Québec / Québec Treasures / Drawing 09

Places, Traditions and Discoveries · Drawing 09

The islands' sand dunes

Colouring illustration: The islands' sand dunes
Stylized dunes and plants; the grasses are not a botanical identification guide.

On the Îles-de-la-Madeleine, wind shapes the sand dunes. Tall grasses help keep the sand in place.

Look together

What colour will you choose for the sand?

An idea to try

On a drawing of dunes, trace an imaginary route with your finger that goes around the clumps of grass.

For the adult reading along

A little more to discover

The Îles-de-la-Madeleine's dunes are environments where sand and plants interact. American beachgrass, locally called foin de dune, plays an important role. Its long leaves slow wind near the ground, helping sand grains settle. Its underground parts also help hold sand in place.

The local organization Attention FragÎles documents these environments and carries out restoration work. Look at the grass clumps as an important part of the landscape. Imagine a route that lets people admire the dunes without trampling the plants.

Sources and context

These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. Source titles appear in their original language; some linked pages are in French.

Source review: 2026-09-12. Illustrations simplify places and scenes; they are not historical documents.