Thursday 30 August 2018

Protecting the Things We Love

Lotus flower

“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike.” John Muir

We protect – with fences, and laws, and force – the things we value. Yet, far too often, we fail to recognize the value of intangibles – sunlight, ancient forests, open trails, beauty. We either take them for granted or we place a higher value on development, profit, and what we see as progress. But not always. Here are a few examples of cities and countries that are attempting to recognize and protect intangibles.

Right to Light
Visit the downtown core of any large city and you find yourself surrounded by skyscrapers that blot out the sky and shade the streets below. “For cities, shadows present both a technical challenge — one that can be modeled in 3-D and measured in ‘theoretical annual sunlight hours’ lost — and an ethereal one. They change the feel of space and the value of property in ways that are hard to define. They’re a stark reminder that the new growth needed in healthy cities can come at the expense of people already living there. And in some ways, shadows even turn light into another medium of inequality — a resource that can be bought by the wealthy, eclipsed from the poor.”

Some cities are endeavouring to protect sunlight. San Francisco has a “sunlight ordinance” that legislates the review of plans for buildings over 40 feet that might shadow public parks. Toronto’s Tall Buildings Guidelines stipulate that tall buildings must be 25 metres apart. Toronto also takes into consideration “pedestrian comfort” by reviewing the shadows created by proposed buildings, paying particular attention to shadows over public areas such as Nathan Phillip’s Square.

Ancient Trees
There are trees in the United Kingdom that are hundreds, even thousands, of years old. Ancient woodlands are protected by the National Planning Policy Framework, but there is a loophole in the law permitting development to go ahead if "the economic benefit of a development outweighs the loss.” The Woodland Trust is campaigning to close this loophole, so far with no success.

Tourists flock to visit California’s redwoods. But their eagerness to take a selfie next to one of these ancient giants is compacting the soil and damaging the trees’ roots. The Redwood Park Conservancy is fundraising to build raised walkways so that tourists will no longer damage the ground cover and hurt the trees.

big trees

Right to Roam
England has protected its footpaths, granting public access to private land, since 1925. Andrew Weaver, leader of BC’s Green Party has introduced a Right to Roam Act to protect public access to lakes, rivers, and public forests through privately owned land. Weaver says, “The ability to access and experience nature is a public right, and we must protect it. . . . People protect what they know and love. If we become disconnected from our environment we risk disengaging with the fight for its future.”

Beauty
It may seem quaint, but the City of London safeguards the view of St. Paul’s Cathedral from King Henry’s Mound in Richmond Park. Developers have been forced to alter their plans to protect the viewline.

The City of Vancouver has 27 protected view corridors to maintain views of the North Shore mountains, the ocean, and the city skyline. They do, however, make exceptions, which are not always supported by the general public.

reflections

Voting for Nature
In 2014, England’s Wildlife Trusts and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds proposed a nature and wellbeing act that would put nature at the heart of decision-making both locally and nationally and would commit to securing the recovery of nature in a generation. The Blue Dot movement is similar, advocating for legal recognition of every Canadian’s right to a healthy environment.

The proposed laws are examples of “positive environmentalism, setting the agenda, rather than merely responding to the policies we don’t like. We must do both, but while those who love wildlife have often been effective opponents, we have tended to be less effective proponents.”

Tuesday 28 August 2018

EcoSask News, August 28, 2018

mushrooms

Upcoming Events
Wascana Junior Naturalist, Sept.-Dec. (Regina)
Sign up kids ages 9-13 for the Wascana Junior Naturalist program on Tuesdays 6-8 pm: Sept. 18; Oct. 2, 16, 30; Nov. 13, 27; and Dec. 4.

Guided Nature Immersion Walks, Sept. 3/5/8 (Saskatoon)
Participate in a nature immersion walk with Dolores Burkhart from 8:30-10 am, Sept. 3, 5, or 8.

Climate Change Update, Sept. 5 (Saskatoon)
Peter Prebble will offer a climate change update at the Sept. 5 breakfast meeting of SK Energy Management Task Force.

Rise for Climate, Sept. 8 (Saskatoon)
The Saskatoon chapter of Council of Canadians and Climate Justice Saskatoon are holding a rally from 12-2 pm, Sept. 8, in honour of Rise for Climate day of action.

Household Hazardous Waste Day, Sept. 8 (Saskatoon)
You can dispose of household hazardous waste in Saskatoon from 8 am-2:30 pm, Sept. 8.

Looking Ahead
Green Economics, Sept. 20-21 (Calgary)
The Sustainability Network is offering an intensive training in green economics for non-economists Sept. 20-21 in Calgary.

