tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16053787536199506722024-03-19T01:35:21.485-06:00EcoFriendly SaskDedicated to promoting and protecting our natural habitatEcoFriendly Saskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775672426064519874noreply@blogger.comBlogger907125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1605378753619950672.post-34619126110431007842022-02-03T08:21:00.000-06:002022-02-03T08:21:50.466-06:00An End and a New Beginning<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/16753927933/" title="White pelican"><img alt="White pelican" height="320" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/7688/16753927933_01a5efe00b_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><i>
EcoFriendly Sask</i> celebrated its 10th anniversary in July 2021. Ten years sounds like a long time, but it went by in a flash. <div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">How It Began</span></b> </div><div>Andrew McKinlay is a runner, nature photographer, and co-owner of a software company. He’d lived in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, all his life and had a deep and abiding love for the Prairies – the grasses and birds, the lakes and rivers, and wildlife. He wanted to help protect the land and its wild inhabitants and believed one way he could make a contribution would be by sharing information through an online publication. The goal was to break down silos and make connections so that people who cared about solar energy or wind power were also familiar with issues affecting wetlands and birds. He invited his sister, Penny McKinlay, to join him in this adventure as she was a reader, writer, and fellow nature-lover. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">What We Did</span></b> </div><div>We started out by covering Saskatoon events and news stories but quickly realized that we needed to expand our reach to the province as a whole. In addition to a weekly news and events update, we published profiles of individuals, organizations, and activities. The <i>EcoFriendly Sask Calendar</i> shared events from across the province – from outdoor education programs to birding trips to speakers on energy management. We published lists of organizations and volunteer opportunities, Saskatchewan nature books, and seasonal outdoor adventures. </div><div><br /></div><div>In 2012, we began offering small grants to support local environmental projects. There was such a wide range of projects – from a teacher who wanted to offer her students a wide array of environmental books, to signage for nature trails, an online talk on peat-free gardening, children’s events on butterflies and bug hotels, and research into aspen bluffs and aquatic insects. </div><div><br /></div><div>In 2020, we launched <i><a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca" target="_blank">Nature Companion</a></i>, a free website/app with information about over 300 birds, animals, insects, reptiles, amphibians, trees, and plants that make their home in Canada’s 4 western provinces. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/birds/whitepel/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1540" data-original-width="2668" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidOrOSngR1VpM_OXYQ2ESLfsYwCGCpUzWX0mT3TdaUIEP1j4DS7Jx7IJfxdCv23YsDxZvlsgRoE7uQICZ4oLEjaZNzDmTyv8An-FbQfaX6UHnBXZOxLRpk-OuiNlfm2BEFu1Wubm4yPeOWcHk1osd1tkj-EFC6SHqRruLWI191Dc6GpuBImlbp190OJw=w400-h231" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Thank You</span></b> </div><div>Publishing <i>EcoFriendly Sask</i> has been deeply rewarding for both Andrew and Penny. We have met so many amazing people who are doing so much to protect the environment and share their love of nature. You’re planting pollinator gardens and testing water quality, advocating for wetland management policies and bird-friendly building guidelines, establishing community nature festivals, and encouraging kids (and adults) to spend more time outdoors. The list goes on and on! To each and every one of you who took the time to share your knowledge and passion with us – thank you! You have enriched our lives and we can only hope that we have been able to assist you in your work. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Change</span></b> </div><div>In 2021, Andrew and his wife Shelley moved to Victoria, British Columbia, and they encouraged Penny to move as well. Our sister, Clare, has lived in Victoria for many years so we’re now reunited. Our mother, who dearly loved the ocean and her children, would be pleased. </div><div><br /></div><div>We’ve expanded our horizons. It seemed only appropriate to expand the scope of <i>EcoFriendly Sask</i> as well and it will be replaced by <i><a href="https://ecofriendlywest.ca" target="_blank">EcoFriendly West</a></i>. Our goal is to inform and encourage initiatives that support Western Canada’s natural environment by sharing ideas and information across Canada’s four western provinces. </div><div><br /></div><div><i><a href="https://ecofriendlywest.ca" target="_blank">EcoFriendly West</a></i> will offer a weekly news update as well as profiles of people and organizations. There will be lists of organizations as well as parks and books. We’ll be dropping the Calendar as we couldn’t possibly keep track of everything that is going on in such a large territory, but we’re excited about sharing stories of people and activities from across the west. We hope to continue offering grants to support environmental projects, but they are on hold for the moment as we consider the best way to do so on a wider scale. </div><div><br /></div><div>Through <i><a href="https://ecofriendlywest.ca" target="_blank">EcoFriendly West</a></i>, Penny and Andrew are looking forward to connecting with people and activities that span a wide and diverse geography – from the Canadian Shield and the shores of Hudson Bay in Manitoba, to the lakes and plains of Saskatchewan, Alberta’s Rocky Mountains, and British Columbia’s rain forests and marine flora and fauna. We hope you’ll join us on this journey to celebrate the wild world we are fortunate enough to live in and that so desperately needs our help if it is to survive and be enjoyed by future generations. </div><div><br /></div><div>Our first stories are already lined up and ready to go. We’re eager to tell you about a children’s environmental theatre company in Manitoba, wildlife conservation and translocation projects at the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo, the benefits and risks of agriculture drainage projects on the Prairies, bat research in Alberta, and common Pacific coast seaweeds. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://ecofriendlywest.ca" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="121" data-original-width="512" height="95" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgNBgHxC9G78lfQb1BM-0ZQYJKnYIYOwHRQTAL6hwBRBvrQ3boLJ_8olfKjw-wjL3RqN5dQ-m3LwfCWC38ZIFXucdLKeXP5Klw7fwWEs8kHZn1h3ZvLVcPfwDrLuERTmXYREYuaua1zquByiN41hswpTdBJfR4xkrFoiCa4yo4Hhjjt5RCrmnk1Q4eEw=w400-h95" width="400" /></a></div><br />Do stay in touch. We’d love to receive your ideas, suggestions, questions, and updates on your activities. You can reach Andrew and Penny at <a href="mailto:ecofriendlywest@gmail.com">ecofriendlywest@gmail.com</a> </div><div><br /></div><div>You can follow <a href="https://ecofriendlywest.ca" target="_blank"><b><i>EcoFriendly West</i></b></a> by liking us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ecofriendlywest" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, following us on <a href="https://twitter.com/ecofriendlywest" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, or subscribing by email. Current email subscribers will be transferred over automatically to the new publication but can unsubscribe at any time.</div>EcoFriendly Saskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775672426064519874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1605378753619950672.post-16392081806162625582022-02-01T09:10:00.000-06:002022-02-01T09:10:24.837-06:00EcoSask News, February 1, 2022<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/31697824743" title="ice, snow, & water"><img alt="ice, snow, & water" height="320" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/535/31697824743_9ca328f4b8_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><i></i><blockquote><i>
“It is good to have dreams to work towards. To desire a world that is once again full of life is to conjure a singing, bright planet of wonder, awe and fear. It is to yearn to be taken to where the heart leaps for joy or trembles in trepidation. To be awe-full. That has to be a goal worth striving for.”</i> [<a href="https://nearbywild.org.uk/the-importance-of-curlews-dream-big/" target="_blank">Nearby Wild</a>] </blockquote><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Upcoming Events</span></b> </div><div>The WildEcol Seminar Series is hosting an online presentation on using movement data from brown pelicans to answer ecological questions at 3:30 pm, Feb. 4. </div><div><br /></div><div>SaskOutdoors is hosting an online Adventure Smart presentation by Saskatoon Search and Rescue at 7 pm, Feb. 8. </div><div><br /></div><div>Join Wild About Saskatoon and expert guests for a NatureCity Conversation about starting native plants from seed from 7:30-8:30 pm, Feb. 10. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Looking Ahead</span></b> </div><div>Wetland Knowledge Exchange is hosting a presentation on the Canadian model for peatlands: a national scale peatland carbon accounting model from 1-2 pm, Feb. 16. </div><div><br /></div><div>As part of a webinar series on law’s relationship with the North Saskatchewan River, Cameron Jefferies will present ecological sustainability and intergenerational stewardship as preferable alternatives to sustainable development at 1 pm, Feb. 16. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Saskatoon Nature Society is hosting an online presentation on wetland drainage and its impacts on biodiversity in the prairie and parkland region at 7:30 pm, Feb. 17. </div><div><br /></div><div>Nature Regina is hosting an online presentation with updates on the Saskatchewan Breeding Bird Atlas at 7 pm, Feb. 21. </div><div><br /></div><div>Carole Tink and Greg Kuntz will discuss Regina’s energy and sustainability framework in an SES/SPL online presentation from 7-8:30 pm, Feb. 22. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Full details about all upcoming events are listed on the <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/p/event-calendar.html" target="_blank">EcoFriendly Sask Calendar</a></i></b></div><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/32130600930/" title="ice, snow, & water"><img alt="ice, snow, & water" height="267" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/426/32130600930_87211eb5b4_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
Energy </span></b></div><div>In-depth reporting provides a valuable explanation of the options and the issues involved in undertaking and financing carbon capture and storage on the Prairies. [<a href="https://thenarwhal.ca/carbon-capture-explainer/" target="_blank">The Narwhal</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>“A tax on emissions forces firms to internalize at least some of the costs of dirty production, which incentivizes them to find cleaner ways of producing in the most cost-effective way possible.” [<a href="https://www.futurity.org/emission-taxes-greenhouse-gases-research-development-2687792" target="_blank">Futurity</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>Natural gas cookers expose households to formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, and nitric oxide. They also leak a lot of methane (comparable to the carbon dioxide emissions of 500,000 gas-powered cars) even when they’re off. [<a href="https://www.futurity.org/gas-stoves-methane-cooking-carbon-dioxide-2688152-2" target="_blank">Futurity</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Youth</span></b> </div><div>An activist youth group is calling on the Oregon government “to end freeway widening projects that contribute to increased congestion and carbon emissions.” They may be having an impact. [<a href="https://www.planetizen.com/news/2022/01/115993-oregon-youth-activists-protest-highway-expansion" target="_blank">Planetizen</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>“If we are serious about tapping into education’s potential to help us achieve a more sustainable future, we need to recognize activists as educators and help build bridges between them and schools.” [<a href="https://www.yesmagazine.org/opinion/2022/01/24/environmental-education-activism-fill-the-gap" target="_blank">Yes Magazine</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Nature’s Wonders</span></b> </div><div>Joe Gray says he experiences pleasure when in the presence of insects and a sense of reverence. He reports on a two-part seminar in which he participated that discussed invertebrate animal sentience. [<a href="https://www.ecologicalcitizen.net/pdfs/epub-054.pdf" target="_blank">Ecological Citizen</a>]</div><div><br /></div><div><i><b>EcoFriendly Sask </b>supports Saskatchewan environmental initiatives through an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca" target="_blank">online publication</a>, an events calendar, small grants, and the <b><a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/" target="_blank">Nature Companion</a></b> website/app. You can follow <b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> by liking us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ecofriendlysk" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, following us on <a href="http://twitter.com/EcoFriendlySask" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, or subscribing by email (top right corner). </i></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/insects/sweatbee/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1543" data-original-width="2682" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjaPUYv53qBhr6OqLSMpVdsXq0cBJMJ7-GmL6pOIlLB2l5FVm3pnJp2WcgcKx7wuaeLDR5dTCUT3zqqDHCxHxbMyHW28AvxpozaOBoPk02Aw6myzVjt56qizN9N2d0ALmxi0ANyT5otPhXN8uw8uXTpSwmCA5Nj8bIFQexXmueszzdUN2i8JDkHMlpLIA=w400-h230" width="400" /></a></div><br />Sweat bees are extremely hard working and pollinate a wide variety of plants. [<a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/insects/sweatbee/" target="_blank">Nature Companion</a>]</div>EcoFriendly Saskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775672426064519874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1605378753619950672.post-5438336487208870502022-01-25T08:16:00.000-06:002022-01-25T08:16:45.664-06:00EcoSask News, January 25, 2022<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/49708156703" title="icicles"><img alt="icicles" height="300" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49708156703_659372822a_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
