Tuesday, 12 March 2013

EcoSask News, March 12, 2013

Wild Birds Unlimited, Mar. 16 

Wild Birds Unlimited (330A-2600 8th St. E) is holding their grand opening on March 16 (10-5:30) and 17 (10-4). There will be lots of special guests on March 16 including an Arctic wolf, a burrowing owl, and a Swainson’s Hawk. The full schedule of events is available online.

CurioCity, Mar. 22 & 23
Don’t miss CurioCity, a two-day, community-focused urban planning conference to be held at the University of Saskatchewan on March 22 and 23. The keynote speaker is Larry Beasley, the retired Chief Planner for the City of Vancouver. Professionals, community leaders, and students will share their ideas on everything from infill projects to food security.

Larry Beasley will also be speaking at 7 pm on Wednesday, March 20, at the Roxy Theatre. His topic is “Sustainable and Healthy New Neighbourhoods: The Fundamental Building Blocks of Tomorrow’s Saskatoon.”

Cities & the Environment
More than half the world’s population lives in cities. But is that good or bad for the environment? Here are just a sampling of the environmental issues that cities need to address:

Natural gas garbage trucks - quieter, about 20% cleaner, 30% savings on fuel costs

The dos and don’ts of safe urban cycling

Free public transit has led to less congestion in Europe but increased vandalism in the US – why?

Bikes are good for business – retailers snap up storefronts along bikeways

Combatting residential sprawl and ever-increasing infrastructure requires regional planning

Detailed advice on increasing walkability in Western Canadian cities

Joel Salatin – Beyond Organic Farming, Mar. 20-22
The Permaculture Research Institute of Saskatchewan and Cool Springs Ranch are hosting a three-day, live streaming of a workshop by Joel Salatin on March 20, 21, and 22. The first day will provide practical advice on sustainable urban farming. The second day will cover building a poultry farm from scratch, while the third day will discuss managing livestock.

To register for the Saskatoon PRI event, email info@permasask.ca and ask for a registration form. To attend in Endeavour at Cool Springs Ranch, call 306-547-4252 or eatreal@coolspringsranch.ca.

Gardening
Gardening is a hot topic at the moment.

Gardening with Native Plants - If you’re in Regina, don’t miss hearing Dr. Fidji Gendron, FNUC, and Sarah Vinge-Mazer, Nature Saskatchewan, speak on Gardening with Native Plants on March 28 at the George Bothwell Branch of the Regina Public Library. (SK PCAP Native Prairie Speaker Series)

Backyard Garden Sharing Program - EcoFriendly Sask is pleased to support CHEP Good Food Inc.’s backyard garden sharing program. If you have backyard garden space that you are not using, or if you are looking for space to grow your own food, contact Gord Androsoff (gord@chep.org, 655-4575 ext. 229). 

Advocacy & Change
What is the best way to change people’s behaviour? Here are some suggestions:

Can gamification encourage us to lead more sustainable lives – some encouraging examples

Harnessing narrative and emotion to build public support for environmental solutions

Hedonistic sustainability – a waste-to-energy plant that is also a ski slope

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

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