Tuesday, 20 September 2011

EcoSask News, September 20, 2011

Sunday, September 25 - World Rivers Day

Join with millions of river enthusiasts around the world by celebrating World Rivers Day on Sunday, September 25. There is an abundance of different activities as outlined below:


Songbird Walk, 9 am
The Saskatoon Nature Society will walk some of the riverside trails in Cosmopolitan Park to look for migrating songbirds and waterbirds.
Time: 9 - 10 am
Place: Meet at the corner of 16th Street E and Saskatchewan Crescent
Leader: Stan Shadick (652-5975)

Keeping our River Tidy, 9 am
Join Trash Dashers in collecting garbage or debris along the river’s edge. The run starts at the Peace Flame, Rotary Park (south side / west of Victoria Bridge).


Native Plant River Walk, 1 pm
Join Chet Neufeld, Executive Director of the Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan, for a free interpretive walk near the banks of the South Saskatchewan River. The event is for all ages and expertise and will cover the plants, animals, and landscapes of Saskatoon’s watershed.

Meet at the small parking lot just north of the Regional Psychiatric Centre on Central Avenue. Bring sturdy footwear, a hat, sunscreen and insect repellent. For further information, contact Chet at (306) 668-3940 or info@npss.sk.ca

Walk for Wildlife, 1 pm
The Wildlife Rehabilitation Society of Saskatchewan is holding a 5k walk to raise funds for the Society at Chief Whitecap Park. Contact volunteer coordinator Jamille McLeod (652-2922, jamilleheer@hotmail.com) for more information.

The Wildlife Rehabilitation Society of Saskatchewan is a registered non-profit organization that is committed to educating the public about wildlife issues, providing rehabilitation, and ensuring the return to the wild of rescued, injured and truly orphaned wildlife (take a look at these wonderful photographs of animals the society has helped).


Meewasin Valley Authority, 1 pm
Join the Meewasin Valley Authority in celebrating World Rivers Day from 1 - 4 pm at Friendship Park (next to the Meewasin Valley Centre, 402 Third Avenue S). Call 665-6888 for further information.

  • Who/What’s in our River: Come dip in the river and get the scoop from Greg Fenty of the Saskatoon Zoo Society as well as meet some Zoo critters;
  • River Talk: Professor Jeff Sereda and some of the research team from the Global Institute for Water Security at the University of Saskatchewan are keen to share exciting findings about an ever-changing river ecosystem;
  • A Stream of Fun & Facts: MVA staff and local community association members will educate and entertain little people with fun, facts and face painting; and
  • Learn to Kayak on the River: Come, see, learn from Coldspring Paddling‘s Brian Sarauer - tips on water safety and proper operation of the kayak on the river.

Fall Picnic at Blackstrap, 1:30 pm
Join the Saskatoon Nature Society at Blackstrap to look for birds on the lake, followed by a picnic dinner around 5 pm.
Time: 1:30 - 7 pm
Place: Meet at the NW corner of the parking lot for the Centre at Circle and 8th
Leader: Michael Williams (242-5383)

Blue Drinks, Winston's Pub, 6 pm
Similar to Green Drinks, this pub-based discussion group is an informal, relaxed opportunity to talk about local water issues with members of We Are Many.

Other Upcoming Events

Slump, Slither & Slide, September 21
As part of the Prairie Conservation Action Plan’s Technical Native Prairie Speaker Series, Laura Gardiner, MSc. candidate at the University of Regina, will be speaking about the major slump event that happened at the Grasslands National Park snake pit this summer on Wednesday, September 21 from 12:10 - 12:50 pm at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum Auditorium, Regina. Anyone can attend. Parking and the speaker series are free.

If you can't make it in person, you can watch the presentation live on the web at www.ustream.tv/channel/native-prairie-speaker-series

Zoo Crew, September 23
Children aged 5 to 12 are invited to spend a day at the zoo (8:30 am - 4:30 pm) with interpreters from the Saskatoon Zoo Society. The cost is $45 and more information is available online.

Land, Water and Human Rights, September 23
Oxfam Canada’s Executive Director Robert Fox and National Farmers’ Union President Terry Boehm will speak on the global and local effects of land grabs on Friday, September 23 from 7:30 - 9 pm at Praxis International (Saskatoon Farmers’ Market). For more information, contact 242-4097.

Word on the Street, September 25
Don’t miss Word on the Street - a street fair celebrating Canadian literature - on Sunday, September 25. Allan Casey, Trevor Herriot, and Candace Savage, three of Saskatchewan’s top natural history writers, will be speaking and reading from their books.

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.

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