Upcoming Events </span></b><div>PCAP-SK is hosting a webinar on habitat occupancy by breeding Pied-billed and Horned Grebes in Prairie Canada: correlates of pond use and breeding success at noon, Jan. 27. </div><div><br /></div><div>Nature Regina is hosting a winter bio-blitz at various times on Jan. 29. Register on their website. </div><div><br /></div><div>EMTF-SK will host an online breakfast presentation on Saskatchewan's Energy Storage Advantage: Compressed Air Energy Storage in Salt Caverns on Feb. 2. </div><div><br /></div><div>PCAP-SK is hosting a webinar on a watershed stewardship approach to invasive species education and management at noon, Feb. 2. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Institute for Environmental Sustainability is hosting a webinar on the importance of peatlands for nature and people on Feb. 2. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Full details of all upcoming events are listed on the <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/p/event-calendar.html" target="_blank">EcoFriendly Sask Calendar</a> </i></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Low Tech </span></b></div><div>A low-tech solution – hot water bottles. [<a href="https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2022/01/the-revenge-of-the-hot-water-bottle.html" target="_blank">Low-Tech Magazine</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Zero Waste </span></b></div><div>British Columbia leads the way on recycling and composting programs, but more is still needed. A plan to get BC to zero waste by 2040 emphasizes reducing waste production, repair & maintenance, extended producer responsibility, and closing disposal loopholes. [<a href="https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2022/01/21/Getting-Zero-Waste-2040/" target="_blank">The Tyee</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>A frying pan made from recycled aluminum cans, bicycle parts, and other recycled metal can be manufactured using 95% less energy than a conventional aluminum frying pan. [<a href="https://us.kuhnrikon.com/en/news/new-life-frying-pan.html" target="_blank">Kuhn Rikon</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Energy</span></b> </div><div>Carbon capture at Shell’s blue hydrogen facility near Edmonton is capturing less than 50% of the facility’s total emissions. [<a href="https://gizmodo.com/shell-ccs-carbon-capture-1848401554" target="_blank">Gizmodo</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>Satellites can play an important role in identifying methane emissions, the first step in tackling a key source of GHG emissions. [<a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-new-generation-of-satellites-is-helping-authorities-track-methane-emissions-180979181/" target="_blank">Smithsonian</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>Turning big box store rooftops into solar farms could generate a lot of electricity. [<a href="https://gizmodo.com/walmart-target-box-stores-solar-farms-1848391348" target="_blank">Gizmodo</a>]</div><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/49707668238/" title="icicles"><img alt="icicles" height="400" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49707668238_46c6b8e291_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
We Can Make a Difference </span></b></div><div>A new conservation foundation plans “to provide Indigenous and other land-based communities with funds to protect endangered ecosystems and build economic alternatives to the logging of at-risk old-growth forests.” [<a href="https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/conservation-financing-key-to-securing-b-c-s-old-growth-deferrals-1.5743571" target="_blank">CTV</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>A low-energy kitchen, carpets made from recycled fishing nets, solar panels, and bees and wildflowers on the roof – this hotel is paying more than lip service to environmental sustainability. [<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2022/jan/19/from-bees-to-bins-how-a-london-hotel-aims-to-become-truly-net-zero" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>John Stimpson has built 30,000 nest boxes for swifts, not to mention the nest boxes he’s built for barn owls, blue tits, finches, blackbirds, and thrushes. [<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jan/20/the-man-who-built-homes-for-60000-swifts-aoe" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>Tips to help you clear dangerous pollutants out of your home (and your body). [<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jan/16/toxic-reaction-how-to-clear-dangerous-pollutants-out-of-your-home" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>]</div><div><br /></div><div>The hidden cost of fish oil pills to personal and environmental health. [<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jan/18/mind-boggling-hidden-cost-ecosystems-obsession-with-fish-oil-pills" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">On the Bookshelf </span></b></div><div><i><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B09NQMY75P/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=ecofsask-20&creative=330641&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B09NQMY75P&linkId=e29de11b07c79500e5370858593f15ba" target="_blank">Though the Earth Gives Way</a></i>, a novel by Pullitzer Prize-winning journalist Mark S. Johnson, shares the stories of individuals fleeing a climate apocalypse. “We are good at divorcing ourselves from consequences,” Johnson says. “I wanted readers to feel as if they’d glimpsed the other side, the world to come.” [<a href="https://www.channel3000.com/though-the-earth-gives-way-qa-with-author-mark-s-johnson/" target="_blank">Madison Magazine</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Nature’s Wonders</span></b> </div><div>A rare sighting of blanket octopus. Males are 2.4 centimetres – females grow up to 2 metres! [<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jan/13/dancing-through-the-water-rare-sighting-of-blanket-octopus-in-great-barrier-reef" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>When large numbers of snowy owls appear in southern Canada and the US, we assume they’re starving. Not so, according to SK researchers. “It’s due to a bumper crop of young snowies during a very good breeding season.” [<a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/snowy-owls-arent-starving-two-canadian-farmers-help-bust-a-pervasive-myth" target="_blank">All About Birds</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/birds/snowyowl/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="736" data-original-width="1263" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMD14EOcYBrASJxbPpyFeWWk3JBcH9qfDDCiE67XE_QOJBd61ylrZYqKos9b1ZoecPnCZYCmmI8eWp7TI-q4ZlvzEr8w3qrV-UM7NuYUL8MjuN1CwtjgcyKyBpDyEtO_6xB2Umd9qvbKgIxPu5XlM4WbqqL4B1lRY2FeMhJswpwanuVZpTOp7nWKzhDQ=w400-h233" width="400" /></a></div><br />Check out EcoFriendly Sask’s <b><a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/" target="_blank">Nature Companion</a></b>, a free nature app for Canada’s four western provinces </i></div><div><br /></div><div><i><b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> supports Saskatchewan environmental initiatives through an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca" target="_blank">online publication</a>, an events calendar, small grants, and the Nature Companion website/app. You can follow <b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> by liking us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ecofriendlysk" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, following us on Twitter, or subscribing by email (top right corner).
</i></div>EcoFriendly Saskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775672426064519874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1605378753619950672.post-74889578608357561252022-01-20T08:21:00.000-06:002022-01-20T08:21:10.742-06:00Community Highlight: Friends of Wascana Marsh<b><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcE0pL5qQaUAZAg5DgBjzqAaf7hK1TMDEvhLPbsPNU7rdozDTRhFC2ApNPUfIuqgv59CzLpKhk2A6Mj6Rj9m8_afvwQRx8wOvbMbavcItXyMU8529uvqJauXWVgUQ_XdqCRfpxJRgDAktqL-9p5kz9_uUiPCnKtAfNL6Ln-0gyAmsVRrn0LMrYbmyH_A=s1925" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="935" data-original-width="1925" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcE0pL5qQaUAZAg5DgBjzqAaf7hK1TMDEvhLPbsPNU7rdozDTRhFC2ApNPUfIuqgv59CzLpKhk2A6Mj6Rj9m8_afvwQRx8wOvbMbavcItXyMU8529uvqJauXWVgUQ_XdqCRfpxJRgDAktqL-9p5kz9_uUiPCnKtAfNL6Ln-0gyAmsVRrn0LMrYbmyH_A=w400-h194" width="400" /></a></div><br />1. How and when did you form your group? </span></b><div><a href="https://www.wascanamarsh.ca/" target="_blank">Friends of Wascana Marsh</a> (Friends) was created in 2003 in advance of the “Big Dig” project which was slated to deepen Wascana Lake. The group was formed with the general purpose of protecting Wascana Marsh and lobbying for conservation efforts to be taken during the Big Dig project. The project, under the direction of the City of Regina, contracted companies to drain the lake, remove 1.3 million cubic meters of material, and refill the lake. Minimizing general ecological and shoreline damage was our focus during this time. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">2. What are your principal activities and why do you believe they’re important? </span></b></div><div>Our mandate continues to focus on the general conservation of Wascana Marsh and the protection of its species, as well as the promotion, use, and exploration of the marsh area. Today, most of our principal activities revolve around education and promotion of the marsh, specifically the Habitat Conservation Area. </div><div><br /></div><div>Over the past few years, we have participated in multiple festivals such as the Cathedral Arts Fest and Summer Bash. We have also partnered with other nature-focused groups in Regina to co-host and participate in smaller events. In these settings we provide educational material through posters, pamphlets, and expertise. When possible, we attempt to bring the marsh to life wherever we go by offering activities such as mobile pond dipping (water samples are collected from the marsh and returned) and bug catching/viewing. These activities are used to educate children and adults alike on biodiversity within the marsh and surrounding area. </div><div><br /></div><div>We have continued to organize and be involved in school days in which the Habitat Conservation Area is used as an outdoor classroom for a day in the spring. The Provincial Capital Commission’s (PCC) in-house ecologists assist us in taking multiple primary classes through various nature-focused activities. </div><div><br /></div><div>Friends has organized and led multiple shoreline garbage clean-ups over the past few years with other local businesses and organizations in Regina. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRSDNYyAuMqyY10LJUUDxHHgeOfxKIKCkRsOaNQrBVB4BaFBmPJO0thRFXOLupaPdhUqXOhBZrygi6zqrxxWz1SaFIF8xlr4ePiniyQWW69vdbBk8-N-p85b2e-eQY92WyMuvmW-_V1wDxpipWCcq1RdO49OwJ04du-_bBUWtSQ9k5U3Ys71cJ6tdOyg=s584" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="545" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRSDNYyAuMqyY10LJUUDxHHgeOfxKIKCkRsOaNQrBVB4BaFBmPJO0thRFXOLupaPdhUqXOhBZrygi6zqrxxWz1SaFIF8xlr4ePiniyQWW69vdbBk8-N-p85b2e-eQY92WyMuvmW-_V1wDxpipWCcq1RdO49OwJ04du-_bBUWtSQ9k5U3Ys71cJ6tdOyg=w374-h400" width="374" /></a></div><br />3. What have been your successes to date?</span></b> </div><div>Friends’ first major success came with our involvement in the Big Dig in 2003 by ensuring the City of Regina minimized the disruption to the Wascana ecology and shoreline. Over almost 20 years, we have successfully completed several projects of our own and supported many other organizations through various partnerships. In recent years some notable successes include supporting the Wascana Turtle Program, researching and lobbying for the implementation of black-marginated loosestrife beetles by the PCC and the City of Regina to deal with the purple loosestrife (invasive species) population, helping with the organization and operation of the City Nature Challenge in Regina, and operating small-group guided tours though the Habitat Conservation Area during the Covid pandemic. We are currently sponsoring the Regina Urban Wildlife Project to support the research of urban wildlife corridors and biodiversity monitoring in Regina. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">4. What would you like to achieve in future?</span></b> </div><div>Although no specific projects are planned, Friends continues to work towards the promotion of knowledge and community education along with respectful usage of Wascana Marsh. The Habitat Conservation Area and the broader marsh area have been a hidden gem within the City of Regina; we believe that we have a duty to promote urban ecological exploration and conservation of such a wonderful setting. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">5. Are there volunteer opportunities with your organization? If so, please describe them and indicate how people can contact you. </span></b></div><div>We are always looking to broaden our volunteer base in order to run effective and engaging activities such as festival participation and guided tours. As we eventually get through the pandemic, many volunteer opportunities will arise. We suggest that anyone who is interested consider becoming a member of Friends of Wascana Marsh or joining our board. Our annual AGM is typically held in late January each year (January 20, 2022) with an open invitation to anyone to attend. We also welcome new members throughout the year so anyone interested is encouraged to check us out at any time. If you want to join us or simply want more information, email us at <a href="mailto:friendsofwascanamarsh@gmail.com">friendsofwascanamarsh@gmail.com</a> </div><div><br /></div><div>You can follow the activities of Friends of Wascana Marsh on both <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wascanamarsh" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/WascanaMarsh" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Photo credit:</b> <a href="https://www.wascanamarsh.ca/" target="_blank">Friends of Wascana Marsh</a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-sWK1sF0nsw0tq44ycikt5syQsLHO58R1evGnn_7vqeuJomTOITlIE-ku441SY0behE9RC-npbgeIEXUH-i39A3ecpgIA9EZ2dIrQ-4OiopD8h0KceuTOjgqb443IdVrTudiWRNZhx0jTn70xq6D9I_tVOPll6jgfep6RBLel3x7hK7o5eIlHGJUQTA=s400" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-sWK1sF0nsw0tq44ycikt5syQsLHO58R1evGnn_7vqeuJomTOITlIE-ku441SY0behE9RC-npbgeIEXUH-i39A3ecpgIA9EZ2dIrQ-4OiopD8h0KceuTOjgqb443IdVrTudiWRNZhx0jTn70xq6D9I_tVOPll6jgfep6RBLel3x7hK7o5eIlHGJUQTA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>EcoFriendly Saskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775672426064519874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1605378753619950672.post-33611663162815305932022-01-18T08:38:00.000-06:002022-01-18T08:38:13.007-06:00EcoSask News, January 18, 2022<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/39006019220/" title="frosty foggy morning"><img alt="frosty foggy morning" height="267" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/797/39006019220_65b6c67aaf_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
