticks and their bites.

Ticks. Those tiny, parasitic arachnids that latch onto you and feed on your blood. We’ve all heard of them, but how much do you really know about them?

There are many misconceptions about ticks. Here, you can learn about them and their anatomy, how to avoid them, where you can find them, how to remove them, and what you can do to prevent them from sinking their hypostomes into you.

Ticks carry many diseases, most famously Lyme Disease, but they can also cause several other diseases in both human and pet hosts. These include Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Powassan Virus, Babesiosis, and Alpha-Gal syndrome.

While these diseases are less common in Prince Edward Island and Canada in
general, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Nearly 5,000 cases of Lyme disease were reported in Canada in 2024, with 4 cases reported in P.E.I. This doesn’t sound like a lot, but Lyme Disease can have serious long-lasting effects.

Where ticks live:


Trees, shrubs, long grass, bushes, and leaf piles are all places where ticks make
their homes. The warmer and wetter the weather, the more commonplace they are.

Ticks start appearing in May, as soon as frost disappears from the ground, but they are most common in June and July, when wet, hot, and humid conditions cause them to flourish.

Ticks are not as common on P.E.I. as in other provinces, but their population has been steadily growing over the last ten years.

How to avoid ticks:

Ticks love tall grass the most. Whenever you are walking through an area with lots of grass, shrubbery, or anything that can brush up against you, make sure to wear long pants. Even a thin layer works to prevent a tick bite.

Make sure to tuck your pants into your socks and your shirt into your pants, and wear closed-toe shoes so they can’t climb underneath your layers.

Lighter-coloured clothes can also come in handy for spotting ticks if they start crawling on you.

Of course, walking on groomed paths and avoiding long grass is the best way to avoid ticks in the first place, but if you must, make sure to apply insect repellent and take proper precautions to ensure you’re not bitten by a tick.

Before heading indoors after a trip outside, make sure to inspect yourself, others, and pets for any signs of unattached ticks. Taking a shower after a trip through long grass can help wash off any unattached ticks. If you suspect that there might be ticks on your clothes, throwing them in the dryer on high heat for 10 minutes will kill any surviving ticks.

The anatomy of ticks:

Ticks are arachnids, much like mites and spiders. They have eight chitinous legs and can jump and latch onto skin with their mouths. Using their hypostomes, harpoon-like spears, they bite skin and feed on blood. Initially, ticks are quite small, but once they begin feeding, they can grow rapidly, ballooning as they eat.

Ticks are small, very small. When inspecting yourself for ticks, feel for bumps and look for tiny dark spots. A tick nymph is only 1.15 mm long; adult males are 2 mm long, adult females are 3 mm long; and a fully fed female will be around a centimetre long.

How to remove ticks:

When you find a tick, it is important to remove it SAFELY as quickly as you can. Do not try to remove it by burning, scraping, smothering or cutting.

With a pair of sanitized tweezers, get as close as you can to the head of the tick. Pull the head straight out slowly. Do not try to twist or squeeze the tick, as this could cause damage to your body.

If the mouthpart breaks and lodges in the skin, try to remove it with the tweezers. If not, leave it alone and let it heal. The skin will heal and break down the mouthpiece on its own.

Clean the area with soap and water or an alcohol-based wipe. If you need help with removing a tick, don’t hesitate to call a friend or family member to help.

If you feel unwell after removal or if the tick has buried itself deep within your skin, seek medical attention immediately.

Every year, the number of reported ticks and cases of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses grows exponentially. According to Yahoo! News, ticks have been reported in Ontario Provincial Parks earlier than ever before. 2026 is on record to have the most ticks in Canadian history, and with more species migrating north from the United States, it’s best to be careful.

But it isn’t all bad news. Environmental and medical agencies are working hard to develop innovative solutions to curb the spread of ticks.

According to CBC, researchers at the University of Ottawa have possibly found a strong method of reducing tick numbers on walking trails. In a study published earlier in May, spreading a covering of wood chips on trails can reduce tick presence and, by extension, Lyme disease cases. The number of ticks was reduced by 99%.

With increased focus on these pests, expect more solutions to be developed in the future. In the meantime, wear some long pants and use bug spray while walking!