The County is home to three interesting and beautiful Ontario Provincial Parks. Sandbanks, Lake on the Mountain and North Beach; each have something unique to offer – trails, beaches, views and more.

Some provincial parks (including Sandbanks & North Beach) require you to preregister, which you can do online. PEC also has a number of conservation areas managed by Quinte Conservation, including Macaulay Mountain Conservation Area and Massasauga Point. You can bring a picnic, hike and enjoy the outdoors. Did you know that the County of Prince Edward Public Library has passes to the Provincial Parks and Quinte Conservation Areas you can borrow?

They come as part of “Adventure Kits”, which are bags packed with activities and tools to try out. You can view the list of available kits at www.peclibrary.org/adventure-kits/. When you place your request by phoning any branch of the library or at peclibrary.org, you’ll have the opportunity to choose either kit featuring a Quinte Conservation Area parking pass or a Ontario Provincial Park pass. You aren’t limited to the County’s green spaces either – you can use the pass at any of Ontario’s 100+ provincial parks! There are so many beautiful places to explore and if you want a good book to take to the beach we can help with that too!

Many of the activities included in the kits were provided by Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory and Sandbanks Provincial Park – thanks to both organizations for lending their expertise to the kits.

If you have children, you will be happy to know that our popular Camping 101 program – held last year for the first time – will return this summer at the Ameliasburgh Branch Library It’s a great way for children to explore all the skills that are helpful on a camping trip – from plant identification to camp snacks and beyond! More information to come, but you can connect with Joanna at [email protected] or Gisa (613) 968-9327 to be contacted when registration becomes available. Other summer programs including tech, storytimes and more are in the works as well. If you’re planning a summer trip, you might be interested in knowing that you can borrow the internet from the library! We have hotspots, which are small devices that create a “wifi network” that you can connect your phone or tablet to. For more information, or to reserve, call (613) 476-5962.

Instructions are included, and you can book a time with a tech person for instructions in advance if you need it.

To find out more about programs and services at the library, visit peclibrary.org.

-Liz Zylstra