Upcoming Events</span></b> <div>Wild Ecol Seminar Series is hosting an online presentation on the seasonal migration of Water Boatmen as a linkage between wetland and river ecosystems at 3:30 pm, Jan. 21. </div><div><br /></div><div>Catherine Beaudoin will discuss local food and reducing food waste in an online presentation from 7-8:30 pm, Jan. 25, organized by the Saskatchewan Environmental Society and the Saskatoon Public Library. </div><div><br /></div><div>SaskOutdoors is hosting an online presentation on tools and resources for teaching about climate change and sustainability at 4 pm, Jan. 25. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Looking Ahead </span></b></div><div>The Citizens Environmental Alliance – Saskatchewan is hosting the second half of a virtual conference on Farmland Drainage and the Environment from Feb. 28 to Mar. 4. Topics include: does farmland drainage actually pay, wetland policies in the Prairie provinces, and landowner rights and responsibilities: laws, stewardship ethics, and conservation psychology. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Full details of all upcoming events can be found on the <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/p/event-calendar.html" target="_blank">EcoFriendly Sask Calendar</a></i></b> </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Energy</span></b> </div><div>Reinventing the electric grid is essential if we are to reach 100% renewable electricity. Storage, greater generation range and transmission, and managing demand to better match supply will be required to accommodate the variability of wind and solar energy. [<a href="https://undark.org/2022/01/13/reinventing-the-electric-grid-is-crucial-for-the-climate-crisis/" target="_blank">Undark</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>Women who live closer to oil and gas drilling are at higher risk of pregnancy complications, while infants have a greater risk of health complications. The oil industry has fought the introduction of setback requirements. [<a href="https://www.desmog.com/2022/01/11/proximity-oil-gas-drilling-hypertension-pregnancy-willis" target="_blank">DeSmog</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>The oil and gas sector accounted for 26% of Canada’s GHG emissions in 2019, while oilsands emissions rose by 137% between 2005 and 2019. To meet Canada’s climate goals, the government will have “to follow through on a series of increasingly stringent caps on emissions from oil and gas sources.” [<a href="https://www.pembina.org/media-release/gap-canadas-climate-plan-driving-down-emissions-oil-and-gas-sector" target="_blank">Pembina Institute</a>]</div><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/39006017480/" title="sunrise through the trees"><img alt="sunrise through the trees" height="300" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/812/39006017480_3914b0e791_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
Fashion</span></b> </div><div>The New York Fashion Act will require large fashion companies to “detail the lifecycle of their garments: from the farms where the raw materials were extracted, through to factories and shipping. They must then identify the points where they have the greatest adverse impact on the environment and people. It will require them to examine fair wages, energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, water and chemical management. They also have to make concrete plans to do better … Failure to do so will see the firms fined up to 2 per cent of their annual revenues.” [<a href="https://www.euronews.com/green/2022/01/12/green-is-the-new-black-groundbreaking-fashion-act-to-hold-brands-accountable" target="_blank">Euronews Green</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Nature’s Wonders </span></b></div><div>Giant millipedes as big as cars (2.7 m long weighing 50 kg) roamed Great Britain approximately 326 million years ago. [<a href="https://www.euronews.com/green/2022/01/10/giant-millipedes-as-big-as-cars-once-roamed-the-uk-experts-find" target="_blank">Euronews Green</a>]</div><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/42004227084" title="Yellow-spotted millipede"><img alt="Yellow-spotted millipede" height="267" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/1742/42004227084_186de89972_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div>
The Yellow-spotted Millipede is found in the Pacific Northwest. The yellow spots are a vibrant warning to steer clear or you’ll be sprayed with hydrogen cyanide, which is lethal to birds and rodents. (<a href="https://blog.nature.org/science/2017/10/17/millipede-protects-itself-cyanide-yellow-spotted-bugs/" target="_blank">Cool Green Science</a>) </div><div><br /></div><div><i><b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> supports Saskatchewan environmental initiatives through an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca" target="_blank">online publication</a>, an events calendar, small grants, and the <b><a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca" target="_blank">Nature Companion</a></b> website/app. You can follow <b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> by liking us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ecofriendlysk" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, following us on <a href="http://twitter.com/EcoFriendlySask" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, or subscribing by email (top right corner).</i></div>EcoFriendly Saskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775672426064519874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1605378753619950672.post-46824821500494329462022-01-11T09:56:00.000-06:002022-01-11T09:56:09.245-06:00EcoSask News, January 11, 2021<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/42004223984/" title="pool surrounded by greenery"><img alt="pool surrounded by greenery" height="267" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/1744/42004223984_6c898f72ba_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
Upcoming Events </span></b><div>EMTF-SK is hosting an online presentation on developing Saskatchewan’s sustainable energy economy at 7:30 am, Jan. 12. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy is hosting a video conference on building an equitable Canadian science system from 12-1 pm, Jan. 13. </div><div><br /></div><div>Nature Regina is hosting an online presentation on Indigenous peoples’ rights and environmental protection at 7 pm, Jan. 17. </div><div><br /></div><div>Saskatoon Nature Society is hosting an online presentation on invertebrate diversity, distribution, and ecology at 7:30 pm, Jan. 20. </div><div><br /></div><div>Nature Saskatchewan is hosting an online nature trivia night at 7 pm, Feb. 9. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Full details on all upcoming events are listed on the <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/p/event-calendar.html" target="_blank">EcoFriendly Sask Calendar</a></i></b> </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Consumer Choices</span></b> </div><div>“The most important thing consumers can do is to educate themselves about their purchases.” Vegan leather is a petroleum byproduct. Plant-based leather is a better option. [<a href="https://inhabitat.com/is-vegan-leather-actually-more-harmful-to-the-environment/" target="_blank">Inhabitat</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>The Alberta EcoTrust Foundation, with support from the Alberta Real Estate Foundation, is undertaking a pilot project to provide digital home energy labels for houses in Calgary and Edmonton. The label will show how much energy the home uses and compare it to other similar homes. [<a href="https://albertaecotrust.com/calgary-and-edmonton-homes-to-get-digital-home-energy-labels/" target="_blank">Alberta EcoTrust</a>] This is in line with France’s plan to notify potential home owners of a property’s energy rating. [<a href="https://ecofriendlysask.substack.com/p/looking-ahead-cities-in-the-next " target="_blank">Cities in the Next Decade</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>“In the past decade alone, $40 trillion has been divested from fossil fuels ... Divestment is showing in real time that everyday people can take part in the fight against climate change, and it’s demonstrating to financial firms that climate change is no longer a worthy investment.” [<a href="https://www.yesmagazine.org/environment/2022/01/04/climate-justice-through-divestment" target="_blank">Yes Magazine</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>French car ads will be required to discourage driving and promote alternate forms of transportation. [<a href="https://e360.yale.edu/digest/french-car-ads-will-soon-discourage-driving" target="_blank">Yale Environment 360</a>]</div><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/40975461530/" title="Downy (or Hairy) woodpecker"><img alt="Downy (or Hairy) woodpecker" height="400" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/887/40975461530_1ba9999b72_b.jpg" width="320" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
Industry & Mining </span></b></div><div>A survey of participants in the Alberta Oilsands Monitoring Program finds monitoring to be ineffective with crucial questions being left unanswered. [<a href="https://larongenow.com/2022/01/09/survey-finds-oilsands-environmental-monitoring-ineffective-after-10-years/" target="_blank">La Ronge Now</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>Half of global passenger-vehicle sales are expected to be electric by 2035, indicating a shift from a fuel-intensive to a material-intensive system. This will entail two big challenges. “One is how to cut down on the metals in batteries that are scarce, expensive, or problematic because their mining carries harsh environmental and social costs. Another is to improve battery recycling, so that the valuable metals in spent car batteries can be efficiently reused.” [<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02222-1" target="_blank">Nature</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>Pembina Institute has published a report on the <i>Status of Boreal Woodland Caribou Conservation in Canada</i>. It finds that “to help the species recover conservation efforts to protect the last remaining tracts of critical habitat must be prioritized. The habitats that caribou inhabit – boreal forests and peatlands – are among the most carbon-rich in the world. When caribou habitat is lost to activities such as oil and gas development and logging, significant amounts of greenhouse gases (GHGs) are released. On the other hand, when caribou habitat is conserved carbon remains in the ground.” [<a href="https://www.pembina.org/blog/win-caribou-win-climate" target="_blank">Pembina</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>The Province of Saskatchewan’s “weak response to the climate emergency amounts to an implicit denial … The provincial government is clinging to the wrong side of history by failing to meaningfully collaborate with people in Saskatchewan — both Indigenous and non-Indigenous — and take corrective action.” [<a href="https://thenarwhal.ca/opinion-saskatchewan-oil-climate-change/" target="_blank">The Narwhal</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Protecting Biodiversity</span></b> </div><div>Fungal networks support much of life on earth. SPUN aims to accelerate efforts to protect underground ecosystems largely absent from conservation and climate agendas. [<a href="https://spun.earth/" target="_blank">SPUN</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>Protecting roadless areas could go a long way in helping to reach conservation goals and slow extinctions – a point worth considering in Canada where we continue to add new roads. [T<a href="https://therevelator.org/roadless-conservation-habitat" target="_blank">he Revelator</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>Starting in 2023, farmers in England will be paid for nature restoration and creation on their land (creation of hedgerows and wildflower meadows, wetland restoration). [<a href="https://www.edie.net/news/11/Farmers-in-England-to-be-paid-for-nature-restoration-and-creation-from-2023/" target="_blank">Edie</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><i><b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> supports Saskatchewan environmental initiatives through an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/" target="_blank">online publication</a>, an events calendar, small grants, and the <a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/ " target="_blank">Nature Companion</a> website/app. You can follow <b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> by liking us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ecofriendlysk" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, following us on <a href="http://twitter.com/EcoFriendlySask" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, or subscribing by email (top right corner).</i></div>EcoFriendly Saskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775672426064519874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1605378753619950672.post-79676368449023342172022-01-06T08:47:00.000-06:002022-01-06T08:47:24.504-06:00Looking Ahead: Cities in the Next Decade<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/28362181638/" title="rainy view from Granville Island Hotel"><img alt="rainy view from Granville Island Hotel" height="300" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/823/28362181638_43ff92d144_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div>
With <a href="https://tradingeconomics.com/canada/urban-population-percent-of-total-wb-data.html" target="_blank">over 80%</a> of the Canadian population now living in urban areas, how we design, build, and live in our cities has a significant impact on the environment. Cities can lead the way in addressing climate change or lag behind. We’ve found a number of reports and examples of how cities can successfully address climate change. <div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">A Changing Climate</span></b> </div><div><i></i><blockquote><i>“The climate determines almost everything about how we design, build, and live in our cities. The streets and sidewalks, businesses and homes, parking lots and public transit that we use every day have been created to suit our climate. Now, with our climate changing, we need to re-think important aspects of how we live our urban lives.”</i> [<a href="https://climateatlas.ca/canadian-cities-and-climate-change" target="_blank">Canadian Cities and Climate Change</a>, Climate Atlas of Canada] </blockquote></div><div>The Prairie Climate Centre’s interdisciplinary team are climate change storytellers. They’ve developed <i><a href="https://climateatlas.ca/building-climate-resilient-city" target="_blank">Building a Climate-Resilient City</a></i>, a set of 9 reports on how we can set about building climate-resilient cities. Specifically addressing the concerns of Calgary and Edmonton, the reports cover economics and finance, agriculture and food security, urban ecosystems, transformational adaptation, transportation infrastructure, water supply and sanitation systems, electricity and information and communication technology infrastructure, the built environment, and disaster preparedness and emergency management. In addition to providing an overview of the issues, the reports share ideas and approaches that can be implemented immediately to bring about meaningful climate action in the face of a changing climate. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Nature-based Solutions</span></b> </div><div>The <i><a href="https://greencommunitiesguide.ca/" target="_blank">Green Communities Guide</a></i> from Alberta’s <a href="https://www.landstewardship.org/" target="_blank">Land Stewardship Centre</a> is designed to help communities plan and implement nature-based solutions and strategies to conserve water, protect water quality, preserve agricultural land, and protect critical open spaces and wildlife habitat.
