Tuesday 16 August 2016

EcoSask News, August 16, 2016

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Upcoming Events
Flowering Rush Eradication, Aug. 15-17 (SK)
Weed Warriors Wanted! Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan will be digging flowering rush from the only known location in Saskatchewan starting at 10 am, Aug. 15-17.

Compost Methods – Bokashi, Aug. 24 (Saskatoon)
Join the Compost Coaches at 6 pm, Aug. 24, at the Saskatoon Food Bank’s Garden Patch for a discussion of the bokashi method of composting.

Looking Ahead 
Drive Electric Week, Sept. 10 & 17 (SK)
Celebrate National Drive Electric Week by joining the largest gathering of EVs in Saskatchewan history:
Sept. 10, 12-5 pmRegina
Sept. 17, 12-5 pmSaskatoon

Sustainable Gourmet Dinner, Sept. 17
The Saskatchewan Environmental Society’s Sustainable Gourmet Dinner is Sept. 17. If you’ve never attended, you’re missing a treat – great food from great chefs and excellent vegetarian options.

Rob Dumont Energy Management Awards, Oct. 5 (Saskatoon)
The second annual Rob Dumont Energy Management Awards Dinner will be held on Oct. 5.

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Saskatoon Nature Society Field Trips
Young Naturalists 
October (date not yet set) – Saw-whet Owl Field Trip
Space is limited; register early to avoid disappointment.

Golden Eagles 
Aug. 25, 7:30 am – Stuglin’s Acreage & Pike Lake
Retirees and partners who are interested in birds and the natural world are invited to participate in Golden Eagle field trips.

Other Saskatoon Nature Society Field Trips 
Aug. 28, 8-10 am – Factoria Riverbank Warbler Walk
Check the Saskatoon Nature Society’s website for full details and updated information.

A full list of upcoming events can be found on the EcoFriendly Sask Calendar 

In the News
Help support an independent assessment of the Saskatchewan River oil spill organized by Idle No More.

The Regina Folk Festival cut their waste in half this year - even the compost was collected.

In Canada, the total energy consumption of homes and buildings accounts for nearly a quarter of our national GHG emissions. Surely we can do better.

Regina Catholic Schools has signed a new bus contract. 89 buses will be fuelled by propane rather than diesel gas. The company that owns the new buses says they are quieter, produce 80 per cent fewer emissions, are more reliable, and warm up more quickly than diesel buses.

In the last 20 years, Melanie Elliott has cared for 268 bats. When Saskatoon’s Batwoman “first saw a bat, she was amazed by how calm, gentle and curious the critter was, and she knew bats would be perfect creatures to share with children to teach them about nature and respecting wildlife.” 

The government is privatizing our provincial parks. Trevor Herriot says, “There needs to be an open review of park privatization practices and a publicly accountable mechanism to ensure that carrying capacity guidelines and regulations--those in place and those yet to come--are actually enforced.” 

Burrowing Owls are being reintroduced in the Nicola Valley, BC. They were joined by a wild owl and have hatched 9 chicks.

The next generation of lighting will do so much more than simply banish the dark.

EcoSask News is a weekly round-up of local news and events. Email us if you have items you would like us to include. 

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