Presented by the Institute of Island Studies at UPEI, the Island Lecture Series on October 22 will celebrate the launch of "Finding Home at the Harbour" by Barbara Palmer Rousseau. Weaving natural history with her own story and illustrations, Rousseau highlights the resilience of the Island and its inhabitants to ongoing environmental change in this collection of illustrated essays published by Island Studies Press. The lecture and launch will be held from 7:00-8:30 pm in the Faculty Lounge, SDU Main Building Room 201, University of Prince Edward Island. 

A frequent summer visitor to PEI, Rousseau experienced its true beauty when she moved here from Ontario. At her cottage in St. Peters Harbour on the northeast shore, she learned the seasonal rhythms of spring peepers and barefoot beach walks, fall hurricanes, and winter freeze-up. Her creativity returned as she began to sketch her fox family neighbours, the nearby dunes, and the sand-locked lighthouse. Her essays reflect on the fluid nature of the shore and tell a story of adaptation and hope.

Rousseau moved to PEI in 2020 to return to school after a 30-year career in Ottawa’s software development industry. She is currently completing a Master of Arts in Island Studies (MAIS) at UPEI, studying the environmental history of the north shore dunes and the resulting implications for the future of the Island.

The event is free, and all are welcome. Books will be available for purchase. For more information, contact Bren Simmers at Island Studies Press, 902-566-0386 or ispstaff@upei.ca.