Nature-based solutions are actions designed to protect, manage, and restore natural ecosystems in ways that benefit both humans and biodiversity as a whole. The online guide outlines the benefits of nature-based solutions for communities, businesses, and nature, providing case studies and tools to assist with financing, recommended practices, and other practical considerations. </div><div><br /></div><div>Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, England, has introduced far-reaching plans to green his city. They include: </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/dec/14/sadiq-khan-rewild-hyde-park-green-species-london" target="_blank">Rewilding</a> parks and other green spaces through reintroducing lost species, rewiggling streams, creating pocket parks, and setting up nest boxes; </li><li>Rain gardens, trees, and a reduction of impermeable paving to <a href="https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/environment/parks-green-spaces-and-biodiversity/urban-greening" target="_blank">reduce flash flooding</a>; and </li><li>Living roofs and walls. </li></ul></div><div>An <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/dec/25/mini-forest-and-green-tower-plans-among-first-to-meet-londons-new-green-guidelines-aoe" target="_blank">Urban Greening Factor</a> will be part of all new developments. </div><div><i><blockquote>“The Urban Greening Factor (UGF) formula, inspired by the Swedish city of Malmö’s ‘green points’ system, scores each part of a development’s plan – including street-level areas, balconies and roofs – from 0 to 1, with trees, planters and green roofs earning high scores, while paving slabs and barren rooftops receive no score. Central government has also set out plans in the Environment Act 2021 to make developments deliver an uplift to biodiversity, which will require a 10% ‘biodiversity net gain’.”</blockquote></i></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/15997874516/" title="supertrees and flower dome"><img alt="supertrees and flower dome" height="295" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/7570/15997874516_4e39de7bf0_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div>
In 2020 46.5% of Singapore’s land was covered in green space, with a tree canopy percentage of almost 30%. <a href="http://naturalwalkingcities.com/singapore-a-city-in-a-garden-a-model-for-creating-an-integrated-urban-green-walking-network/" target="_blank">One of the greenest cities in the world</a>, it has over 300 km of green corridors as part of the city state’s Park Connector Network. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Tackling GHG Emissions </span></b></div><div>As part of France’s massive <a href="https://www.euronews.com/green/2021/07/20/france-s-new-climate-law-has-just-been-approved-so-why-are-activists-so-unimpressed" target="_blank">Climat et Résilience</a> bill, property owners are now expected to notify potential buyers of the <a href="https://www.connexionfrance.com/Practical/Property/Rules-get-tougher-on-badly-insulated-homes-in-France-Around-800-000-French-homes-are-expected-to-fall-a-grade-as-a-result-of-the-change" target="_blank">home’s energy rating</a>. Landlords will be unable to raise the rent on poorly insulated buildings and, by 2025, they will be unable to rent them out. </div><div><br /></div><div>Berlin-based activists are pushing hard to <a href="https://www.yesmagazine.org/economy/2021/12/16/car-free-city-berlin" target="_blank">eliminate private vehicles</a> in a 55-square mile area of the city centre. There are also plans to reintroduce the tram network and expand the subway system. Ghent’s city centre has been designated a <a href="https://stad.gent/en/mobility-ghent/low-emission-zone-ghent" target="_blank">low-emission zone</a>, strictly limiting the number of cars driving through the downtown core. Oslo has <a href="https://www.yesmagazine.org/economy/2021/12/16/car-free-city-berlin" target="_blank">removed all on-street parking</a> from its city centre.</div><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/29822119913/" title="Nice beach"><img alt="Nice beach" height="288" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/5623/29822119913_82594bc1a2_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div>
France plans to ban short-haul flights where a 2.5 hour train journey could be provided as an alternative. Both <a href="https://airport.nridigital.com/air_jul21/short-haul_flights_ban" target="_blank">environmentalists and industry experts say it’s not enough</a>. Too many train journeys are under 2.5 hours and the highest emissions come from long-haul flights. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Working Together </span></b></div><div>What may feel challenging or impossible on our own becomes doable when we band together. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://handbook.transitionstreets.org/" target="_blank">Transition Streets</a>, a <a href="https://transitionnetwork.org/" target="_blank">Transition Network</a> program, brings neighbours together to implement simple household changes building community and addressing environmental issues. The 7-session handbook “empowers neighbors to improve household energy efficiency, reduce waste and water use, explore transportation options, and eat healthy, local food.” </div><div><br /></div><div>A network of cities, regions, and countries, have pledged to work towards producing everything they consume by 2054 as part of the <a href="https://fab.city/#global-initiative" target="_blank">Fab City Global Initiative</a>. Canadian participants include Montreal and Bas-St.-Laurent. <a href="https://blog.fab.city/fab-city-prototypes-designing-and-making-for-the-real-world-e97e9b04857" target="_blank">Local projects</a> explore small batch design and production, open source data and technology, and novel materials, processes, and applications. </div><div><i></i><blockquote><i>“Addressing the regional environmental contamination and global ecological footprints associated with modern urbanisation is a historic challenge. On the positive side, it is in cities that dynamic, new ideas are often generated. In the face of the planetary emergency that is upon us, the challenge is to utilise this creativity to rethink cities as regenerative, environmentally beneficial systems, linking the wellbeing of individual urban citizens with humanity’s collective interest in the health of our home planet. Only by mainstreaming renewable energy resources and by protecting and continuously regenerating the ecosystems and soils from which they draw their sustenance can cities become a viable, long-term home for humanity.”</i> [<a href="https://www.resurgence.org/magazine/article5816-a-new-age.html" target="_blank">A New Age</a>, Herbert Girardet, in a special issue of <a href="https://www.resurgence.org/magazine/current.html" target="_blank">Resurgence & Ecologist</a> dedicated to cities]</blockquote></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/30472625261/" title="Untitled"><img alt="Untitled" height="266" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/5706/30472625261_2e7822bc24_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><i><b>
EcoFriendly Sask</b> supports Saskatchewan environmental initiatives through an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca" target="_blank">online publication</a>, an events calendar, small grants, and the <a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/" target="_blank">Nature Companion</a> website/app. You can follow <b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> by liking us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ecofriendlysk">Facebook</a>, following us on <a href="http://twitter.com/EcoFriendlySask" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, or subscribing by email (top right corner).
</i></div>EcoFriendly Saskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775672426064519874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1605378753619950672.post-51801152487626179772022-01-04T08:07:00.000-06:002022-01-04T08:07:24.212-06:00EcoSask News, January 4, 2022<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/51776969928/" title="Double-crested cormorant"><img alt="Double-crested cormorant" height="300" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51776969928_54fe52c0af_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
Upcoming Events</span></b> <div>SaskOutdoors will be hosting the following virtual workshops: </div><div>Below Zero - 7-9 pm, Jan. 11 & 18 </div><div>Get Outside & Play - 7 pm, Jan. 17 </div><div>Project WILD - 7-9 pm, Jan. 24, 31, and Feb. 7 </div><div><br /></div><div>Friends of Wascana Marsh will be holding a virtual annual general meeting at 7 pm, Jan. 20. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Full details on all upcoming events can be found on the <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/p/event-calendar.html" target="_blank">EcoFriendly Sask Calendar</a> </i></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Energy </span></b></div><div>Countries “will never agree to ‘phase down’ or ‘phase out’ fossil fuel energy without a reasonable substitute source of energy.” Is nuclear power the answer? [<a href="https://www.schoolofpublicpolicy.sk.ca/research/publications/policy-brief/getting-serious-about-climate-change-case-for-nuclear.php" target="_blank">Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>“The federal government should cap oilsands production to stop the rapid growth of toxic tailings. Then, industry should recycle the toxic waste instead of immediately dumping it.” Releasing tailings into the Athabasca River endangers the river and the people and wildlife that depend upon it. [<a href="https://thenarwhal.ca/opinion-oilsands-tailings-releases/" target="_blank">The Narwhal</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>The largest solar project in Kentucky is being built on top of an abandoned mountain-top strip mine. [<a href="https://e360.yale.edu/digest/kentucky-to-build-states-largest-solar-project-on-former-coal-mine" target="_blank">Yale Environment 360</a>]</div><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/51777606905/" title="Anna's hummingbird"><img alt="Anna's hummingbird" height="400" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51777606905_2f3ba0b1ce_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
Conservation</span></b></div><div>Pittsburgh plans to become dark-sky compliant, switching to lower wattage LED bulbs and adding shade along bridges, roads, and other public areas. It will also be the first city to follow the International Dark Sky Association’s new values-centered outdoor lighting [<a href="https://www.darksky.org/our-work/lighting/values-centered-outdoor-lighting/" target="_blank">IDA</a>], comprehensive suggestions surrounding wattage and colour temperature as well as when and how to keep lights on. [<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-12-14/pittsburgh-changes-lightbulbs-for-stars-in-a-dark-sky" target="_blank">Bloomberg CityLab</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>“Expanding the area and number of protected areas is not the solution to maintaining or restoring ecological connectivity. Instead, management for conservation should address unprotected areas, especially ones near existing protected areas to minimize the loss of connectivity.” [<a href="https://conservationcorridor.org/digests/2021/12/connectivity-matters-both-inside-and-around-protected-areas/" target="_blank">Conservation Corridor</a>]</div><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/22959903619/" title="autumn colors"><img alt="autumn colors" height="400" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/22959903619_8108898490_b.jpg" width="300" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
Celebration </span></b></div><div>“The yellow birch is not ‘just a tree,’ but a life filled with generosity, and is a life that will be around 150 years beyond my own.” [<a href="https://naturecanada.ca/news/blog/opinion-feeling-the-earth-breathe/" target="_blank">Nature Canada</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>Marvel at the intricate detail and colourful complexity of Singapore’s microfauna. [<a href="https://www.nickybay.com/macro-highlights-the-best-of-2021/" target="_blank">Nicky Bay’s Macro Photography</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>“For many scientists, the resonant mystery is no longer which animals are conscious, but which are not.” How birds, fishes, bees, and other sentient beings experience the world. [<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/03/what-the-crow-knows/580726" target="_blank">The Atlantic</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>“By land or by sea, early whales moved between continents and were a larger part of Earth’s ancient ecology than paleontologists previously expected.” [<a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/whales-once-walked-along-the-coasts-of-north-america-180979027/" target="_blank">Smithsonian Magazine</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><i><b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> supports Saskatchewan environmental initiatives through an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca" target="_blank">online publication</a>, an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/p/event-calendar.html" target="_blank">events calendar</a>, small grants, and the <a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/" target="_blank">Nature Companion</a> website/app. You can follow <b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> by liking us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ecofriendlysk" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, following us on <a href="http://twitter.com/EcoFriendlySask" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, or subscribing by email (top right corner).</i></div>EcoFriendly Saskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775672426064519874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1605378753619950672.post-25939622840178274622021-12-28T08:21:00.000-06:002021-12-28T08:21:23.249-06:00Boxing Day Book Special<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/40069158924/" title="shooting star"><img alt="shooting star" height="267" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/4796/40069158924_eb5b9633c5_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div>
