Tuesday 29 November 2011

EcoSask News, November 29, 2011


Fish ‘n Chips & Vinegar, December 1
“Don’t throw your trash in my backyard….” Saskatoon Community Youth Arts Programming (SCYAP) invites you to view an art exhibition about our ocean of trash by Tamara Unroe and Mariann Taubensee. The opening reception is Thursday, December 1 from 5 to 9 pm at the SCYAP Gallery (253 3rd Avenue), and the exhibit will be on display until December 22.

Saskatoon Zoo Society at Sun Dog, December 4
Be sure to visit the Children’s Stage at Sun Dog Handcraft Faire on Sunday, December 4 at 1 or 3 pm when the Saskatoon Zoo Society will be hosting a Critter Corner.

Paper-Making Workshop, December 10
Join the Saskatoon Young Naturalists for a paper-making workshop on Saturday, December 10 at 1 pm at the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo.

PRI Saskatchewan: REcruiting Artists, January 11
The Permaculture Research Institute of Saskatchewan is hosting an Art Show and Auction entitled "RE" at The Refinery from January 30 - February 10, 2012. They're looking for artists to display and sell (optional) their work. The art should focus on local sustainability initiatives and/or permaculture. To submit, send a digital version or photograph of your work to shandy30@hotmail.com before January 11.

Waste Minimization Awards, February 29
The Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council is seeking nominations for the 2011 Saskatchewan Waste Minimization Awards. Nominators are asked to include a summary highlighting the amount of waste diverted, impact on the environment and economy, leadership, and innovation. Deadline for nominations is February 29, 2012.

Skywatchers 2012 Calendar
Stan Shadick's Skywatchers' 2012 Calendar features maps of the night sky. This year’s calendar incorporates a greater number of celestial events. Inset maps illustrate conjunctions of planets and the moon on various dates. Special times for observing Jupiter's Moons with your spotting scope are included.

The calendar is available at some local bookstores or directly from Stan Shadick for $15 by phoning 652-5975. (via Saskatoon Nature Society)

Paying the Price for Suburban Sprawl
The City of Saskatoon has doubled in size since 1999. An Edmonton report, as discussed in an Edmonton Journal article, warns that suburban sprawl costs big bucks - $500 million over the first 30 years then rising to over $3 billion as Edmonton starts replacing aging infrastructure.

Prevent the Extinction of Sage Grouse
An international coalition of environmental groups is calling on the federal environment minister to take Canada’s endangered greater sage grouse under his wing with an emergency protection order. In addition to demanding federal protection, the environmental groups are calling on the oil and gas industry to voluntarily provide sage grouse with the protection they need.

EcoSask News is a weekly Tuesday feature. Email ecofriendlysask@gmail.com if you have news or events that you would like us to include.

Visit EcoFriendly Sask's Calendar page for a more complete list of upcoming events.

You can follow EcoFriendly Sask by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter or email (top right corner).

Thursday 24 November 2011

Saskatoon Zoo Society

“Come meet the animals at the zoo”

A visit to the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park and Zoo offers a rare opportunity to see a wide variety of animals – from an African pygmy hedgehog or a burrowing owl, to a mountain goat, suri alpacas, and lions. But simply observing animals in captivity offers a very narrow perspective. What if you could also feed them or make toys for them?

The Saskatoon Zoo Society is a non-profit organization that was formed to provide educational opportunities based around the wildlife at the Saskatoon Zoo.

“If you’re going to keep animals behind bars,” explains Greg Fenty, the Society’s Education Coordinator, “you want people to learn about them.”

The Society offers over 400 educational programs every year to pre-schoolers, school children, and families. Children have an opportunity to spend time with the animals and to observe their behaviour. “The hawk has a specific cry when it is hungry, and the porcupine will sniff your feet and look you in the eye,” Greg says.

Programs for All Ages
Preschool Twice a year, the Zoo Society staff run a morning program for kids ages 4 and 5. It’s so popular that the spring session, which doesn’t begin until May, sold out immediately. Fortunately, they have been able to add an extra session on Friday mornings.

Creature Feature Storytime runs from November 29 to December 14. Pre-schoolers listen to a story and meet one of the story’s animal characters.

