Tuesday 2 December 2014

EcoSask News, Dec. 2, 2014

frosty pigeon

Events
Biodiversity & Food Production, Dec. 2
Jason Clay, Senior Vice President, World Wildlife Fund, will speak on Saving Biodiversity by Promoting More Sustainable Food Production at 12:30 pm, Dec. 2, in Room 2302, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, U of S.

Green Drinks Regina, Dec. 4
Green Drinks Regina is meeting at 5:45 pm, Dec. 4, at Abstractions Café.

Citizen Scientists & Bird Conservation, Dec. 11
Brenda Dale, a wildlife biologist, promotes bird conservation through the use of electronic data gathering programs. In her talk at the Saskatoon Nature Society meeting, she will compare the available programs, noting the type of information collected and the skill level required to use them, as well as stressing the vital importance of the data accumulated through the work of volunteers. 

Everyone is invited to attend the talk at 7:30 pm, Dec. 11, in Room 106, Biology Building, U of S.

Christmas Bird Counts
Everyone is invited to participate in the local Christmas Bird Counts:
Qu’Appelle Valley - Dec. 14
Gardiner Dam - Dec. 15
Radisson-Borden - Dec. 18
Clark’s Crossing - Dec. 20
Saskatoon - Dec. 26
Pike Lake - Jan. 3

EcoFriendly Action Grant
The John Paul II KEY CLUB in North Battleford will receive a $500 EcoFriendly Action Grant to support their tree planting project. Over the past 8 years, the club has planted 16,000 trees in the North Saskatchewan River Valley. They plan to plant an additional 2,000 trees in April 2015.


frosty river scene

Local News
Net Metering Rebate Extended
SaskPower’s Net Metering Rebate has been extended until November 30, 2016. The one-time rebate is equivalent to 20% of eligible costs to a maximum payment of $20,000 for an approved and grid interconnected net metering project. The program covers electricity customers of SaskPower, Saskatoon Light & Power, and City of Swift Current.

Sask Oil Spills
The Government of Saskatchewan recently released a 167-page document listing crude oil and toxic water spills from sites and facilities owned by the petroleum industry. Many of these documents have probably never been seen before by the general public.

More Cars than People
Once again, there are more cars than people in Saskatoon with 1.1 cars per person. Only 5% of the population uses public transit.

Urban Coyotes
Don’t be surprised if you see a coyote in the city. Project Coyote says, “Keeping coyotes wild and wary is the key to successful coexistence.” Project Coyote has published a brochure that explains how to keep coyotes at a distance.

Thought Provoking
Canada’s process to protect endangered species is failing, says Dr. Brett Favoro: "If you're not protecting habitat, then no matter how long we leave something listed, it seems unlikely that it's going to recover and do better.”

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

You can follow EcoFriendly Sask by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, or by email (top right corner).