Nature Grandparenting Autumn Meetups, Sept. 26, Oct. 10, Oct. 24 (Saskatoon)
Grandpairs are invited to attend the following autumn meetups:
Sept. 26, 10 am & 1:30 pm – the Northeast Swale (Evergreen)
Oct. 10, 10 am & 1:30 pm – Meewasin Park (Lawson Heights)
Oct. 24, 10 am & 1:30 pm – Gabriel Dumont Park (Buena Vista)

Mushrooms

Saskatoon Nature Society Field Trips
Golden Eagles 
Sept. 13, 9 am – MVA Trail Walk
Sept. 27, 9 am – Cranberry Flats Trails
Retirees and partners who are interested in birds and the natural world are invited to participate.

Other Saskatoon Nature Society Field Trips 
Sept. 22, 1-9 pm – Goose & Crane Trip and Picnic
Sept. 29, 9 am-noon – Gabriel Dumont Park Bird Walk
Everyone is welcome. 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
Alberta is hosting a 2-day workshop to promote citizen science in the province. Wouldn't it be interesting to hold a similar event in Saskatchewan?

Why isn’t Canada taking Volkswagen to court? We could be using billions of dollars to improve air quality.

There are huge business opportunities in e-waste recycling - if we do it right. And if we’re smart, we’ll plan ahead and avoid toxic chemical contamination from solar panels.

Western University is now a designated bee city. 

In Case You Missed It
Traffic calming measures to protect wildlife in the Swale 

Let’s watch a movie: nature & environmental films

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 21 August 2018

EcoSask News, August 21, 2018

Downy woodpecker

Upcoming Events 
Curbside Recycling Survey, Aug. 1-Sept. 15 (Yorkton)
The City of Yorkton is asking for feedback on its curbside recycling program. Respond online before Sept. 15.

Save the Sage Grouse, Sept. 8 (Val Marie) 
Help the Nature Conservancy of Canada maintain their Wideview property on Sept. 8 by making the fencing more wildlife friendly.

Repair Café Prince Albert, Sept. 8 (Prince Albert) 
Share and learn skills to fix personal and household items at Repair Café Prince Albert from 1-4 pm, Sept. 8.

Curbside Swap, Sept. 8 (Saskatoon) 
The City of Saskatoon is hosting a Curbside Swap on Sept. 8 so unwanted items can find a new home rather than being thrown out.

Looking Ahead
Rob Dumont Energy Management Awards Dinner, Oct. 15 (Saskatoon) 
The 2018 Rob Dumont Energy Management Awards Dinner will be held on Oct. 15. Tickets are available on Picatic.

Build Sask Green 2018, Oct. 18 (Saskatoon) 
The Build Sask Green conference will be held in Saskatoon on Oct. 18 and will include sessions on zero carbon building standards and applications.

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

In the News
City of Regina is watering plants using a tricycle equipped with a water tank and solar panel

Mayor Charlie Clark believes Saskatoon has an opportunity to show leadership on climate change and young people will play an important role [video]

Members of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment believe that Canada - and Canadians - need to wake up and smell the smoke

Fracked oil and gas wells pump out huge volumes of polluted wastewater

This is a great example of the power of citizen science - an 11-year-old halts the flow of illegal sewage into a Nova Scotia river

10 ways to participate in the sharing economy

In Case You Missed It
Saskatoon’s urban forest was in the news this week. Here’s an article we published about Saskatoon’s trees in 2016.

If you like the idea of living in a batty neighbourhood, be sure to read 8 cool facts about bats

Fall bird migration is underway. Here are some tips for bird-proofing your windows

As the days get shorter, give some thought to the impact of light pollution on humans and animals

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).

Thursday 16 August 2018

The Rise of Citizen Scientists

marmot


“My seven-year-old loved this [Sask Parks bioblitz].She logged 41 observations and loved getting feedback from people and learning what things were. Can’t wait to do this again next year!” (EcoFriendly Sask Twitter feed) 

Do you like to dig in the dirt or would you rather scan the sky for birds? Do you like solving puzzles on the computer or wonder what is happening in your backyard overnight? All these opportunities and more are available every day as the public is invited to assist scientists in collecting and processing data and working on conservation projects.

Eyes and Ears
For more than 25 years, observers have provided Plant Watch Alberta with over 55,000 records of when plants start to flower. Many of those volunteers have been involved for over 10 years providing valuable indicators of variations in the weather and the risk of early spring wildfires before the forests turn green.

