Tuesday 27 September 2016

EcoSask News, September 27, 2016

beaver

Upcoming Events
GRIDS, Sept. 29 (Saskatoon) 
Members of GRIDS (Generation for Renewable Innovation and Development in Saskatoon) are meeting at 6:30 pm, Sept. 29, at Winston’s Pub, to discuss the organization’s mission, vision, and goals.

Electric Cars & Low-Emission Driving, Sept. 29 (Saskatoon) 
Find out more about the practicalities of electric cars and the models on their way to market at 7 pm, Sep. 29, at The Stand.

Sustainable Development in an Unequal World, Sept. 30 (Saskatoon) 
Join the College of Medicine’s panel and discussion on development, health and the role of communities in the fight for a sustainable and just world at 7:15 pm, Sept. 30.

Household Hazardous Waste Day, Oct. 1 (Regina) 
You can dispose of household hazardous waste, major appliances, rimless tires, and some electronics at the City of Regina’s Public Works Yard (2425 4th Avenue) from 9 am – 3:45 pm on Oct. 1.

Sprague’s Pipit, Oct. 3 (Regina Weyburn) 
Phil Rose, University of Regina, will discuss Sprague's Pipit: The Status and Habitat Requirements of a Threatened Grassland Bird at 7 pm, Oct. 3, in Regina Weyburn, as part of PCAP-SK’s Native Prairie Speaker Series.

Pipelines, Power & Democracy, Oct. 5 (Saskatoon) 
The film Pipelines, Power & Democracy at 2 pm, Oct. 5, at the Frances Morrison Library, documents the growth of an anti-pipeline movement in Quebec.

Temperance Street Passive House, Oct. 5 (Saskatoon) 
Robin Adair will describe how he built the Temperance Street Passive House at the Oct. 5 meeting of the Saskatchewan Energy Management Task Force.


Every River Has a Story, Oct. 16-19 (Saskatoon) 
Tickets are now available for Every River Has a Story . . . What Is Yours? from October 16-19 in Saskatoon. Keynote speakers include Maude Barlow, Danika Littlechild, and Trevor Herriot.

Saskatoon Nature Society Field Trips 
Golden Eagles 
Oct. 6, 9 am – Whooping Cranes
Oct. 13, 9 am – Goose Trip, Donovan Area
Oct. 20, 9 am - Blackstrap
Retirees and partners who are interested in birds and the natural world are invited to participate in Golden Eagle field trips.

Other Saskatoon Nature Society Field Trips 
October – Saw-whet Owl Banding – contact Marten Stoffel if interested
Oct. 2, 9 am-noon – Post Fall Meet Trip to Blackstrap
Oct. 8, 8 am-5 pm – Whooping Crane Trip
Oct. 10, 9:30-11:30 am – Woodlawn Cemetery & Weir
Check the Saskatoon Nature Society’s website for full details and updated information.

A full list of upcoming events can be found on the EcoFriendly Sask Calendar 

In the News 
Vote for the Swale (Saskatoon) 
"a ribbon of wild prairie and natural wetlands that represents the conservation opportunity of a lifetime for the City of Saskatoon" 
The Northeast Swale Watchers have a launched a website and video with 5 questions to ask municipal election candidates to ensure that the Swale is protected.

The Swale Watchers hold regular meetings with speakers and discussions about issues such as light pollution, contaminants, and wildlife protection. They welcome new members and can be reached at swalewatchers@gmail.com


Keeping Beaver Families Together 
The City of Saskatoon, like many communities across Canada, treats beavers as pests, killing them when they deem necessary (e.g. damaging trees). The Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals recently spent a week in and around Calgary, teaching Calgary Parks staff, other municipalities, and various non-profits, how to install and maintain the life-saving devices that keep beaver families together. Flow devices, which allow beavers to remain in place while protecting infrastructure and property, as well as tree-wrapping, were the subject of two days of workshops.

Wouldn’t it be great if The Fur-Bearers were invited to Saskatchewan to share their life-saving ideas?

EcoSask News is a weekly round-up of local news and events. Email us if you have items you would like us to include. 

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

Tuesday 20 September 2016

EcoSask News, September 20, 2016

mushrooms

Upcoming Events
Saskatchewan’s Poisonous Plants, Sept. 20 (Prince Albert)
Forest ecologist Michael McLaughlan will talk about natural plant defence mechanisms in a National Forest Week presentation at 7 pm, Sept. 20, at the John M. Cuelenaere Public Library, Prince Albert.

Green Urban Initiatives, Sept. 20 (Prince Albert)
Brenda Wallace, Director, Environmental and Corporate Initiatives, City of Saskatoon, will be speaking about green urban initiatives at the annual general meeting of Renewable Power - the Intelligent Choice, 6:30 pm, Sept. 20.

Independent Assessment of Husky Oil Spill, Sept. 22 (Prince Albert)
Ricardo Segovia, an independent consultant with E-Tech International and Resurgence Environmental, will provide an overview of the results of the Husky Oil Spill at 7 pm, Sept. 22, at the John M. Cuelenaere Public Library, Prince Albert.