Camps The Zoo Society offers a variety of different camps for older children. There are PD Day Camps, a three-day camp over the February break, and week-long camps in the summer. The summer camp for 11 to 14 year olds includes a sleepover, a canoe trip, and visits to Pike Lake and Beaver Creek.


Drop-In Programs Family Day in July is the very best time to visit the Zoo as the Zoo Society has the zoo for the day and they organize interactive displays and entertainment.

There are drop-in interpretive programs during the Christmas and Easter holidays as well. For one and a half hours in the morning and the afternoon, you’ll be able to meet one of the animals and find out more about its habits and behaviour from the Zoo Society employees.

School Programs
The program offerings for school classes range from a one-hour session at the school to half- or full-day programs at the zoo. The Affinity Learning Centre, with three state-of-the-art classrooms, gives staff the opportunity to talk to the students before moving out into the zoo. “It gives the kids a deeper understanding of the interconnections between all living species,” Greg explains.

Grade One students enjoy the opportunity to stroke a rabbit, but they are also learning how to classify animals based on their skin cover (fur, feathers, scales, slime).

Math and nutrition stop being abstract school subjects when students are assigned an animal and have to determine what types of food the animal eats, how many calories they need, and the most appropriate combination (chicken, rats, mice). The children then weigh and chop the food and feed the animal.


Young Naturalists Program
The Saskatoon Young Naturalists, co-sponsored by the Saskatoon Zoo Society and the Saskatoon Nature Society, offer regular outings and activities that are geared to the 5-to-11-year-old range. Children and their parents can poke, prod and explore nature, and Greg Fenty is on hand to point out interesting features and answer questions.

Resources and Limitations
There is a huge demand for the Zoo Society’s programs, but resources are limited. There are three full-time coordinators, all of whom have degrees in education, as well as a part-time office administrator.

They hire extra staff in the summer to run the camps, which gives the permanent staff an opportunity to timeshift and offer some public weekend programs, but they cannot normally provide both week-day and weekend programming.

The Zoo is also relatively small, and there are a limited number of socialized animals that can be included in the programming. In addition, many of these animals are now seniors, and there are no plans yet in place to replace them.

“It takes a long time to socialize an animal,” says Greg. “The last animal that we socialized was Spirit, the one-eyed great horned owl. We were with her 24/7 for 6 weeks to ensure that she was comfortable around people. I still spend at least 3 hours a week with the socialized animals. I grab my laptop and go sit with the hawk, for example.”

The Zoo Society, with funding from the Royal Bank, used to offer a week-long Zoo School, and they are eager to do so again if they can obtain the necessary funding. “It’s a really neat program,” Greg says. “It’s totally based on the curriculum, but everything, from art and music to history, is based on nature and wildlife.”


How Can We Help?
Membership fees fund 25% of the Zoo Society’s activities. Family membership is a bargain as it includes free admission to the zoo and discounts on all the educational programs.

You can also Adopt-a-Critter of your choice. The funds are used to enhance the living conditions of the animals and to support the educational programs.

The Saskatoon Zoo Society also welcomes special event and education volunteers.

Additional Zoo Society Resources
Facebook Page

YouTube Videos
Instructional video on how to use the Pond Dipping Kit (kit available for rent)
Feeding Ariel, the Swainson Hawk
Lion Cubs at the Saskatoon Zoo

Fact Sheets
Cougars, Malcolm and Jethro
Lions, Dobi and Cooey
Amazon Blue-Fronted Parrot, Twiggy
Lake Sturgeon

Tuesday 22 November 2011

EcoSask News, November 22, 2011


Ante-Grey Cup Celebration, November 27
Join the Saskatoon Nature Society at President Murray Park on Sunday, November 27 from 2 to 3 pm to find out what birds are about at this chilly time of the year. Meet at the corner of Wiggins Avenue and Colony Street. Call 652-5975 for additional information.

Winter Biking Workshop, November 28
Transition Saskatoon is hosting a Winter Biking Workshop at 5:30 pm on Monday, November 28 at the Core Neighbourhood Youth Coop (905 - 20th Street West). Kip, Bryn, and Flavio, all experienced winter bikers, will share some tips and answer questions.