Books - new and old, fiction and non-fiction. We hope you find a new favorite. <div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Action-Oriented Visionaries</span></b> </div><div>Neal Stephenson laments the dwindling of big dreams such as placing a man on the moon. Developing new technologies and implementing them “on a heroic scale no longer seems like the childish preoccupation of a few nerds with slide rules. It’s the only way for the human race to escape from its current predicaments.” He believes that science fiction has the power to inspire and provide well thought-out alternate realities. [<a href="https://www.wired.com/2011/10/stephenson-innovation-starvation/" target="_blank">Wired</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEicjL3CEAlUgotE6No3IKtzErBot4OLkeI4W9_ckZ2EbOLBLGeLzeyD9JdRKI_lBfV9vI2DZv_GnbLtGNYDA2G41Br0NtZ_sZSPDc6Pi8FB5kt3iWxkxbxdV3S-y0b1Yy89vTxyO5OK8WmNBNlx0FYyAwCTWTaRAkmCRDYA1aTvy4LdbIbvqoSJtmh5Ag=s2416" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2416" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEicjL3CEAlUgotE6No3IKtzErBot4OLkeI4W9_ckZ2EbOLBLGeLzeyD9JdRKI_lBfV9vI2DZv_GnbLtGNYDA2G41Br0NtZ_sZSPDc6Pi8FB5kt3iWxkxbxdV3S-y0b1Yy89vTxyO5OK8WmNBNlx0FYyAwCTWTaRAkmCRDYA1aTvy4LdbIbvqoSJtmh5Ag=s320" width="212" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>In Neal Stephenson’s most recent book, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0063028050/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=ecofsask-20&creative=330641&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0063028050&linkId=535cedcd0a2db7cf4810e7794647ac21" target="_blank">Termination Shock</a></i>, a Texas restaurant chain magnate has a big idea for reversing global warming. Will it work? What are the consequences? You’ll have to read the book to find out. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTs4KwqYS0LE4m5Mk9lAs4o8aYa8i1L1gDp4rBWmmdaCMTuxgqCfCBttmwduIKHNrVlwC4omoxIIGHzQKhoc16bUNkJ-jaa4s42N1TPAsxUg33f6vfDRtu8ViZnFJRA5HCD2X4aegrPaaf6YcmrgWR-s6oubmFZsdMHnz91qRc5tjZNIN82CkDQmHQsw=s500" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="329" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTs4KwqYS0LE4m5Mk9lAs4o8aYa8i1L1gDp4rBWmmdaCMTuxgqCfCBttmwduIKHNrVlwC4omoxIIGHzQKhoc16bUNkJ-jaa4s42N1TPAsxUg33f6vfDRtu8ViZnFJRA5HCD2X4aegrPaaf6YcmrgWR-s6oubmFZsdMHnz91qRc5tjZNIN82CkDQmHQsw=s320" width="211" /></a></div><br />If you’re looking for more big ideas, here’s a list of 10 books published since 2020 that address transformational change - from <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/178873887X/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=ecofsask-20&creative=330641&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=178873887X&linkId=43a281596caf5ef8364b97da9c9ec618" target="_blank"><i>Post-Growth Living for an Alternative Hedonis</i>m</a> to <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0307363163/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=ecofsask-20&creative=330641&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0307363163&linkId=8351f007f4076cbfddc4f06118ca32ad" target="_blank"><i>Commanding Hope: The Power We Have to Renew a World in Peri</i>l</a>. [<a href="https://orionmagazine.org/2021/12/ten-books-for-every-transformational-change-bookshelf/" target="_blank">Orion Magazine</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8L_3iuBkpN2pC19Hgh8WxosnYc9cQG36fprDGrf8eWXihdX6pTKf1bQnTFCSDVLsuWQYEq1q2t4_Gkxm4mPsyMfvbtkewS5dPcCAx4dexKdJ7u0UffuU1TbLXztQQkpG0GQ74N4-7-AAupXYq8cYQJQ4YxAgqL-zqPaUVlDO3yiviqCKyYmiQtIHgCQ=s2560" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1730" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8L_3iuBkpN2pC19Hgh8WxosnYc9cQG36fprDGrf8eWXihdX6pTKf1bQnTFCSDVLsuWQYEq1q2t4_Gkxm4mPsyMfvbtkewS5dPcCAx4dexKdJ7u0UffuU1TbLXztQQkpG0GQ74N4-7-AAupXYq8cYQJQ4YxAgqL-zqPaUVlDO3yiviqCKyYmiQtIHgCQ=s320" width="216" /></a></div><br />Wild Hope</i> magazine shares conservation success stories “that show how anyone can participate in saving Earth’s biodiversity by applying whatever skills or talents they have and that a science degree isn’t a prerequisite to making a difference.” [<a href="https://wildhope.org/" target="_blank">Wild Hope</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Invisible Wonders</span></b> </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjdAkxJXgFBm4dOhqS6B_mY58Ws7jvqm0YbZ28F6fgAsK1NSdHVwVwZ15YxbpdkcgwaIRwucboZXMK2PLsY-NIeyQftZmN4LnbXhI5S7YEPJ8vFRxwXpOauhtTWurhpsVEv6g-aX83JlX7DxnlQ3-RsjkN-M_cJnLuQBop1wiUa3xeHO5OInIcogrjn_A=s2560" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjdAkxJXgFBm4dOhqS6B_mY58Ws7jvqm0YbZ28F6fgAsK1NSdHVwVwZ15YxbpdkcgwaIRwucboZXMK2PLsY-NIeyQftZmN4LnbXhI5S7YEPJ8vFRxwXpOauhtTWurhpsVEv6g-aX83JlX7DxnlQ3-RsjkN-M_cJnLuQBop1wiUa3xeHO5OInIcogrjn_A=s320" width="256" /></a></div><br />What does a bee look like under its furry coat? How does a tree frog use its eyes to swallow? <i><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1771646799/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=ecofsask-20&creative=330641&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1771646799&linkId=18d4e8d8b63ba205210f7f230d8e3f92" target="_blank">Inside In: X-Rays of Nature’s Hidden World</a></i> uses x-ray images to display creatures and their habitats in a completely new way. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhd_RohMsXI3-hnWdsQJ8rIiiQtigiWrcPmDCGCG8wBSKTYF-bhKxciQK22juEc8bd1ADcffwFcaMzjAj1CGw5cRojVQ08yuMzf1RhoacOynRh_uk2PZbiCJxRMxBu0bXKbJ8z_1l3PRQz0NQcjMxfLFDuJhaQxg9kObKklwRYIMCD1OigBKFqw8z4mxA=s1064" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhd_RohMsXI3-hnWdsQJ8rIiiQtigiWrcPmDCGCG8wBSKTYF-bhKxciQK22juEc8bd1ADcffwFcaMzjAj1CGw5cRojVQ08yuMzf1RhoacOynRh_uk2PZbiCJxRMxBu0bXKbJ8z_1l3PRQz0NQcjMxfLFDuJhaQxg9kObKklwRYIMCD1OigBKFqw8z4mxA=s320" width="271" /></a></div><br />Levon Biss has used his camera to capture <i><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1419752154/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=ecofsask-20&creative=330641&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1419752154&linkId=e031b4fcd0093da62cd2ffbf0ada4acc" target="_blank">The Hidden Beauty of Seeds and Fruits</a></i>. He says, “The aim of my work is to bring to light details in nature that are normally invisible to the human eye.” Do take a look at the images. You’ll be amazed. [<a href="https://petapixel.com/2021/11/23/macro-photos-reveal-the-diverse-beauty-of-seeds/" target="_blank">PetaPixel</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGRXEybf05r7Wg4POOt9wlbWSRaOAGSREgBA9rBBwWDmkElSUdSQnTbGxDOpfMhzv2Fr5_h1USYsBkVYl9rPlrJs5EwZ6W88gjsFPMj7TGDhT4XUNeE6NfCSw3jLtzuvFuAmZYkERD-bFIh-P0HHBIjKuKOmOKYV6rIEO4MM-CheZogP8QF2Wg_0yTaQ=s2474" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2474" data-original-width="1630" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGRXEybf05r7Wg4POOt9wlbWSRaOAGSREgBA9rBBwWDmkElSUdSQnTbGxDOpfMhzv2Fr5_h1USYsBkVYl9rPlrJs5EwZ6W88gjsFPMj7TGDhT4XUNeE6NfCSw3jLtzuvFuAmZYkERD-bFIh-P0HHBIjKuKOmOKYV6rIEO4MM-CheZogP8QF2Wg_0yTaQ=s320" width="211" /></a></div><br />In <i><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0143111302/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=ecofsask-20&creative=330641&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0143111302&linkId=e16e20188cbf8a86256faaebd02e490c" target="_blank">The Songs of Trees</a></i>, David Haskell pays regular visits to a dozen trees and listens. Haskell says, “Listening involves paying attention to the acoustics of the tree itself … A maple tree is going to have a very different sound in the wind than a pine tree, and, in different seasons, the tree will have different voices, revealing some of its physiology and nature … The sounds of the tree also involve the other creatures that are using the tree — insects, birds, and so forth. You must attend to those sounds, as well. And then humans are another creature … So part of the listening process involves talking to people whose lives are intertwined with trees, in an effort to discern some of the threads of stories that connect us.” [<a href="https://www.utne.com/mind-and-body/listening-to-trees-zm0z18uzols" target="_blank">Utne</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Water Words</span></b> </div><div><i><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1773860224/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=ecofsask-20&creative=330641&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1773860224&linkId=a1da3b0d8d52e4f61744cb349b8dc633" target="_blank"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1773860224/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=ecofsask-20&creative=330641&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1773860224&linkId=a1da3b0d8d52e4f61744cb349b8dc633" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVzrX9TKzp-vD80223XdjWmI2-fdkcG32ofadJMW89psCfJI1tVBB1HZfIdjudgNri_VrtmUlSHeTUX_cXFm2czb06UruH5o1-lCedbuNI_HLHo-lVrlSxB3YKyrGiNKGThH-X8UJJW9aIRmRQ030l13Zz_kMWudiJlS2GdZif9s8CjET1hgX0VX8ppA=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="676" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVzrX9TKzp-vD80223XdjWmI2-fdkcG32ofadJMW89psCfJI1tVBB1HZfIdjudgNri_VrtmUlSHeTUX_cXFm2czb06UruH5o1-lCedbuNI_HLHo-lVrlSxB3YKyrGiNKGThH-X8UJJW9aIRmRQ030l13Zz_kMWudiJlS2GdZif9s8CjET1hgX0VX8ppA=s320" width="216" /></a></div><br />Sweet Water: Poems for the Watersheds</i> edited by Yvonne Blomer is an all-Canadian collection of poems about streams and rivers. You’ll find poems about local places and situations – Toronto’s hidden streams, the Alberta flood of 2013, and Warren’s Landing in Manitoba. </div><div><br /></div><div><i><b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> supports Saskatchewan environmental initiatives through an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca" target="_blank">online publication</a>, an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/p/event-calendar.html" target="_blank">events calendar</a>, small grants, and the <a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/" target="_blank">Nature Companion</a> website/app. You can follow <b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> by liking us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ecofriendlysk" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, following us on <a href="http://twitter.com/EcoFriendlySask" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, or subscribing by email (top right corner).
</i></div>EcoFriendly Saskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775672426064519874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1605378753619950672.post-57248552876196339652021-12-21T08:21:00.000-06:002021-12-21T08:21:44.405-06:00EcoSask News, December 21, 2021<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/32319037157" title="Christmas tree worm"><img alt="Christmas tree worm" height="400" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/7871/32319037157_4e4ba85cfc_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><span><div><i>Ocean-dwelling Christmas tree worms use their festive crowns to catch dinner as it floats by. [<a href="https://oceana.org/marine-life/christmas-tree-worm/" target="_blank">Oceana</a>]</i></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>
Upcoming Events </b></span></span><div>Participate in iNaturalist’s Winter Bug Project from now until March 1, 2022. Photograph any arthropod (insect, spider, sowbug, etc.) found active indoors or out – in Alberta or Saskatchewan – on land or in water (but not including pets or pet food) and post it online. Experts will help you identify it and it will be added to the count.</div><div><br /></div><div>Gardening at USask is offering the following online classes, beginning at 7 pm: </div><div>Jan. 3 – Winter Compost Tips </div><div>Feb. 7 – Wasps </div><div><br /></div><div><i><b>Details about all upcoming events can be found on the <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/p/event-calendar.html" target="_blank">EcoFriendly Sask Calendar</a></b></i> </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Construction</span></b> </div><div>Climate Caucus, a group of locally-elected climate leaders, has asked the federal government to adopt an energy-efficient, zero-carbon, outcomes-based building code that will set a high standard for local governments. [<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6874378181244272640/" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>“If buildings are to make meaningful contributions to keeping global temperature rise to 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels, limiting emissions from building materials is crucial.” [<a href="https://theconversation.com/if-companies-want-net-zero-carbon-offices-they-need-to-focus-on-building-materials-173476" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>]</div><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/8448897661" title="Untitled"><img alt="Untitled" height="300" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/8090/8448897661_c3a479478c_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
Transportation </span></b></div><div>“Instead of funding new and wider roads, we should build places where people want to slow down and get out of their cars.” [<a href="https://undark.org/2021/12/16/our-misguided-obsession-with-traffic/" target="_blank">Undark</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>A cartoon lampoons the growing size of trucks and SUVs – Share the road? No way! [<a href="https://thenib.com/king-of-the-road/" target="_blank">The Nib</a> via <a href="https://www.planetizen.com/news/2021/12/115604-friday-funny-cartoon-lampoons-growing-size-trucks-and-suvs" target="_blank">Planetizen</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://thenib.com/king-of-the-road/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="683" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg--2L90_K57p0hdrNwxwETX2tkAqUiDbq-__ql1DusY4e4HkJnIocaqf45C-EHeTGkr7Xo3SnmhvvXgEjLarHLumIcL9vDqQ_pJolD1tqHDPMznrxKVf9tHGhm22IWqRLvBhLbQSYg4KD7vOaP1ka8NB8JTt6gqyE0DItbMYTAWC3FlQyP1O19r5xlWQ=w396-h400" width="396" /></a></div><br />Toronto has amended its bylaws to allow pedal-assisted cargo e-bikes for personal and commercial delivery purposes, but “emerging issues regarding vehicle and pedestrian safety highlight a need to examine how best to regulate cargo e-bikes.” [<a href="https://www.pembina.org/pub/cargo-e-bikes-urban-deliveries" target="_blank">Pembina Institute</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Consumption </span></b></div><div>The sale of peat to gardeners in England and Wales will be banned by 2024. The government hopes to end use of peat in the professional horticulture sector by 2028. [<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/dec/18/peat-sales-to-gardeners-in-england-and-wales-to-be-banned-by-2024" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>Le Printemps, an iconic Parisian department store, has transformed its top floor into an haute couture and vintage thrift store that also showcases sustainable brands. [<a href="https://www.sortiraparis.com/interests/shopping-fashion/articles/259418-printemps-launches-their-haute-couture-and-vintage-clothes-thrift-store-7e-ciel/lang/en" target="_blank">Sortir à Paris</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>“The Day the World Stops Shopping offers a thought experiment: what if, overnight, we reduced shopping by 25%? What would happen? … What would it mean for fashion brands? What about the people who make those clothes in low income countries? How would it affect the advertising industry, or traffic rates? What would happen to the global economy, and to carbon emissions? Nature gets a look in too, with a chapter investigating the impact on wildlife.” [book review, <a href="https://earthbound.report/2021/12/16/the-day-the-world-stops-shopping-by-j-b-mackinnon/" target="_blank">The Earthbound Report</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Water</span></b> </div><div>Proposed coal mining in southern Alberta could lead to contamination of the South Saskatchewan River from metals such as arsenic, selenium, and cadmium. “If you’re going to look at mining development of the headwaters, you have to look at the whole river basin, the whole watershed, and follow the impacts downstream … And that hasn’t been done.” [<a href="https://thestarphoenix.com/news/saskatchewan/sask-groups-left-out-of-alta-coal-consultations" target="_blank">The