Hyde Wetland Fall Clean-Up, Sept. 24 (Saskatoon)
Rosewood Community Association is hosting a Fall Clean-up of the Hyde Wetland Naturalized Area from 10 am to noon on Sept. 24. Meet at the Hyde Park Bridge.

Science Fun, Sept. 24 (Saskatoon)
Celebrate Science Literacy Week with hands-on activities and a science show at J.S. Wood Library, 1-3 pm, Sept. 24.

Peregrine Falcons in Flight, Sept. 26 (Saskatoon) 
Observe peregrine falcons as they catch their prey on Sept. 26. Meet at Wild Birds Unlimited at 5:30 pm.

The Messenger, Sept. 29 (Saskatoon)
The Messenger, a documentary investigating the causes of songbird mass depletion, will be shown at 7 pm, Sept. 29, at the University of Saskatchewan.

Moose Mountain Wildlife Fundraiser, Oct. 1 (SK)
Moose Mountain R N R Wildlife Rehabilitation is holding a fundraiser on Oct. 1 at Kenosee Lake.

Jobs, Justice, Climate, Oct. 1 (Saskatoon)
Climate Justice Saskatoon is organizing a public march and rally for Jobs, Justice, Climate at 1 pm, Oct. 1, in Saskatoon. The event is a chance to compel the provincial premiers to develop a people’s climate plan.

Looking Ahead
Rubbish, Oct. 19 (Saskatoon)
The Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a 3-course meal prepared by The Hollows demonstrating how you can use “rubbish” such as beet leaves, carrot tops, or fruit pits to create a meal. There will also be a special “garbage” beer from Nine Mile Brewery.

A full list of upcoming events can be found on the EcoFriendly Sask Calendar

Save our Swale
Saskatoon residents, let’s tell our local politicians and political candidates to save our Northeast Swale - we’re not prepared to settle for anything less than the best we can imagine (https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=13&v=tdXnT9y_5ow).



In the News
The Legend: Land of Gophers, a young adult fantasy novel by local author G. Garfield Storey, is in the tradition of Watership Down but with a prairie setting. For more book suggestions, check our list of Saskatchewan nature books.


The BirdSleuth Explorer’s Guidebook is a free guide to outdoor activities with kids published by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

The Saskatchewan government has denied the Chaplin Lake wind turbine project in order to protect migratory birds and has released new environmental siting guidelines.

Ontario's Climate Change Action Plan promotes near-net-zero housing and electric vehicles.

Killing predator animals doesn't prevent livestock loss - in fact, it could make it worse.

EcoSask News is a weekly round-up of local news and events. Email us if you have items you would like us to include. 

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

Friday 16 September 2016

Thank You for Coming to our Party


Thank you so much to all of you who attended EcoFriendly Sask's 5th birthday celebration. So many hard-working people! So much positive energy! We're delighted to be part of Saskatoon's and Saskatchewan's nature and environmental community.

Here's a short video of the event.



Tuesday 13 September 2016

EcoSask News, September 13, 2016

autumn reflections

Upcoming Events
Bioblitz at the Swale, Sept. 17 (Saskatoon) 
Learn about Saskatoon’s Northeast Swale and meet some of the critters that call it home at the Bioblitz at the Swale from 11 am – 5 pm, Sept. 17. There will be sheep grazing demos, hikes, pond dipping, planting native plants, and many other activities.


Nature Walk Banner, Sept. 17/18 (Regina)
Families are invited to make a nature walk banner from 2-4 pm, Sept. 17/18, at Connaught Library.

Snakes Alive, Sept. 19 (Regina) 
Dr. Ray Poulin, Acting Director of the Royal Saskatchewan Museum’s, will provide an illustrated talk on the Museum’s Snakes of Saskatchewan exhibit at Nature Regina’s meeting at 7:30 pm, Sept. 19.

David Suzuki in Regina, Sept. 19 
The Regina Public Interest Group is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a talk by David Suzuki on climate change at 7:30 pm, Sept. 19.

Environmental Assessment Review, Sept. 19 (Saskatoon) 
The Minister of Environment and Climate Change has established an Expert Panel to review environmental assessment processes. The panel intends to engage broadly with Indigenous peoples, key stakeholders, & all Canadians. The panel will be in Saskatoon on Sept. 19. Registration is encouraged and Canadians can participate online or in-person.

SK’s First Certified Passive House, Sept. 20 (Saskatoon) 
The Sustainable Speaker Series is a monthly event hosted by the Saskatchewan Environmental Society and the Saskatoon Public Library. Presentations are from 7-8:30 pm at the Frances Morrison Library. On Sept. 20, Holly Ann Knott, Robin Adair, and Michael Nemeth will discuss building Saskatchewan’s first certified passive house.

Multiple Approaches to Habitat Conservation, Sept. 21 (webinar) 
Tom Harrison, South of the Divide Conservation Program, will be speaking on Multiple Approaches to Habitat Conservation: Finding the Right Fit to Encourage Producers to Manage for Species at Risk Habitat at a noon-hour webinar on Sept. 21 as part of SK-PCAP’s Native Prairie Speaker Series.

