Tuesday 24 July 2012

EcoSask News, July 24, 2012

Fun for kids; butterflies, owls and hotlines; valuable trash; chocolates for cyclists
a hodgepodge of environmental news and events


Children’s Activities, Beaver Creek
Beaver Creek Conservation Centre is holding a Bird Blitz from July 16-31. Learn to identify some of the birds that are common in our area and find out how to encourage more birds in your backyard. You can borrow a pair of binoculars to use while you walk the trails.

Make a nature-inspired craft every Tuesday afternoon in July and August.

Redberry Lake Kids’ Club
Kids aged 5-14 are invited to participate in the kids’ club activities at Redberry Lake Biosphere Reserve on Friday, July 27; Friday, August 3; Saturday, August 11; and Friday, August 17 from 1-2:30 pm. There will be games, hikes, crafts, snacks, and educational activities.

Butterflies V, August 5
Take a close look at some butterflies with the Saskatoon Nature Society. Call 665-6074 for additional information. 

Wildlife Rehabilitation, August 15
The Wildlife Rehabilitation Society of Saskatchewan will be hosting a hotline orientation course in Moose Jaw on August 15 from 7-9 pm. There will be hotline orientations in Saskatoon on September 1 and 15.

Young Naturalists Program
The Saskatoon Young Naturalists program offers an amazing variety of fun (and educational) nature outings and activities for 5 to 11 year olds. Upcoming activities include a butterfly field trip on July 26, a grasslands hike on August 22, and a sandhill crane field trip on September 29. Some of the programs fill up fast (such as the Northern Saw-whet Owl field trip in October), so be sure to register quickly.

Pesticide Reduction Campaign
EcoFriendly Sask is participating in the Saskatchewan Environmental Society’s social media campaign in support of using less pesticides. The Pesticide Publications on the Society’s website range from fact sheets on getting rid of ants and quack grass to dandelion recipes. 

Interesting Reading 
Green Project Inches Closer to Full Power – The City of Saskatoon plans to capture methane gas from trash at the landfill and feed it into a power generation facility. 

Commuters Pedal to Work on their very own Superhighway – An 11-mile cycle-only superhighway now connects a western suburb of Copenhagen to the city centre in an effort to encourage bicycle commuters. Copenhagen is trying out various cycling innovations, including garbage cans tilted at an angle, conversation lanes where people can ride side by side and talk, and a karma campaign that rewards polite cyclists with boxes of chocolates. 

Why is America Throwing Away $11.4 Billion Per Year? - Discarded packaging in the United States in 2010 was worth $11.4 billion. “We’re talking about valuable stuff like aluminum . . . and PET plastic, which not only the beverage companies here want, but also the textile and automotive industries, both here and in China.” 

Global Warming’s Terrifying New Math – Bill McKibben says that we must sever our ties with the fossil-fuel industry if we want to fight climate change.

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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