StarPhoenix</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Shifting Priorities</span></b> </div><div>“Genuinely sustainable investing could help shift trillions of dollars toward renewable energy and other clean technologies, but only with strong parameters. So far, however, there are no stringent requirements in Canada for climate disclosures, nor is there a single set of standards for what counts as a sustainable investment—regulatory gaps that can make it hard for climate-conscious investors to know how to make the right choices.” [<a href="https://thewalrus.ca/green-investing/" target="_blank">The Walrus</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Wishing you a very happy Christmas from Andrew and Penny at EcoFriendly Sask. We’ll be back next Tuesday with a Boxing Day Book Special and EcoSask News will resume on January 4. </i></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQdebLhHMwiiNfmVYq9NPYdN6bO3Lp78u7u_C6s3S-7gq7bJJiXulftcUuktEKLPUg9y2vUjRZ4wK6UD9VKhvfMay8-gk1-R9tSPHHzoZ6zLeFeenMYvNb_s85fZ24VERh2RZnquUkMR5MxSrQhACZgGk_PzJ3ZFurPaAyeDCVp6shFK0SvJpdnWAEQQ=s2507" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1456" data-original-width="2507" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQdebLhHMwiiNfmVYq9NPYdN6bO3Lp78u7u_C6s3S-7gq7bJJiXulftcUuktEKLPUg9y2vUjRZ4wK6UD9VKhvfMay8-gk1-R9tSPHHzoZ6zLeFeenMYvNb_s85fZ24VERh2RZnquUkMR5MxSrQhACZgGk_PzJ3ZFurPaAyeDCVp6shFK0SvJpdnWAEQQ=w400-h233" width="400" /></a></div><br />Snowshoe Hare snort when they’re annoyed. Find out more on EcoFriendly Sask’s free nature website/app for Canada’s 4 western provinces. [<a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/animals/snowhare/" target="_blank">Nature Companion</a>]</div><div><br /></div><div><i><b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> supports Saskatchewan environmental initiatives through an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca" target="_blank">online publication</a>, an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/p/event-calendar.html" target="_blank">events calendar</a>, small grants, and the <a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/" target="_blank">Nature Companion</a> website/app. You can follow <b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> by liking us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ecofriendlysk" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, following us on <a href="http://twitter.com/EcoFriendlySask" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, or subscribing by email (top right corner).</i></div>EcoFriendly Saskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775672426064519874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1605378753619950672.post-83181522219785557172021-12-16T08:55:00.000-06:002021-12-16T08:55:49.021-06:00Introducing the Belted Kingfisher<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/9120691533/" title="Belted Kingfisher"><img alt="Belted Kingfisher" height="320" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/5321/9120691533_6f22f02dca_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>“A kingfisher’s burnished plunge, the color of felicity afire” (<a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/49084/the-kingfisher-56d22ad7ada73" target="_blank">The Kingfisher</a>, Amy Clampitt)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div></i><div>A swift flash of colour over the water and a loud rattling call – the <a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/birds/belted" target="_blank">Belted Kingfisher</a> has moved on before you’ve really seen it. Fortunately, you’ll have better luck spotting them when they’re perched on a branch looking for fish or diving headfirst into the water below in search of fish or crayfish. </div><div><br /></div><div>Belted Kingfisher can be found near lakes, rivers, and ponds across Canada during the summer breeding season and year-round along the coasts where there is open water year-round. They have a blue-grey body (11-14 in, wingspan of 19-23 in), a white chest, and a large head with a shaggy crest and dagger-like bill. Females have blue and chestnut bands across their breast; males only have a blue band. </div><div><br /></div><div>These experts fishers can fly very fast in a straight line but may hover for extended periods over water as they search for prey. Once the prey is spotted, they dive headfirst into the water to catch their meal. </div><div><br /></div><div>Belted Kingfisher dig a tunnel 1-8 ft deep in the banks of rivers or streams with a nesting chamber at the far end. The tunnel slopes upwards so that rainwater won’t collect inside.</div><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/29947174065" title="Kookaburra"><img alt="Kookaburra" height="320" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/8341/29947174065_3b5e14fe73_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
Did you know?</span></b> </div><div>There are nearly 100 species of kingfishers, but the Belted Kingfisher is the only one seen in most areas north of Mexico. The <a href="https://www.thespruce.com/fun-facts-about-kingfishers-4119330" target="_blank">greatest variety of kingfishers</a> are found in the tropical regions of Asia, Australia, and the Pacific islands. </div><div><br /></div><div>The <a href="https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/kingfisher" target="_blank">Laughing Kookaburra</a> (second photo) is the heaviest member of the kingfisher family. Unlike other kingfishers, it’s a social bird. Older offspring, usually males, live with the mated pair and help with feeding and protecting the nestlings. </div><div><br /></div><div>Despite their name, not all kingfishers eat fish. Others, particularly forest-dwellers, eat frogs, lizards, snakes, and even small mammals. </div><div><br /></div><div>Once Belted Kingfisher catch their prey, they return to their perch and beat it against a branch to soften it. Sometimes they throw the prey into the air to reorient it for easier swallowing. They regurgitate pellets of food they can't digest (fish bones and scales, shells). </div><div><br /></div><div>We still <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/why-do-female-belted-kingfishers-have-an-extra-rust-colored-belt-that-the-males-dont-have/" target="_blank">don’t know why the females have the more distinctive markings</a> when in most species the males are the one with brighter colours. Various hypotheses have been put forward. Males are highly territorial, often remaining on their territory year-round to guard it, and the females’ chestnut-coloured stripe may help males to identify them as a welcome visitor to their territory rather than a rival that must be chased away. On the other hand, the added band of colour may be related to the fact that female kingfishers tend to be more aggressive than males and their high testosterone levels may have influenced their colouring. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://charliehamiltonjames.com/photographing-kingfishers" target="_blank">Charlie Hamilton James</a> started photographing kingfishers when he was 13 years old, and they inspired him to become a photographer. He published <i>Kingfisher: Tales from the Halcyon River</i> in 1980. </div><div><br /></div><div>Robert Fuller, another British artist, replaced a waterside bank with a garden shed containing a hide and an artificial nest chamber so that he could <a href="https://www.robertefuller.com/diary/how-i-built-a-kingfisher-nest-to-film-them-underground-kingfisher-art-studies/" target="_blank">watch kingfishers inside their underground nest</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>For more information on Belted Kingfishers, take a look at EcoFriendly Sask’s <a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/birds/belted" target="_blank">Nature Companion app/website</a> for Canada’s four western provinces. Download it for free to your phone or tablet.
</i></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/birds/belted" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1430" data-original-width="2430" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5ma07ekPOmvyN0c0dMTqWHPFeDjhtvSHMPyszQtD9hQD1HJMEpuQ9JnF9AaLNNpfR7CmneXywJ9gCzRQisopwN1Mt1ZMDFHygBMh45Eb_3pPWHtBJbaEGyKJu0fbuIjPBvktLvOMQggKHab15qlyEggELv7kpO5vt_aLusMSjfbKwtfo1aAuJdydFWw=w400-h235" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>EcoFriendly Saskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775672426064519874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1605378753619950672.post-84839565485113975022021-12-14T09:06:00.000-06:002021-12-14T09:06:01.887-06:00EcoSask News, December 14, 2021<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/9371556878" title="Song sparrow"><img alt="Song sparrow" height="320" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/3769/9371556878_66103a376b_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><i>Song Sparrow make short, fluttering flights pumping their tail up and down. They prefer areas with low shrubs and bushes. [<a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/birds/songspar" target="_blank">Nature Companion</a>] </i><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Energy</span></b> </div><div>“Saskatchewan has a tremendous opportunity to use energy efficiency to achieve our climate commitments … every electron saved through energy efficiency results in fewer emissions from carbon-emitting coal and gas plants.” Martin Boucher outlines 5 effective options. [Martin Boucher, <a href="https://leaderpost.com/opinion/opinion-dont-forget-about-energy-efficiency-as-we-try-to-lower-carbon-emissions" target="_blank">Regina Leader-Post</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>Calgary-based Canadian Premium Sand is shifting from providing fracking sand for the oil patch to producing solar panels. [<a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/bakx-canadian-premium-sand-selkirk-1.6278268" target="_blank">CBC</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>Airports’ flat roofs, parking garages, and open spaces are an ideal location for solar panels. And, as many airports are connected to the municipal grid, they may even be able to feed energy back into the system. [<a href="https://gizmodo.com/airports-and-solar-power-are-a-surprisingly-perfect-fit-1848179379" target="_blank">Gizmodo</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Making Choices </span></b></div><div>Cities world-wide are beginning to employ sensor technology to monitor and minimize urban noise. [<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-12-02/can-sensor-technology-cut-noise-pollution-in-cities" target="_blank">Bloomberg CityLab</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>I don’t want to leave children a future “full of cement, full of destruction”. The Austrian government halts 8 highway projects in an effort to slow climate change. [<a href="https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20211201-austria-s-greens-halt-controversial-highway-projects" target="_blank">France 24</a>]</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/27710842941/" title="Untitled"><img alt="Untitled" height="400" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/7377/27710842941_6be0861697_b.jpg" width="300" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><i>
Most coniferous trees keep their foliage all year round, adding a welcome touch of green to a snowy winter landscape [Conifers of Western Canada, <a href="https://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/2021/01/conifers-of-western-canada.html" target="_blank">EcoFriendly Sask</a>] </i></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Maintaining Biodiversity </span></b></div><div>Yellowknife to Yukon is an ambitious project designed to protect an interconnected series of wildlands. A research team has concluded that this is an effective conservation strategy. Compared to neighbouring areas that weren’t part of the project, the protected area gained more land, more grizzly bears, and more wildlife crossings. The project also received mention in popular media (Gray’s Anatomy) and scientific publications. [<a href="https://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2021/12/thinking-like-a-footloose-wolf-might-be-recipe-for-land-conservation-success/" target="_blank">Anthropocene</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>Environmental DNA (fragments of aquatic creatures floating in the water) can provide an early warning of invasive species entering new regions or threatened species moving outside their expected range. eDNA “could shape policy for protected regions and help monitor population shifts on a rapidly changing planet, but it may ultimately prove only as revolutionary as it is widely available and usable across the globe.” [<a href="https://daily.jstor.org/the-quiet-edna-revolution-transforming-conservation" target="_blank">JSTOR Daily</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>Nature-based solutions “can be highly effective in building long-term resilience for nature and people. It is a valuable asset in our toolbox for linking biodiversity and climate and addressing these twin crises.” However, care must be taken to recognize the inherent value of nature, to avoid treating nature-based solutions as offsetting, and to include stakeholders in developing countries. [<a href="https://www.iisd.org/articles/common-ground-nature" target="_blank">International Institute for Sustainable Development</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">That’s Amazing! </span></b></div><div>“Migrating birds push their bodies to the physiological limit, which creates excess heat. Some species cope by ascending to cooler air during daytime.” Many species also have lighter-coloured feathers, another way to stay cooler. [<a href="https://www.sciencenews.org/article/feathers-light-color-migrating-birds-cool-long-flights" target="_blank">Science News</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/birds/snogoose/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="2434" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjguE4UD6Doi0QM2wOwisM3lNP764amQHHMUQ4h9M9PvFB8O6kcVLaY2NUrnKHrUO6OoIRS6HJkGGjrxP1W2rCR-CI0gQr2Zf0Zsrt0k5xKu7gqgjCIFEQ0yWyNWe-FrNZGVKXJhCMntJQpChYVEIr6AZQU_cS_-VG3Q2ctCetrPKIkYriiSYfP0l0w8A=w400-h233" width="400" /></a></div><br /><i>Snow Geese eat grasses and can often be spotted grazing on leftover grain in farm fields. They root in the mud for food so their faces are often stained a rusty orange. [<a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/birds/snogoose/" target="_blank">Nature Companion</a>] </i></div><div><br /></div><div><i><b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> supports Saskatchewan environmental initiatives through an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca" target="_blank">online publication</a>, an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/p/event-calendar.html" target="_blank">events calendar</a>, small grants, and the <a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/" target="_blank">Nature Companion</a> website/app. You can follow <b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> by liking us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ecofriendlysk" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, following us on <a href="http://twitter.com/EcoFriendlySask" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, or subscribing by email (top right corner).