In 2017, the Royal Saskatchewan Museum held one-day bioblitzes in Regina and Cypress Hills. With 665 observations of 239 different species, the Regina bioblitz provided baseline data on the species that inhabit the area. There were some exciting discoveries in Cypress Hills where volunteer plant experts identified a number of mosses and liverworts that were either new to Cypress Hills or new to Saskatchewan.

Very little is known about Calgary’s frogs, toads, and salamanders. Calgary residents enjoying a walk along the Rotary Mattamy Greenway can help by using a newly developed app, Call of the Wetland, to identify and report when they either hear or see one of these amphibians.

Citizen science projects recognize the value of local knowledge, which can supplement and guide scientific research. The LEO network in Alaska “is a network of local observers and topic experts who share knowledge about unusual animal, environment, and weather events.”

Northern Leopard frog

Practical Applications
Many citizen science projects have a practical purpose. Residents living near Heathrow Airport in London, England, installed devices in their homes and gardens to record noise and its impact on people and wildlife. The data was shared with local authorities and fed into the consultation process for a third runway.

Over 4500 wildlife observations in BC’s Crowsnest Pass are being used to build support for a wildlife corridor and will assist in planning a future highway expansion. A project tracking wildlife crossings and collisions along the Nova Scotia-New Brunswick border hopes to reduce the number of animals killed on the roads in that area.

Biologists, agencies, and communities involved in Grupo Tortuguero not only collected data on local turtle populations but also assisted in establishing marine protected areas and sustainable fishing practices.

road through snowy trees

Remote Control
You don’t need to be physically present to help collect data. A University of Wisconsin biologist who tracks deer, bears, and other large animals distributed thousands of motion-sensitive cameras to teachers, students, landowners, and nature-lovers. "By working with citizen scientists who put out these cameras on their own private property, we're now able to characterize areas that we wouldn't otherwise be able to go into," he says.

Soundscapes to Landscapes is mapping bird diversity in Sonoma County, California. Volunteers distribute and collect sound recorders around the area. Experts then train computers to identify the different songs, whistles, and squeaks that have been recorded.

You can be a citizen scientist from the comfort of your own home. Calgary Captured is looking for volunteers to identify the animals in photos taken by motion-activated cameras in 12 city parks. Zooniverse labels itself as people-powered research and hosts a wide variety of projects – count cells in modern and fossil leaves, classify galaxies according to their shape, or transcribe natural history museum data to make it more accessible.

Muscles
Sometimes eyes and ears aren’t enough. Conservation organizations need your muscles. You can plant sagebrush to provide nesting cover and winter forage for greater-sage grouse at Grasslands National Park or work with scientists from Calgary Zoo on the Canadian Prairie Dog Ecosystem Research Project. Volunteers with the Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan dig out invasive flowering rush, while conservation volunteers with the Nature Conservancy of Canada help tear down or repair fences, install bird boxes, and clean up shoreline debris. Volunteer gardeners are gathering every Thursday morning to whip the Native Plant Garden at Regina’s Royal Saskatchewan Museum back into shape.

Aspen grove and smooth brome

Personal Benefits
Volunteering your time to help with a science project can generate huge personal benefits. Meghan Mickelson participated in a bioblitz at Nature Conservancy of Canada’s Dundurn property earlier this year. She says, “There is magic in discovering a new area: you never know what is around each bend or behind each grove of trees. . . . I love exploring, taking photos of flowers, bugs and the land.”

Tony Iwane started contributing photographs to iNaturalist when he retired. He says, “There is no question that iNat has changed the way I interact with the natural world. I find that now instead of just assessing whether something is ‘pretty’ or not, I’m much more inclined to stop and watch. I have much more respect for the natural world…There is nothing scientific about what I do, I just have a love of nature which iNat has flamed into an obsession! I now get triple enjoyment from the things I see, firstly the sighting, then working through the photos, and finally, sharing the observation with people who are interested. I value the identifications, the information available, and the fact that in some small way I may be helping.”

Tuesday 14 August 2018

EcoSask News, August 14, 2018

butterfly on flower

Upcoming Events
Plants for Pollinators, Aug. 18 (Saskatoon) 
Learn what to plant and how to maintain a pollinator garden from 1-3 pm, Aug. 18, at the Garden Patch.

Household Hazardous Waste Day, Aug. 18 (Saskatoon)
Dispose of household hazardous waste in Saskatoon from 8 am – 2:30 pm, Aug. 18.

Composting 101, Aug. 21 (Saskatoon) 
The Askiy Project is hosting a Composting 101 workshop from 6-7:30 pm, Aug. 21.

