Thursday 22 May 2014

Summer Explorations in Saskatoon and Saskatchewan

There are so many ways to have fun outdoors. Here are some suggestions.

Pelicans

In the City
Look for songbirds or learn to identify butterflies (Saskatoon Nature Society)

Visit the College of Education’s Prairie Habitat Garden

Admire the cougars, wolves, and deer; take a walk around the 100-year-old former forest nursery station; or smell the roses at the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo

Rent a bicycle and head out on the trails along the river

Admire the pelicans at the weir

Help pull weeds every Wednesday evening at the Garden Patch

Participate in a riverbank clean-up with Plastic Smart Saskatoon

Shelley

On the Water
Explore the history of Saskatoon’s river on a day-long canoe trip and corn roast (CanoeSki Discovery Company)

Take an overnight canoe trip on the City’s doorstep (CanoeSki Discovery Company)

Explore Chappell Marsh, a 148-acre wetland conservation area (Ducks Unlimited Canada)

Look for medicinal plants or explore Redberry Lake by canoe (Clearwater Canoeing)


On the Prairies
Visit one of our few remaining patches of native prairie at Saskatoon Natural Grasslands. Keep your eyes open for red-tailed hawks and blanket flowers (gaillardia)

Take a walk at Wanuskewin Heritage Park and keep a look out for one of the 184 species of birds or 37 different animals you may see as you walk along the creek or the cliffs

Enjoy the sun on the beaches at Cranberry Flats Conservation Area or take advantage of the wheelchair accessible boardwalk overlooking the river

Go for a walk at Beaver Creek Conservation Area. If you’re lucky, you may see a beaver or a sheep grazing demonstration

Grasslands National Park

Further Afield
Take a walk around the Kerrobert Reservoir

Walk or cycle the Trans Canada Trail as it winds its way up a hill, through a tunnel, and across the river at North Battleford

Visit the Crooked Trees whose branches twist and loop and reach out in all directions

Take a walk on the largest set of active sand dunes in Canada

Study the passive solar design, straw bale walls, and other green building techniques at the Craik Eco-Centre

Take a hike or pick berries at Redberry Lake Biosphere Reserve – you’ll find Buffaloberries, Hawthorn, and Rosehips at summer’s end

Participate in one of the Saskatchewan Outdoor and Environmental Education Association’s workshops or camps

elk

Provincial and National Parks
Plan a backpacking adventure in Grasslands National Park

Visit Grey Owl’s Cabin in Prince Albert National Park

Check for cacti as you walk among the active sand dunes in Douglas Provincial Park

Admire the stars at Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park

Rent a canoe at Pike Lake Provincial Park

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Additional Resources
Nature Viewing Sites in and around Saskatoon, Saskatoon Nature Society (available from the Saskatoon Public Library)

Saskatchewan’s Best Hikes & Nature Walks and Saskatchewan Scenic Drives, Robin & Arlene Karpan (available from the Saskatoon Public Library and McNally Robinson Booksellers)

Nature in our Backyard: Saskatoon’s Naturalized Parks

The Northeast Swale: Ancient River Valley, Urban Nature Reserve

Heading out on the Water: Saskatoon Kayak/Canoe Training and Tours 2013

Pine Cree Regional Park

Last Mountain Lake Bird Sanctuary

Come Out and Play: Cypress Hills Eco-Adventures

Canoe the Bagwa Loop

Saskatchewan Tourism: Our Natural Heritage