</i></div>EcoFriendly Saskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775672426064519874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1605378753619950672.post-1113513767262084032021-12-09T09:59:00.000-06:002021-12-09T09:59:57.323-06:00Farmland Drainage & the Environment Virtual Conference, December 14-17, 2021<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Citizens-Environmental-Alliance-Saskatchewan-487487245069414" target="_blank"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Citizens-Environmental-Alliance-Saskatchewan-487487245069414" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQHGC-ZTw76iK-mxLjT3N6Zx2Xg_6Sg6va8XuDuONMn9pDATpT_dy1w906JhodNtOhSTHPdF2zcXYWsYDRIHujdtAadVXwjG6nw2fPnPucsBIgU4o9dEIJPXSpJy179jTZlt1NBFdj3g2PRpSs1SiAcXd1i9IhJb-Th-fnMRNHGcCRBj7dnj92qXupeg=s1317" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="651" data-original-width="1317" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQHGC-ZTw76iK-mxLjT3N6Zx2Xg_6Sg6va8XuDuONMn9pDATpT_dy1w906JhodNtOhSTHPdF2zcXYWsYDRIHujdtAadVXwjG6nw2fPnPucsBIgU4o9dEIJPXSpJy179jTZlt1NBFdj3g2PRpSs1SiAcXd1i9IhJb-Th-fnMRNHGcCRBj7dnj92qXupeg=w400-h198" width="400" /></a></div><br />Citizens Environmental Alliance (CEA) is holding the first part of its third annual Farmland Drainage and the Environment Virtual Conference from Dec. 14-17. The topics are listed below along with some additional reading material that may be of interest.
Recordings of the discussions will be uploaded to the <a href="https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCZuJ3Hc6IPU0gO57zpZMXNQ" target="_blank">CEA YouTube channel</a> if you are unable to attend. <div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">7 pm, Dec. 14 – Lake Diefenbaker Irrigation Projects Town Hall </span></b></div><div>Join a panel discussion and Q&A session to learn more about the irrigation project and its implications for Saskatchewan. This session is created to hear different perspectives with regards to the project, to learn from one another, and to ask good questions. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Panelists:</b> Aaron Gray, Saskatchewan Irrigation Projects Association, and Bob Halliday, Partners for the Saskatchewan River Basin </div><div><br /></div><div><b>To register for free, click here:</b> <a href="https://www.sierraclub.ca/en/town-hall-lake-diefenbaker">https://www.sierraclub.ca/en/town-hall-lake-diefenbaker</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Additional Reading Material </span></b></div><div><a href="https://diefenbakerirrigation.ca/" target="_blank">Lake Diefenbaker Irrigation Projects</a> [Water Security Agency/Government of Saskatchewan] </div><div><a href="https://www.irrigationsaskatchewan.com/SIPA/" target="_blank">Saskatchewan Irrigation Projects Association Inc. </a>[SIPA] </div><div><a href="https://www.saskriverbasin.ca/" target="_blank">Partners for the Saskatchewan River Basin</a> [PFSRB] </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYEUkCdPj4_fFSm65chjqdh9N6zGNOcvJR3-eY3Hb60-KyUXuakhgIhzuNG6_RoOf9bQlriK5kgAWGddaMXOzxcntSxIG538oNJRK6lMoECg8T4eRvElRVbaRdkxHi-u5F190gWlA4Idas8CReDL5oWD63Q3Skq2xcX--5G0BgmiGdblVfhU1EmdgPBQ=s1280" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYEUkCdPj4_fFSm65chjqdh9N6zGNOcvJR3-eY3Hb60-KyUXuakhgIhzuNG6_RoOf9bQlriK5kgAWGddaMXOzxcntSxIG538oNJRK6lMoECg8T4eRvElRVbaRdkxHi-u5F190gWlA4Idas8CReDL5oWD63Q3Skq2xcX--5G0BgmiGdblVfhU1EmdgPBQ=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div><br />10 am, Dec. 15 – Crown (Public) Lands Gone Forever </span></b></div><div>Lorne Scott’s webinar will discuss Saskatchewan’s Crown Lands, going right from settlement, into the 1930s, return of veterans in the 1940-50s, sell off in 1960s, Wildlife Development Fund, no sales in 1970s, Wildlife Habitat Protection Act (WHPA) 1980 - 90s, the lobby to save Community Pastures, and the Sale of WHPA and other Crown land in 2010-2020. Lorne will also give an overview of the current situation with ongoing breaking of native grassland and aspen parkland and the draining of wetlands on Crown Land. </div><div><br /></div><div>Lorne is Conservation Director with Nature Saskatchewan and Co-Chair of Public Pastures Public Interest. Lorne operates a farm near Indian Head and has served as president of the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation and the Saskatchewan Natural History Society. He was a member of the provincial cabinet, serving as Minister of Saskatchewan Environment and Resource Management. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>To register for free, click here:</b> <a href="https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/9110935297760410637">https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/9110935297760410637</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Additional Reading Material </span></b></div><div><a href="https://saskdispatch.com/articles/view/selling-off-saskatchewan" target="_blank">Selling off Saskatchewan</a>, Saba Dar [Sask Dispatch] </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnDHCdSiJHNtjh_Y_D80J8Pb4DJcDDjZ4kD9FPONfZh9CEqrdlDmhpkPwrcsWp5ikrYgzhyBkJjEtDX9MWHBTV8PEL6vxkTxnYnsI2T6pVQJpacZtFY9-xS-is3aQ1gB8ySFYrG7C72VuFUwx5_qtl7kg1NDlVeVAH2SY6Y2_bka0NpWzyApquZqMvdQ=s1200" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnDHCdSiJHNtjh_Y_D80J8Pb4DJcDDjZ4kD9FPONfZh9CEqrdlDmhpkPwrcsWp5ikrYgzhyBkJjEtDX9MWHBTV8PEL6vxkTxnYnsI2T6pVQJpacZtFY9-xS-is3aQ1gB8ySFYrG7C72VuFUwx5_qtl7kg1NDlVeVAH2SY6Y2_bka0NpWzyApquZqMvdQ=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div><br />10 am, Dec. 16 – Wetlands and Their Role in the Resilience of Prairie Communities</span></b> </div><div>Chris Spence’s presentation will focus on the important role wetlands play in the resilience of the prairies and what the loss of wetlands, prairie, and aspen parkland will mean during future climate change. </div><div><br /></div><div>Chris works as a research scientist for Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) in Saskatoon. He holds adjunct professor appointments at the Universities of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. His research focuses on better understanding hydrological and hydro-meteorological processes in cold regions for environmental prediction systems and policy development. ECCC informs Canadians about protecting and conserving our natural heritage and ensuring a clean, safe, and sustainable environment for present and future generations. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>To register for free, click here:</b> <a href="https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6615191237267083280">https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6615191237267083280</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Additional Reading Material </span></b></div><div><a href="https://www.producer.com/opinion/to-be-resilient-the-canadian-prairie-needs-lots-of-wetlands/" target="_blank">To be resilient, the Canadian Prairie needs lots of wetlands: researchers</a>, Christopher Spence [The Western Producer] </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAqNRfaaJALGZcp49mVvUiTxcphcKBvupLS0JhfVIQgTmu8kwIaT_G3P4areX3i6hKo13N8fRvUy6ZKfS_6NYHHEVK04MMBuJhXwZrd0pcsqPf3pE57DAKVLYYzCg-ntV3iqNWTNCNv4tKpPhtzFEfcfEIonUz6n0xbm9Ei-7_ep3ACU_XPKqy93hlHA=s642" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="642" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAqNRfaaJALGZcp49mVvUiTxcphcKBvupLS0JhfVIQgTmu8kwIaT_G3P4areX3i6hKo13N8fRvUy6ZKfS_6NYHHEVK04MMBuJhXwZrd0pcsqPf3pE57DAKVLYYzCg-ntV3iqNWTNCNv4tKpPhtzFEfcfEIonUz6n0xbm9Ei-7_ep3ACU_XPKqy93hlHA=w399-h400" width="399" /></a></div><br />10 am, Dec. 17 – All Our Conversations Begin with Treaty – The Duty to Consult in Saskatchewan </span></b></div><div>Dana Martin will discuss the legal duty to consult Indigenous people and that relationship with society and our environment. </div><div><br /></div><div>Dana is the Director of the Battle River Indigenous Relations Council Inc., a not-for-profit corporation established to assist Treaty 6 First Nations in the Battlefords region with Crown consultation. Her background is in Indigenous law and municipal planning. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>To register for free, click here:</b> <a href="https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6252735030147508751">https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6252735030147508751</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Additional Reading Material</span></b> </div><div><a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/8361458/sale-crown-lands-saskatchewan-indigenous-consultation/" target="_blank">Questions remain over Indigenous consultation on sales of Crown lands in Saskatchewan</a> [Global News]</div><div><br /></div><div>Part 2 of the Farmland Drainage & the Environment Virtual Conference will be held in February 2022. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Past Articles on EcoFriendly Sask </span></b></div><div><a href="https://ecofriendlysask.substack.com/p/community-highlight-saskatchewan-ff6" target="_blank">Community Highlight: Saskatchewan Alliance for Water Sustainability</a> (November 2021) </div><div><a href="https://ecofriendlysask.substack.com/p/community-highlight-public-pastures" target="_blank">Community Highlight: Public Pastures – Public Interest</a> (October 2021) </div><div><a href="https://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/2020/11/everybody-has-watershed-lower-quappelle.html" target="_blank">Everybody has a Watershed: Lower Qu’Appelle Watershed Stewards</a> (November 2020) </div><div><a href="https://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/2018/12/were-losing-our-wetlands-and-thats-big.html" target="_blank">We’re Losing Our Wetlands – and that’s a Big Problem</a> (December 2018)
</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMOsY0UUrU7HOdFMgHKpxbmULogKgYMQ49CUsE5g2Wkgph6uaNqILY3-3iD9mfqeiIz7Aw5m6Jm-b4jLNiqHqzsCeQ8jKZM5iTX5uSHSwEKVRvoFOI6C4F-uE--tz7Un4jwyJZYnz5OIkAuJufohHh1l3QQuzX7bgVGLlWK1KPIYdqzHdGVxnUo1Cy-A=s820" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="820" data-original-width="666" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMOsY0UUrU7HOdFMgHKpxbmULogKgYMQ49CUsE5g2Wkgph6uaNqILY3-3iD9mfqeiIz7Aw5m6Jm-b4jLNiqHqzsCeQ8jKZM5iTX5uSHSwEKVRvoFOI6C4F-uE--tz7Un4jwyJZYnz5OIkAuJufohHh1l3QQuzX7bgVGLlWK1KPIYdqzHdGVxnUo1Cy-A=w325-h400" width="325" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>EcoFriendly Saskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775672426064519874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1605378753619950672.post-40182674300254716892021-12-07T08:32:00.000-06:002021-12-07T08:32:47.029-06:00EcoSask News, December 7, 2021<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/23076018756/" title="Green moray eel"><img alt="Green moray eel" height="320" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/5803/23076018756_ec3699bb8f_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
Upcoming Events</span></b> <div><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Citizens-Environmental-Alliance-Saskatchewan-487487245069414" target="_blank">Citizens Environmental Alliance</a> is holding its third annual Farmland Drainage and the Environment Virtual Conference from Dec. 14-17: </div><div>7 pm, Dec. 14 – Lake Diefenbaker Irrigation Projects Town Hall </div><div>10 am, Dec. 15 – Crown (Public) Lands Gone Forever </div><div>10 am, Dec. 16 – Wetlands and Their Role in the Resilience of Prairie Communities </div><div>10 am, Dec. 17 – All Our Conversations Begin with Treaty – The Duty to Consult in Saskatchewan </div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Full details on all upcoming events can be found on the <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/p/event-calendar.html" target="_blank">EcoFriendly Sask Calendar</a> </i></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Across the West </span></b></div><div>The Government of Manitoba has leased St. Ambroise Beach Provincial Park to a private operator and is contemplating additional public-private partnerships. [<a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-lease-st-ambroise-provincial-park-template-1.6271838" target="_blank">CBC</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>“The South Saskatchewan River is well into the seasonal changes shared by cold-region rivers worldwide. As temperatures drop, life in and around the river begins to change. While a cover of ice suggests dormancy, under that cap of ice, water still flows, and life carries on.” An article by the South East Alberta Watershed Alliance explains how a cover of ice affects rivers and aquatic life. [<a href="https://seawa.ca/assets/media/main_articles/winter-ice-final-nov-newsletter.pdf" target="_blank">SEAWA</a>]</div><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/22927895266/" title="Untitled"><img alt="Untitled" height="288" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/608/22927895266_fbb745a340_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
We Can Make a Difference </span></b></div><div>“Organic and agroecological farmers … typically plant a cover crop to restore their soil with nutrients and organic matter. Turns out, cover crops and other key practices in organic, regenerative, and agroecological farming also help farms weather the climate crisis. In addition to keeping soils stable during floods, they protect the ground from extreme heat, which can kill important microbial ecosystems, and help retain moisture during dry spells.” [<a href="https://www.nationalobserver.com/2021/11/30/news/floodwaters-rose-simple-solution-kept-bc-farmers-fields-intact" target="_blank">National Observer</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>A tiny bridge, just 12 metres long and 30 cm wide across a UK railway line, will connect two endangered hazel dormouse populations thereby increasing genetic diversity. [<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/30/dormouse-bridge-across-railway-line-could-save-endangered-species" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>Strava Metro is a tool for charting human-powered movement. It is now free to urban planners and advocacy groups so they can keep improving active transportation infrastructure. [<a href="https://blog.strava.com/the-new-human-powered-era-20951/" target="_blank">Strava</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>7 people talk about how they turned their back on consumerism – from furnishing a home for free to secondhand baby clothes to following the 90-day rule. [<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/nov/26/down-with-black-friday-seven-readers-on-how-they-turned-their-backs-on-consumerism" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Education </span></b></div><div>Climate Fresk is a collaborative workshop to collectively understand the implications of climate change and trigger action. Jeremy Williams, <i><a href="https://earthbound.report/2021/11/30/science-education-with-climate-fresk/" target="_blank">The Earthbound Report</a></i>, says, “Climate Fresk have developed a set of cards that explain climate science … It deals with some surprisingly complicated science, but participants get to the answers through discussion and sharing what they know, tapping into a kind of ‘collective intelligence’.” [<a href="https://climatefresk.org/" target="_blank">Climate Fresk</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Climate Watch</span></b> </div><div>Soon, 1 out of every 15 points of light in the sky will be a satellite. There are currently no regulations to govern an industry creating air and light pollution. [<a href="https://theconversation.com/soon-1-out-of-every-15-points-of-light-in-the-sky-will-be-a-satellite-170427" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>While a controlled release of treated wastewater from oilsands tailings ponds is seen as preferable to a sudden accidental release, concerns are being raised about deteriorating water quality in the Athabasca River and downstream. [<a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/bakx-oilsands-tailings-release-mining-effluent-regulations-1.6271537" target="_blank">CBC</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>MiningWatch Canada has released an interactive map about mining impacts worldwide, noting issues with polluted air, land, and water; waste management; tourism; and biodiversity. [<a href="https://ejatlas.org/" target="_blank">Environmental Justice Atlas</a>]</div><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/22535172927/" title="surgeonfish"><img alt="surgeonfish" height="300" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/712/22535172927_757b1bb4cd_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