Into the Gyre, Aug. 22 (Saskatoon) 
Learn more about Ocean Bridge – YXE at a screening of Into the Gyre, a 44-minute documentary about an expedition to study the location, extent, and effect of plastic pollution in the North Atlantic Gyre.

Wandering to Find Warblers, Aug. 25 (Regina) 
Join Nature Regina as they look for warblers and other birds in Wascana Park from 9 am to noon, Aug. 25.

How to Build an Insect Hotel, Aug. 25 (Saskatoon) 
The Garden Patch is hosting a kid-friendly workshop on building an insect hotel from 3-5 pm, Aug. 25.

Saskatoon Nature Society Field Trips
Saskatoon Young Naturalists 
Oct.11, 7-9:30 pm – Saw-whet Owl Field Trip
Nov. 3, 1-2:30 pm – Bird Feeder Workshop
Space is limited; register early to avoid disappointment.

Golden Eagles 
Aug. 16, 8 am – North Saskatchewan River Property at Maymont
Aug. 23, 8 am – Redberry Lake
Aug. 30, 8 am – Stuglin’s at Pike Lake
Retirees and partners who are interested in birds and the natural world are invited to participate.

Other Saskatoon Nature Society Field Trips 
Aug. 18, 1:30-3:30 pm – Sheep at NE Swale
Aug. 25, 9-11:30 am – Factoria Warbler Walk
Sept. 2, 8:45-10:30 am – Warbler Walk at Forestry Farm
Sept. 8, all day – Fall Bird Count
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 

butterfly on flower

In the News
Animals face new challenges with habitat fragmentation as they escape humans by becoming increasingly nocturnal

Repair cafes in the United States and some tips on how to get one started

A Toronto food court has eliminated 117 bags of garbage a day

Shipments of natural gas from northeast BC are heading to the Alberta oilsands and further east 

Finding and creating beauty in a broken world - an interview with Terry Tempest Williams

From devils to super-heroes - our complicated relationship with bats [book review]

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 7 August 2018

EcoSask News, August 7, 2018

Jackrabbit (juvenile?)

Upcoming Events
Wild Wednesdays, Aug. 8 & 15 (Esterhazy)
Kids can learn about different animals and birds at Jean Pask Library, Esterhazy, from 1-2 pm, Aug. 8 and 15.

Nature for Kids, Aug. 9 (Yorkton) 
Kids are invited to come and learn about Saskatchewan’s owls from 2-3 pm, Aug. 9, at the Yorkton Public Library.

Meeting the 1.5 Degree Climate Target, Aug. 14 (Regina)
Regina Public Interest Group is hosting Dr. Charlie Wilson of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research (UK) who will discuss transforming energy demand to meet the 1.5°C climate target and sustainable development goals from 11-noon in ED Building 114, University of Regina.

Family Paddle, Aug. 17 (Regina)
SaskOutdoors and Fresh Air Experience are hosting a family paddle from 2-5 pm, Aug. 17.

U of S Lunch & Learn Series, Aug. 17 (Saskatoon)
Join the U of S Office of Sustainability from 12-1 pm, every third Friday of the month, for presentations and discussions on sustainability.

U of S The Fix, Aug. 17 (Saskatoon)
Join the U of S Office of Sustainability and university sustainability professionals over a pint at 5 pm, every third Friday of the month, to fix some of sustainability’s most complicated issues.

jackrabbit

Looking Ahead
Wascana Junior Naturalist, Sept.-Dec. (Regina)
Sign up kids ages 9-13 for the Wascana Junior Naturalist program on Tuesdays 6-8 pm: Sept. 18; Oct. 2, 16, 30; Nov. 13, 27; and Dec. 4.

Nature Saskatchewan Fall Meet, Sept. 14-16 (Swift Current)
Nature Saskatchewan is holding their fall meet in Swift Current from Sept. 14-16. There will be a presentation by Graham Saul, Executive Director, Nature Canada, and Branimir Gjetvaj and Trevor Herriot will present their book, Islands of Grass.

Conservation Marketing & Engagement Congress, Oct. 25-27 (Arlington, VA)
This sounds amazing - the first international Conservation Marketing & Engagement Congress.

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

In the News
3 steps towards clean energy in Canada.

Our individual purchasing choices do matter: Stop buying crap and companies will stop making it.

"Traditional economics has forgotten that our economies should have a purpose: they should deliver greater well-being, increasing prosperity, improved security and comfort, without imperiling the things that make life worth living. If all government decisions are made on purely financial terms, then ultimately those decisions will benefit finance and capital at the expense of people and nature."

Can mining social media help conservationists determine areas where wildlife faces extra stress from tourists?

Tracking wildlife with cameras not collars is cheaper and less invasive.

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).