Creature Feature Storytime, November 29 - December 14
Bring your children to the Saskatoon Zoo for an afternoon story and meet one of the animal characters in the book. Creature Feature Storytime starts at 1:30 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays between November 29 and December 14. Registration is not required but space is limited.

SES Office-Warming, December 1
The Saskatchewan Environmental Society and the Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council invite you to help warm their new office space in The Two Twenty (220 - 20th Street West) with a come-and-go wine and cheese party on Thursday, December 1, from 3 to 5 pm. Please RSVP to info@environmentalsociety.ca if you plan to attend.

SOS for Prairie Species at Risk
Nature Saskatchewan is competing for a $100,000 national grant from Shell FuellingChange to support the work of the Stewards of Saskatchewan programs to conserve endangered and threatened prairie species, such as the Burrowing Owl, and their habitats. This is a voting grant and your vote is needed in order to secure the funding to continue this important work. You can vote for Nature Saskatchewan’s project, S.O.S. for Prairie Species at Risk, by visiting www.fuellingchange.com.

Vicki East, 2011 Greenwing Conservation Award
Vicki East has received the 2011 Greenwing Conservation Award, sponsored by Ducks Unlimited.

East was instrumental in initiating the Southeast Upper Souris Agri-Environmental Group Plan, an organization that increases awareness about the important role wetlands and riparian areas play in maintaining a healthy and sustainable environment.

She was also key in establishing the Southeast Greener Pastures 4-H Grazing Club. The first of its kind in Saskatchewan, the club teaches youth the skills required to be successful grass managers, which includes conserving and managing wetlands.

Agrium Inc, Fred Heal Conservation Award
Agrium Inc. has received the 2011 Fred Heal Conservation Award for its international youth program, Caring for Our Watersheds. Students from grades 7 to 12 submit essay proposals that answer the question, “What can you do to improve your watershed?” Either individually or as a team they must research their local watershed, identify an environmental concern and come up with a realistic solution.Students and schools compete for cash awards.

The Fred Heal Conservation Award is presented annually by Partners FOR the Saskatchewan River Basin (PFSRB) to recognize a community organization or business that has taken direct initiative in the Saskatchewan River Basin, developing and implementing programs or policies that result in direct benefit to the health of the basin.

EcoSask News is a weekly Tuesday feature. Email ecofriendlysask@gmail.com if you have news or events that you would like us to include.

Visit EcoFriendly Sask's Calendar page for a more complete list of upcoming events.

You can follow EcoFriendly Sask by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter or email (top right corner).

Thursday 17 November 2011

Saskatoon's Northeast Swale: Ancient River Valley, Urban Nature Reserve


Time changes all things, including rivers. Hundreds of years ago, the South Saskatchewan River flowed north and then east from the Forestry Farm before connecting with the current river valley at Clark’s Crossing. In time, the river moved on, leaving behind it a shallow rock-strewn basin that stretches for 26 kilometers.

This is the Northeast Swale. There are ponds, marshes and rich grassy stretches in the lowlands, while wildflowers thrive on the rocky slopes. There are over 50 duck nests around the largest slough, and wild animals pass through the corridor on their way to the river for water.

The land was far too wet and rocky to be farmed or developed and is one of the few remaining areas of untouched native prairie. But as Saskatoon grows and expands, it is becoming enclosed by new residential developments.

“What do you do with a totally naturalized area that’s surrounded by development?” says Mike Velonas, Resource Planning Manager for the Meewasin Valley Authority. “How can we manage it so that it is an asset and not a wasteland?”


Bioblitz
Volunteers spent 24 hours in early spring of 2011 identifying all the plants, birds and animals that make their home in the Northeast Swale. They identified over 150 different plants, including all three Prairie emblems: the red lily, Prairie lily, and crocus.

They saw 76 different bird species, including several that are endangered (the short-eared owl, the uplands sandpiper, the common nighthawk, and the common grebe). A great blue heron flew over the slough when we toured the site.

The bioblitz volunteers also identified 11 different species of mammals. There are mule deer in the aspen bluffs and a herd of 20 white-tailed deer in the rough, open area.