Vermicomposting Workshop, Sept. 21 (Saskatoon) 
Join the Compost Coaches at 6 pm, Sept. 21, at the Saskatoon Food Bank’s Garden Patch for a discussion on vermicomposting.

unfolding

Looking Ahead
Project Wild Workshop, Oct. 22 (Regina) 
SaskOutdoors is offering a Project Wild workshop on Oct. 22 in Regina. The activity guide features 121 complete lesson plans about wildlife and the environment that can each be adapted for any age, grade or subject.

Compassionate Conservation Webinar Series, Nov. 20-23 
The Association for the Protection of Fur-bearing Animals has taken their annual conference online and is offering 10 speakers over 4 days from Nov. 20-23. Some of the topics included in the Compassionate Conservation Webinar series are Coyote Hazing & Co-flourishing, Hands On or Hands Off: Guide to Wildlife Rescuing, Urban Deer, and Compassionate Conservation Starts at School.

A full list of upcoming events can be found on the EcoFriendly Sask Calendar 

In the News
Farmers across the United States are coming up with creative ways to help the monarch butterfly population bounce back.

The University of Saskatchewan has been awarded $77.8 million to lead a Global Water Futures research program. “The seven-year program will develop ways of forecasting and mitigating water-related threats—such as devastating floods, droughts and degraded water quality—that come with changing climate and expanding economies.” 

Cities face tremendous challenges in storm water management as so much of the urban surface is covered with concrete and can’t absorb rainwater so soil isn’t able to do its job of capturing, cleaning, and storing it. Here are some useful tips for homeowners to help keep rainwater out of streams and natural areas.

Under-utilized space around some low-income high-rises in Toronto has been turned into a park, community garden, and urban orchard.  There’s a balcony gardening program and the orchard is being managed collectively in the hopes that it will eventually produce wine under its own label.

EcoSask News is a weekly round-up of local news and events. Email us if you have items you would like us to include. 

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

Tuesday 6 September 2016

EcoSask News, September 6, 2016

bee on flower

Upcoming Events
Household Hazardous Waste Day, Sept. 10 (Saskatoon) 
You can dispose of household hazardous waste (e.g. light bulbs, aerosols, fuels) at the SaskTel Centre from 9 am – 3:30 pm on Sept. 10.

Climate Change Update, Sept. 7 (Saskatoon) 
Peter Prebble, Saskatchewan Environmental Society, will provide an update on the latest climate science and actions the City of Saskatoon could take to cut community-wide greenhouse gas emissions at the Sept. 7 breakfast meeting of the Saskatchewan Energy Management Task Force.

Meet a Burrowing Owl, Sept. 11 (Saskatoon)
Meet Sage, the Saskatoon Zoo Society’s newest burrowing owl, at Wild Birds Unlimited at 1 pm, Sept. 11.

Meewasin Concept Plan Threatened, Sept. 15 (Saskatoon)
Doug Porteous, Manager, Community Development, Meewasin Valley Authority, will discuss what can be done about the threats to the Meewasin Concept Plan at the Saskatoon Nature Society’s monthly meeting at 7:30 pm, Sept. 15.

International Red Panda Day, Sept. 17 (Saskatoon) 
Join the Saskatoon Zoo Society in celebrating International Red Panda Day from 10 am to noon, Sept. 17, with activities for kids and information about the Zoo’s Red Panda.

Kisiskatchewan Water Alliance Network Rally, Sept. 18 (Saskatoon) 
The Kisiskatchewan Water Alliance Network is holding a rally and gathering of people concerned about the environmental catastrophe on the North Saskatchewan River at 4:30 pm, Sept. 18.

grasshopper

Saskatoon Nature Society Field Trips
Young Naturalists 
Nov. 5 – Bird Feeder Workshop
Dec. 3 – Paper Making Workshop
Space is limited; register early to avoid disappointment.

Golden Eagles 
Sept. 8, 8 am – Osler, Neuhorst & Warman Loop
Sept. 15, 8 am – Petrofka Orchard & Bridge Area
Sept. 22, 8 am – Goose Trip, Outlook
Retirees and partners who are interested in birds and the natural world are invited to participate in Golden Eagle field trips.

Other Saskatoon Nature Society Field Trips
Sept. 10 – Fall Bird Count
Sept. 17, 2-6:30 pm – Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area & Chappell Marsh Picnic
Sept. 24, 8-10 am – Forestry Farm Bird Walk
Check the Saskatoon Nature Society’s website for full details and updated information.

Nature Regina Field Trips 
Sept. 10, 9:30 am-noon – Lakeridge Park
Check Nature Regina’s website for full details and updated information.

A full list of upcoming events can be found on the EcoFriendly Sask Calendar 

Temperance Street Passive House 

In the News 
The Temperance Street Passive House is now net zero. A 6.2 KW PV system was installed by Rock Paper Sun. The house has been designed to be PH Plus. (via Robin Adair, The Green Builder)

The electric sector is at a turning point. Smart utilities are embracing distributed electricity.

Bugging - getting up close and personal with insects

EcoSask News is a weekly round-up of local news and events. Email us if you have items you would like us to include. 

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