Tuesday 29 May 2012

EcoSask News, May 29, 2012

Visit the Athabasca Sand Dunes, have a Swale of a Day, or find out more about Bikeable Saskatoon. All this and more on EcoSask News! 


Recreation
Athabasca Sand Dunes Info Session, May 30
Greg Fenty will lead a wilderness camping and hiking trip to the Athabasca Sand Dunes from July 8 to 14. For more information, attend the Information Session on May 30 from 7-8:30 pm in the Williams Building. Frank Roy will show images from his trip to the Dunes.

Bicycle Scavenger Hunt, June 9
Participate in the first-ever Bicycle Scavenger Hunt at 2 pm on June 9. Cycle teams will use clues to visit a variety of community locations.

Plants
Managing Species at Risk on Pastures, May 29
Heather Wiebe, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, will be speaking on Managing Species at Risk on Pastures at 1 pm on May 29 as part of the SK Stock Growers Association Annual Meeting. You can watch the presentation, which is co-sponsored by SK Prairie Conservation Action Plan, online at www.ustream.tv/channel/native-prairie-speaker-series.

Invasive Species Conference, July 18-19
Register before May 31 and save $40 on the registration fee for the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region 2012 Invasive Species Conference to be held in Saskatoon July 18-19. The full-day conference will be followed by an optional tour highlighting invasive species control projects in our area.

Swale of a Day, June 10
The Northeast Swale is an ancient river channel running across north-east Saskatoon. It combines grasslands, rocky hilltops and wetlands that are home to a wide variety of plants and animals. As the city grows, the site is threatened by the construction of roads and storm water retention ponds.

Tour the site on Swale of a Day, June 10, and find out why it’s worth protecting. (EcoFriendly Action Grant recipient).

Nature
Saskatoon Nature Society 
Check the Saskatoon Nature Society's website for full information about their field trips.
  • June 2 - Birding, St. Volodymyr Property at Brown’s Lake (8 am-1 pm)
  • June 5 - Transit of Venus Viewing, Campus Observatory (4:05-5:30 pm) or Diefenbaker Park Toboggan Hill (4:05-9:22 pm)
  • June 9 - Gabriel Dumont Bird Walk (8-11 am) 
  • June 10 - Butterfly Tour (1:30-4:30 pm) 

Wildlife
Wildlife Rehab, June 2
The Wildlife Rehabilitation Society of Saskatchewan is holding a volunteer orientation from 1-3 pm on June 2 in Room 1E85 of the U of S Agriculture Building. The orientation will be followed by a volunteer meeting from 3-5 pm with a presentation on duck behaviour and rescue techniques.

Gardening
Making More with Microbes, June 14-17
There’s still time to register for PRI Sask’s Making More With Microbes workshop in Saskatoon June 14-17. Cost is $450. Register with a friend, and you both get a $50 discount. Learn about keeping soil healthy, compost, compost teas, and more. For more information, go to www.permasask.ca.

Education 
Education for Sustainable Development, June 7
The Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development will be holding a recognition event on June 7 from 9:30 am-2 pm at the Wascana Centre in Regina to honour individuals and organizations that are working to advance education for sustainable development.

Urban
Spring in Motion, May 28 - June 9
The Saskatchewan Environmental Society and in motion have challenged public figures in Saskatoon to cycle to and from work the week of May 28th. Follow their activities at Bike n’ Blog.

The week of June 3-9, it’s your turn to get active. Make a commitment to hike, bike, or roll to work, and you could win some great prizes.

Urbanized, May 30
Urbanized, a feature-length documentary about the design of cities, is being shown at 6 pm on Wednesday, May 30 at the Roxy Theatre. Admission is free.

Bikeable Saskatoon, June 6
Join the Smart Cities, Healthy Kids research team at 6 pm on Wednesday, June 6 for a Bikeable Saskatoon workshop. A brief presentation of the team’s research results will be followed by a guided bike trip to give participants an opportunity to experience different types of bike lanes and trails.

EcoSask News is a weekly round-up of local news and events. Email us if you have items you would like us to include. A complete listing of all upcoming events can be found on our Calendar.

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