There will be a School Strike for Climate from 11 am-1 pm, Sept. 24, in Regina. A similar event in Saskatoon has been postponed.
City of Regina residents can dispose of household hazardous waste from 9 am-4 pm, Saturday, Sept. 25.
There will be an electric vehicle expo in Regina from 9 am-6 pm, Sept. 25 and in Saskatoon from 10 am-5 pm, Sept. 26.
Looking Ahead
SaskOutdoors is offering the following virtual workshops:
Growing Up Wild from 7-9 pm, Oct. 14
Flying Wild on Oct. 18 and 25 from 7-8:30 pm
Getting Little Feet Wet from 7-9 pm, Oct. 28
Project Wet from Nov. 1-8.
Full details for all events are found on the EcoFriendly Sask Calendar
SES Wants to Depave Saskatoon
Saskatoon storm water flows into the South Saskatchewan River without being treated; most of this runs right off roads and sidewalks, picking up road salt, pet waste, litter, and other pollutants along the way. In an effort to help slow down, soak up, and clean storm water while also creating habitats and benefitting our community, the Saskatchewan Environmental Society will be holding a “Depave” event in Saskatoon in May 2022. Depave, a project of Green Communities Canada, aims to improve rain flow in urban centres by “depaving” (removing the asphalt) in a small area (~100 m2) and cultivating the site by planting native plants and trees.
If you have an area in your school, or church yard, or at your business where SES can hold a Depave event and build a beautiful greenspace, email them at depave@environmentalsociety.ca or call the SES office at 306.665.1915.
Is your toilet paper sustainable? Several major brands are still relying on virgin forests for their products’ fibres. [NRDC]
Community Initiatives
ECOWATER, a SK startup company providing eco-friendly approaches for the removal of contaminants of emerging concern from water and wastewater, won third prize and $10,000 in seed funding in Water Canada’s Aqua Hacking Challenge, Western Canada. [AquaHacking 2021 Challenge]
Gabriola Island Recycling Organization receives over 45,000 kg of donated clothing every year. Half of that goes into their thrift store. They plan to sell upcycled products to avoid sending the other half to the landfill. [CBC British Columbia]
Policy Decisions
Getting people to drive less is difficult because North American cities are designed for cars, but there are solutions. 1) Make streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists, 2) End single-family zoning to encourage mixed-use development, and 3) Make drivers pay the cost of driving. [Vox]
“Connecting provincial grids is essential to make the best use of the clean electricity resources available in each province, allowing renewable energy to be developed in areas with the best conditions and distributed elsewhere.” [ report prepared by Pembina Institute]
Public Awareness
Species awareness days (e.g. Bat Appreciation Day, World Rhino Day) boost fundraising and media coverage, especially for lesser-known species. It pays to include specific calls to action (e.g. go to this webpage or share this information). [The Revelator]
Using quilting to tell a story is “bringing in new audiences to engage and talk about science”. [Smithsonian Magazine]
Nature Companion, a free nature app for Canada's four western provinces
EcoFriendly Sask supports Saskatchewan environmental initiatives through an online publication, an events calendar, small grants, and the Nature Companion website/app. You can follow EcoFriendly Sask by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, or subscribing by email (top right corner).