Cultural history
A large boulder tells a story of earlier visitors to this site. A shiny, smooth area indicates that buffaloes used to rub against it. Rusty wedges along a crack are a reminder that the early settlers turned rocks into cement in rock-lined kilns on the open prairie to serve as mortar in some of Saskatoon’s earliest buildings, such as the Little Stone School House. The area also provided some of the original greystone used to construct the first buildings on the university campus.

Red river carts travelled through the area, and remnants of the original Batoche trail are still visible. “This is such an important historical area,” says Susan Lamb, Meewasin’s CEO. “General Middleton camped at the north end of the Swale prior to marching on Batoche. Those few days in 1885 changed the history of our nation.”


Conservation not preservation
The skyline of downtown Saskatoon is visible to the southwest and a new housing development is going in to the south of the Swale. There will eventually be housing on the east and north sides of the one kilometer-wide swale as well. The planners have approved a couple of crossings, but these should miss most of the premium native prairie.

Development will bring many changes to the Swale. “We can’t preserve it,” says Mike Velonas, “but we can conserve it so that it becomes an asset to the residents living nearby.” He envisions a series of trails and signage so that residents can get outside and enjoy nature. Cyclists will be able to reach the riverbank and downtown for either work or pleasure.

Increased nitrogen in the air and increased traffic will promote the growth of weeds and other foreign plants that risk crowding out the slow-growing wildflowers that thrive in low nitrogen soils. Luc Delanoy, the Resource Management Officer for the Meewasin Valley Authority, anticipates using controlled burns and grazing with sheep and goats to control the exotics.


Looking ahead
The Northeast Swale has the potential to provide Saskatoon’s new neighbourhoods with a vast natural playground for walking, cycling, birdwatching, and enjoying being outdoors. But conserving the area will require financial support and the collaborative effort of many different groups and organizations.

“Meewasin has spent the past 20 years conserving and developing the current river valley,” says Mike Velonas. “The Northeast Swale will be a large part of our focus for the next 20 years.”

See also
Meewasin Valley Authority
Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan Photos of the Bioblitz

Tuesday 15 November 2011

EcoSask News, November 15, 2011


Design Week, November 14-18
Take a look at the schedule of events during Design Week. Nearly all the activities are free and include a  talk by Bernard Flaman about his new book, Architecture in Saskatchewan and on design thinking by Valerie Elliott, the launch of the Northeast Swale Bioblitz video, and a film night. You can also view the design competition entries or attend the Design Awards Gala. The events take place at various locations around town.

Native Prairie Speaker Series, Swift Current, November 16
The Saskatchewan Prairie Conservation Action Plan (SK PCAP) is hosting two presentations in Swift Current on November 16. There will be a technical presentation at 12:10 pm on New Invasive Plant Species Creeping into the Swift Current Area. At 7 pm, there will be a public presentation on Greater Sage Grouse Research in Grasslands National Park. The presentations will also be streamed live.

Forest Field Guide Training Session, November 17
Training is now scheduled to support the use of the Field Guide to the Ecosites of Saskatchewan’s Provincial Forests. The workshops will be held in Hudson Bay (November 15), Prince Albert (November 16), Saskatoon (November 17), La Ronge (November 22), Creighton (November 23), and Meadow Lake (November 24). Contact Sharon.Kent@gov.sk.ca (306.953.2221) to register.

Build Saskatchewan Green Conference, November 18
The Saskatchewan Green Build Conference will take place on November 18 at Wanuskewin Heritage Park. The keynote speaker is Auden Schendler, Sustainability Director, Alpine Skiing Company and author of Getting Green Done. There will be additional sessions on Integrated Project Delivery, Why Green Homes are not Mainstream and Architectural Projects in Saskatchewan.

Resiliency: Cool Ideas for Locally-Elected Leaders, November 23
Join Dr. William Rees, Dr. Ryan Walker, and other contributors for the launch of Resiliency: Cool Ideas for Locally-Elected Leaders at 7:30 pm, Wednesday, November 23 ,in the Art Alcove at McNally Robinson Booksellers. Resiliency highlights the bold and creative ways in which leaders and communities are responding to the major environmental challenges of our time.

