Tuesday 5 March 2013

EcoSask News, March 5, 2013

Owls 
Untitled Are you intrigued by owls? If so, be sure to participate in these upcoming events for children and adults:

March 16 – 5-11 year olds – Meet Spirt, the one-eyed Great Horned Owl at the Saskatoon Zoo and discover what’s inside an owl pellet. Pre-registration is required.

March 20 – Erin Bayne will speak on Burrowing Owl Habitat Associations in Room 1039, Education Building, University of Saskatchewan (PCAP SK Native Prairie Speaker Series)

April 13-14 – Join the Saskatoon Nature Society on an overnight trip to look and listen for owls in northern Saskatchewan.

Saskatchewan’s Forests 
The Ministry of Environment’s 2012 Report on Saskatchewan Forests covers wildfire disturbance, insect and disease disturbance, proportion of the sustainable harvest utilized, and regeneration.

Mary Houston, Alumni of Influence 
Congratulations to Mary Houston who has been named a 2013 Alumni of Influence by the College of Arts and Science, University of Saskatchewan. Mary co-founded Saskatoon Young Naturalists and has banded thousands of birds - including 5,340 Bohemian Waxwings. She has written over 102 publications and served on the executive of many different organizations, including the Canadian Nature Federation, Saskatchewan Natural History Society, and the Saskatoon Nature Society.

Environmental Activism Awards
Send in your nominations for the Saskatchewan Eco Network’s Environmental Activism Awards to info@econet.sk.ca by March 30, 2013.

Making a Difference
It took Minnie and Mickey Mouse to save the Asian rain forests.

Stop wasting time trying to convince those who refuse to be convinced.

Local initiatives can make a difference - pop-up urbanism in Christchurch.

Green Houses
The Government of Saskatchewan offers a number of GoGreen grants for homeowners. They include a Net Metering Rebate Program, Energy Efficient Rebate for New Homes, and Geothermal and Self-Generated Renewable Power Loans.

10 Green Building Tips – from drainage to light bulbs and mould.

Can a Net Zero Energy House also become Net Zero Water by capturing and treating its own water?

Food 
Turn your garage into a food factory – Red Deer is test driving the concept.

Coffee grounds work well for fertilizing plants, keeping fleas off your dog, and cleaning drains.

Urban farms foster community and healthy eating (podcast).

Latin America Walks & Cycles 
Untitled Buenos Aires has completed 100 kilometres of protected bike lanes, offers interest-free loans to promote bicycle purchases, and 1000 free public bikes. La Nación, a local newspaper, found that a 7 km journey to or from the city centre at rush hour took nearly twice as long by bus or car as by bike.

Volunteer masked crusaders are defending pedestrians in Mexico City.

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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