The ponds and marshes that
develop inland, such as the wetlands around
Cavendish Sandspit and Covehead Bridge, provide
critical nesting and breeding habitat for
the piping plover, an endangered species,
and the common tern, both under the park’s
protection. The lagoons, beaches and salt
marshes such as Brackly Marsh are frequented
by many species of ducks and shorebirds. Great
blue herons stalk the salt marshes and shorelines.
Many of the island’s 200 categories of
birds can be seen in the park. Common mammals
include snowshoe hare, red fox, muskrat, mink,
raccoon and skunk. Coyotes have recently arrived
to prey upon the park’s abundance of red
squirrels. Eastern brook trout, Atlantic salmon,
perch, smelt and rainbow trout are found in
the rivers that drain into the coastal bays.
Perhaps the best known feature
of the park is the landmark Green Gables House,
located at Cavendish in the west end of the
park. Once home to the cousins of Lucy Maud
Montgomery, the pretty wooden farmhouse inspired
the setting for many of her novels, most notably
her classic, Anne of Green Gables (1908). Famous
internationally as a literary backdrop, as an
historic site, it also portrays the cultural
environment and lifestyle of most island families
in the late 19th century. The Green Gables property
was acquired for inclusion in the park in 1937.
In the eastern end of the park is the elegant
Victorian mansion, Dalvay-by-the-Sea, built
in 1895 as a summer home for the American industrialist,
Alexander MacDonald. It was declared a National
Historic Site in 1993.
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