Ecological Economics, November 24
Dr. Rees will speak on Panarchy, resilience and societal collapse: What role for ecological economics? on Thursday, November 24, from 10:30 am to 12 pm in the Prairie Room, Diefenbaker Building, University of Saskatchewan campus. The presentation will evaluate the relevance of ecological economics in enhancing societal resilience in an era of accelerating global change.


Introduction to Permaculture Design, November 24
The Permaculture Research Institute of Saskatchewan (PRI Sask) is hosting a showing of the film, Introduction to Permaculture Design, at 7 pm on November 24 at Broadway Theatre. It will be followed by a discussion led by PRI Sask members on why “you can solve all the world’s problems in a garden.”

RFQ – Plant and Bird Illustrations, November 30
The Stewards of Saskatchewan programs, Nature Saskatchewan, are creating a children’s colouring book of Saskatchewan species at risk, including both plant and bird species. The targeted age group is 5-10 years. They’re looking for an artist to prepare the illustrations (15 plant and 4 bird species). The deadline to apply is November 30.

Native Prairie Restoration/Reclamation Workshop
The Saskatchewan Prairie Conservation Action Plan is holding a Native Prairie Restoration/Reclamation workshop on February 8 and 9, 2012 in Saskatoon. Themes include Bridging the Gap between Native Seed Providers and Users and Managing Restored/Reclaimed Native Prairie. Registration is limited to 300 participants. Early bird registration of $150 closes January 6.

Beaver Creek Conservation Area
The Beaver Creek Conservation Area is currently open Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm and closed on weekends. Weekday daytime group bookings are available throughout November and December by arrangement. Interpretive programs are $35.00/hour/interpreter.

VerEco Show Home in Evergreen
On November 7, 2011, Saskatoon City Council approved the sale of a lot in Evergreen neighbourhood to VerEco Homes in order to build a VerEco Home at 122 Roy Crescent to showcase the latest in green building techniques.

EcoSask News is a weekly Tuesday feature. Email ecofriendlysask@gmail.com if you have news or events that you would like us to include.

Visit EcoFriendly Sask's Calendar page for a more complete list of upcoming events.

You can follow EcoFriendly Sask by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter or email (top right corner).

Thursday 10 November 2011

Trevor Herriot: The land I know and love

Trevor Herriot writes about southern Saskatchewan – Regina and the Qu’Appelle Valley. This is where he was born and where he has deliberately chosen to spend his life.

Herriot describes himself as a bioregionalist. Rather than travelling the world and experiencing a wide variety of different geographies and cultures, bioregionalists put down roots and make a commitment to their home region. It’s an opportunity to become very, very familiar with one particular area – its geology, its social history, its plants, animals, and birds.

“It has probably meant less wealth and has created some job limitations,” says Herriot, “but it has also been very rich. I’ve had the opportunity for great relations with so many people. I’ve had the chance to know a lot of people and places and their history, as well as the birds and the plants [of this area]. That’s much more important than a touristic tasting of all the delights of the planet.”

Herriot’s family moved around a great deal when he was growing up, so it was important for him to provide his family with more stability. “There’s a lot to be said for staying put,” he says.

He has worked for SaskTel for 30 years. “A crown corporation is a good way to provide telecommunications,” Herriot says, “and they support me as a writer and give me time off to write.”

He has done some travelling, but it isn’t a priority, and it isn’t environmentally sustainable. “It’s more important to live well where I am,” Herriot explains. The Herriots and some of their friends own property in the Qu’Appelle Valley, and this is where the family enjoys leisure time.

A sense of place
Near the end of his university studies in English literature, Herriot was introduced to books by North American authors, such as Wendell Berry, Barry Lopez, Peter Matthiessen, and Wallace Stegner. The books were culture and nature narratives, often involving a journey, seen through the lens of the first person narrative.

“I realized that it was possible to write a first person narrative about the land I know and love. It was a legitimate way to write,” explains Herriot.

Herriot’s first book, River in a Dry Land, looks backward to his childhood growing up in the Qu’Appelle Valley while also exploring the Valley’s social and natural history.

His most recent book, Grass, Sky, Song, is an evocative portrait of the songbirds that inhabit the prairie grasslands and seeks to discover why they are disappearing.

“There has always been a sense of pride and connectiveness to place here [Saskatchewan],” Herriot says. “It can be romanticized and distorted, but there is also a genuine desire to relate to the places we knew as children. People who leave the Prairies still talk about how they miss it.” Herriot says that he tries to appeal to this side of human nature in his writing and speaking; “I try and take that on a path that will inform our relationship to the land through respect and reverence.”

Acceptance and gratitude
Trevor Herriot says that he is currently gathering research and circling around topics for his next book, which he plans to start writing in the fall. “I’m hoping to move away from the elegiac tone and sense of lament for what’s lost and move towards a sense of acceptance and gratitude for what we have here,” he says.

Herriot believes that environmental critics can become attached to their analysis of the problems rather than appreciating what is around them. “We must simply accept what can never be any more, see what we still have, and where we can go from here,” he says.

Further reading
Trevor Herriot’s Grass Notes is an online blog about the Prairies and its inhabitants as well as the threats it faces from industry, agriculture, and urban development.

Tuesday 8 November 2011

EcoSask News, November 8, 2011


Opportunities in Socially Responsible Investing, November 9
The Cliff Wright Library and the Saskatchewan Environmental Society are co-sponsoring a presentation on the opportunities to achieve strong investment growth and returns while making a difference in the world through socially responsible investing. Naomi Dolan, Investment Specialist and Wealth Consultant for Affinity Credit Union, River Heights Branch, will lead the presentation on Wednesday, November 9 from 7-8:30 pm at the Cliff Wright Library.

Partnership FOR the Saskatchewan River Basin Conference
Registration for the annual conference of the Partnership FOR the Saskatchewan River Basin closes on November 10.

Young Naturalists Birdfeeder Workshop, November 14
Join Saskatoon Young Naturalists on November 14 at 1 pm for a Birdfeeder Workshop. Learn about winter bird watching and make your own bird feeder. Enrolment is limited, so register early by calling 976-3042 or email saskatoonnaturekids@gmail.com

Ecoblitz, Saskatoon’s Northeast Swale, November 16
Don’t miss the premiere of the 30-minute documentary, The Bioblitz – the Meewasin Ecoblitz of Saskatoon’s Northeast Swale, on Wednesday, November 16 at the Roxy Theatre. There is a reception at 7 pm followed by the program at 7:30.

The showing is part of the Robin Smith Memorial Lecture Series and is hosted by the Meewasin Valley Authority in partnership with Design Week 2011. Contact Candy at Meewasin (665-6887) if you plan to attend.

Vermicomposting Workshop, November 17
Core Neighbourhood Youth Coop (CNYC) is hosting a short tutorial and question and answer session on Vermicomposting on Thursday, November 17 from 7-8:30 pm at CNYC, 905 20th Street E. (via Transition Saskatoon – thanks!)

Research on Bears, November 17
The speaker at the November 17 monthly program meeting of the Saskatoon Nature Society is Marc Cattet. He will discuss Help or Harm: Insights and Views from Research on Bears: “Without question, both wildlife biologists and wildlife veterinarians want only to help the species that they study. Yet, it has become clear to me that, despite this common ambition, wild animals captured for research sometimes face more harm than help. With this presentation, I would like to offer my insights and views on why this is the case. I also would like to suggest how progress could be hastened through increased public scrutiny.”

The meeting will start at 7:30 pm in Room 106, Biology Building, University of Saskatchewan. Everyone is welcome; bring your own mug.

Pike Lake Birding Field Trip, November 20
Join the Saskatoon Nature Society on their Pike Lake Birding Field Trip from 1:30-5:00 pm on Sunday, November 20. Meet at the intersection of Crerar Drive and Caen Street, Montgomery Place. For more information, call the trip leader at 374-0674. You’re encouraged to bring sunflower seeds for the chickadees.

S.O.S. for Prairie Species at Risk
Vote for S.O.S. for Prairie Species at Risk and help Nature Saskatchewan win $100,000 to protect endangered and threatened prairie species, such as the Burrowing Owl, and their habitats.

Mary Houston, Saskatoon Women’s Hall of Fame
Congratulations to Mary Houston who was inducted into the Saskatoon Women’s Hall of Fame on October 14. Mary was recognized for her many contributions to nature, natural history, the community and family.

Mary has banded thousands of birds (from pelicans to bluebirds), written over 102 publications and served on the executive of many different organizations, including the Canadian Nature Federation, Saskatchewan Natural History Society, and the Saskatoon Nature Society. She has also been an active volunteer with Girl Guides of Canada, the YWCA, and Anglican Church Women.

More details about Mary’s contributions to our community are posted on the Saskatoon Nature Society’s website.

Facebook Posts
A variety of different announcements and news items are posted on EcoFriendly Sask’s Facebook page. Here are some of the articles featured this past week:
KLM leads the way with sustainable aviation
Help cut parking lot power costs in half
Saskatchewan’s Best Hikes and Nature Walks
U of S installs public bike repair station

EcoSask News is a weekly Tuesday feature. Email ecofriendlysask@gmail.com if you have news or events that you would like us to include.

Visit EcoFriendly Sask's Calendar page for a more complete list of upcoming events.

You can follow EcoFriendly Sask by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter or email (top right corner)

Tuesday 1 November 2011

EcoSask News, November 1, 2011


U of S Hosts Northern Elder, October 21 to November 12
The School of Environment and Sustainability (SENS), has invited a First Nations Elder, traditional healer and teacher from the Yukon, to share knowledge with U of S students, faculty and staff as part of the School's Northern Elder-in-Residence program.

Elder Randall Tetlichi will host a public presentation on Human-Animal Relations from a First Nations Perspective on Wednesday, November 2 from 12:30-1:30 pm in Room 2115, Veterinary Medicine. He will speak on Traditional Knowledge Teachings: Working together for a sustainable future on Friday, November 4, from 1:30-4:30 pm in Room 144, Kirk Hall.

There will also be informal brown bag lunches on November 3 and 10 from 11 am to 3 pm in the 3rd floor lounge of Kirk Hall and on November 4 from 11 am to 3 pm in Room 305 of the Education Building.

"I am really looking forward to teaching the U of S community how people communicate in the North and the different ways of knowing about the environment, climate change, ecosystems and sustainability," says Tetlichi. "I am also going to talk about the individual and how each of us can make a difference by paying attention to the way we think, see, listen and talk with ourselves and each other. Instead of just co-existing, it is now time for all nations to exist with each other and depend on each other."

Blessed Blue Book Launch, November 10
Carol Kavanagh will be reading from her latest book, Blessed Blue: Our planet, earth, air and water, at 7:30 pm on November 10 at McNally Robinson Booksellers. Kavanagh is a Saskatoon author. Blessed Blue combines poetry and photographs, leading readers to a greater appreciation of earth, air and water.

Carol Kavanagh’s first book, Anciently Prairie, illustrates the Saskatchewan seasons through poetry and photography.


Zoo Crew PD Day Camp, November 10 & 14
The Saskatoon Zoo Society is offering PD Day Camps on Thursday, November 10 (Catholic schools) or Monday, November 14 (public schools) from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

SK Outdoor and Environmental Education Association Winter Camp, December 3-4
The Saskatchewan Outdoor and Environmental Education Association will be holding a winter camp at Echo Valley Provincial Park on December 3 and 4. The camp includes initiative games, outdoor cooking, winter survival, wide games, a hike, kite flying and more. The registration deadline is November 29. You can register online; more information is available from soeea.sk@gmail.com

2012 Saskatchewan Birds Calendar
The 2012 Saskatchewan Birds Calendar is now ready to order. Professionally coil-bound and printed on high-quality photo paper, the calendar is 11x17 inches, with a full-colour, full-page photo for each month. The price is $20.00, and there is no order limit. For a preview of the pages and for shipping costs (if needed), email nikovich@gmail.com

Wanuskewin Heritage Park
Wanuskewin Heritage Park is open all year round. Their fall and winter hours (September 6 to May 23) are 9 am to 4:30 pm, and they are closed on statutory holidays during the winter.

There is a traditional dance presentation at 2 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

EcoSask News is a weekly Tuesday feature. Email ecofriendlysask@gmail.com if you have news or events that you would like us to include.

Visit EcoFriendly Sask's Calendar page for a more complete list of upcoming events.

You can follow EcoFriendly Sask by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter or email (top right corner)