Good News! </span></b></div><div>“Ecuador’s constitutional court has blocked plans to mine copper and gold in Los Cedros, a protected cloud forest, ruling that the plans violate the rights of nature.” [<a href="https://e360.yale.edu/digest/landmark-ruling-blocks-mining-in-ecuadorian-forest-citing-rights-of-nature" target="_blank">Yale Environment 360</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">That’s Amazing!</span></b> </div><div>“Every evening, after twilight gives way to dark, hordes of marine creatures — from tiny zooplankton to hulking sharks — rise from the deep to spend the night near the surface.” Researchers are just beginning to understand the purpose and extent of this vertical migration. [<a href="https://knowablemagazine.org/article/living-world/2021/up-downs-great-vertical-migration" target="_blank">Knowable Magazine</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><i><b>EcoFriendly Sask </b>supports Saskatchewan environmental initiatives through an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca" target="_blank">online publication</a>, an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/p/event-calendar.html" target="_blank">events calendar</a>, small grants, and the <a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/" target="_blank">Nature Companion</a> website/app. You can follow <b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> by liking us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ecofriendlysk" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, following us on <a href="http://twitter.com/EcoFriendlySask" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, or subscribing by email (top right corner).</i></div>EcoFriendly Saskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775672426064519874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1605378753619950672.post-57804055693193909952021-12-02T08:09:00.000-06:002021-12-02T08:09:22.598-06:00Endangered Species - What Can I Do To Help?<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/34885813394/" title="Northern Leopard frog"><img alt="Northern Leopard frog" height="320" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/4286/34885813394_6f368aca95_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div>
It can be really discouraging to read about birds, reptiles, or animals that are threatened with extinction. We want to help, but what can we do as individuals with no formal training or resources? We did some research and spoke with Melissa Ranalli, Species at Risk Manager, Nature Saskatchewan, and found some helpful information. <div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. Habitat Enhancement</b></span></div><div>Habitat loss or degradation is almost always one of the reasons a species is at risk. Any efforts you take to create a wildlife-friendly habitat on your property will be hugely beneficial. Add a pond or water feature, install nest or bat boxes, or plant wildflowers. Each of these actions will help a variety of different creatures. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Swallows:</b> <a href="https://naturecanada.ca/news/blog/six-ways-to-welcome-swallows-back-to-canada-this-spring/" target="_blank">Swallows are in rapid decline</a>. If you find them nesting under your eaves, don’t stop them. You’ll be grateful when you see how many insects they can eat in just a few hours. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Bats:</b> Do you have a bat house in your garden? By monitoring and uploading the results to iNaturalist, you can provide valuable information about the <a href="https://cwf-fcf.org/en/explore/bats/bat-house.html#monitor" target="_blank">best bat house design</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Insects:</b> Insects are particularly <a href="https://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/2019/03/insects-valuable-unloved.html" target="_blank">valuable</a> as they are the primary food source for so many reptiles, amphibians, birds, and even some animals. They’ll really appreciate it if you <a href="https://www.bbg.org/gardening/article/make_your_garden_a_haven_for_insect_diversity" target="_blank">keep your yard on the wild side</a>. Don’t rake the leaves in autumn. Don’t mow the grass in early spring. Build an insect hotel. Leave a pile of detritus in an out-of-the-way corner. You’ll be creating cozy spots where insects can live and over-winter. </div><div><br /></div><div>You’ll gain lots of information and probably native seeds and plants by joining the <a href="https://www.bbg.org/gardening/article/make_your_garden_a_haven_for_insect_diversity" target="_blank">Butterflyway Project</a> in your local community, which encourages individuals and families to plant pollinator-friendly gardens. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Dead Trees & Fallen Logs:</b> We tend to remove dead trees or fallen branches from our private and municipal properties, but they play a vital role in maintaining biodiversity. From <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/2017/04/dead-trees-full-of-life.html" target="_blank">10-40% of birds and mammals nest and raise their young in holes in trees</a>. By maintaining <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/aug/08/living-world-time-saplings-oak-slow-ecology-habitats" target="_blank">multi-age ecosystems</a>, we’re providing a habitat for birds, insects, and animals as well as maintaining the nutrient cycle. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Pesticide-free:</b> The pesticides and herbicides that you spray on your grass and lawn are poisons and will also harm insects, birds, and other wildlife that eat sprayed vegetation. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Clean Up Litter: </b>Removing litter from shorelines and other natural areas protects wildlife from hazards (such as ducks getting tangled in fishing line) and the soil and water from contaminants (cigarette butts leach toxic chemicals).</div><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/9319705291/" title="Barn swallows"><img alt="Barn swallows" height="320" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/3775/9319705291_d4eff49100_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b>
Farms & Acreages:</b> If you live on a rural property, you have a fantastic opportunity to protect and maintain the wildlife that share your land. Nature Saskatchewan offers <a href="https://www.naturesask.ca/what-we-do/stewards-of-saskatchewan" target="_blank">5 stewardship programs</a> that engage rural landowners in conserving habitat to protect species at risk. </div><div><br /></div><div>You can also make sure any water running through your property isn’t contaminated and take steps to prevent run-off and erosion. One couple whose homes fronts onto a lake stopped weeding their shoreline last year and have noticed that they have far more wildlife – beavers, killdeer, and turtles. </div><div><br /></div><div>Katie and Aaron Suek of the <a href="https://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/2021/02/its-okay-to-go-wild-restoring-71-project.html" target="_blank">Restoring 71 Project</a> believe that acreages are a missed opportunity as they have so much potential for positioning the protection and restoration of natural areas as a convenience rather than an added effort. “It’s so much less work and you’ll see so much more wildlife if you let it go wild,” Katie says. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan offers a <a href="https://www.npss.sk.ca/info-resources/other-publications" target="_blank">guide to acreage living</a> that you may find useful.</div><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/32856190881/" title="Burrowing owl"><img alt="Burrowing owl" height="400" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/2726/32856190881_4ce9e596fa_b.jpg" width="320" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
2. Species Reintroduction </span></b></div><div>It can be tempting to attempt to reintroduce a wild creature such as a frog or lizard onto your property, but it’s risky. The habitat may be wrong or it may be the wrong species for your particular area (for example, there are several different varieties of northern leopard frog). A more effective approach is to volunteer or donate to support a professional reintroduction project. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Volunteer: </b>If your primary interest is plants, why not volunteer with the <a href="https://www.npss.sk.ca/" target="_blank">Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan</a> and help pull out invasive species or plant native plants along roadsides? Volunteers with the <a href="https://www.natureconservancy.ca/en/what-you-can-do/conservation-volunteers/events/" target="_blank">Nature Conservancy of Canada</a> help with tree planting, reducing barriers and hazards to wildlife, installing nest boxes, and many other projects. There have been opportunities in the past to assist with wildlife reintroduction projects at <a href="https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/sk/grasslands/nature/conservation" target="_blank">Grasslands National Park</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Donate:</b> Conservation projects are always looking for additional funds and would welcome your support. Here are just a couple of local programs. </div><div><br /></div><div>The <a href="https://www.calgaryzoo.com/why-we-matter/conservation-programs" target="_blank">Calgary Zoo</a>’s conservation research team is using science to sustain threatened wildlife. They are breeding whooping cranes, northern leopard frogs, swift foxes, and various other species for reintroduction into the wild. </div><div><br /></div><div>The <a href="https://www.skburrowingowl.ca/" target="_blank">Saskatchewan Burrowing Owl Interpretive Centre</a> offers displays and educational programs to promote the conservation of this endangered owl and its habitat. A similar program in British Columbia, the <a href="https://www.burrowingowlbc.org/index.php/pages/what-we-do" target="_blank">Burrowing Owl Conservation Society of British Columbia</a>, has a captive breeding program and creates and maintains a system of artificial burrows for released owls. </div><div><br /></div><div>Organizations such as the <a href="https://www.natureconservancy.ca/en/what-you-can-do/donate/" target="_blank">Nature Conservancy of Canada</a> play an important role in preserving and restoring ecologically significant areas by planting trees, restoring wetlands, and removing invasive species and wildlife hazards. They offer a variety of volunteering, donation, and legacy options.
</div><div><br /></div><i><b>
EcoFriendly Sask</b> supports Saskatchewan environmental initiatives through an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca" target="_blank">online publication</a>, an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/p/event-calendar.html" target="_blank">events calendar,</a> small grants, and the <a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/ " target="_blank">Nature Companion</a> website/app. You can follow <b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> by liking us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ecofriendlysk" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, following us on <a href="http://twitter.com/EcoFriendlySask" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, or subscribing by email (top right corner).</i>EcoFriendly Saskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775672426064519874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1605378753619950672.post-13053559285752808452021-11-30T08:27:00.000-06:002021-11-30T08:27:29.217-06:00EcoSask News, November 30, 2021<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/33074257394/" title="Untitled"><img alt="Untitled" height="300" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/2870/33074257394_657f1558d0_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
Upcoming Events</span></b> <div>One School One Farm is planning an online talk on carbon sequestration in shelterbelt trees at 7 pm, Dec. 7. <div><br /></div><div>Gardening at USask is offering the following online classes. All classes begin at 7 pm. </div><div>Dec. 9 – Birds in Winter </div><div>Dec. 12 – Insects in Your Garden: An Introduction to Beetles </div><div><br /></div><div>There will be a presentation on Saskatchewan’s woodland caribou at the 7:30 pm, Dec. 9, online meeting of the Saskatoon Nature Society. </div><div><br /></div><div>Martensville families are invited to make lanterns and take a walk to light up the night with Wildernook Fresh Air Learning at 5, 6:30 & 8 pm, Dec. 12. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Full details on all events can be found on the <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/p/event-calendar.html" target="_blank">EcoFriendly Sask Calendar</a> </i></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Across the West</span></b></div><div>The “Trudeau government needs to clarify its competing objectives, with goals to reduce algae blooms while ramping up agricultural production, which will increase nutrient runoff … ‘Lake Winnipeg won’t wait and we need to get on with restoring (its) health.’” [<a href="https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/greenpage/ottawa-rapped-for-dropping-ball-on-lake-winnipeg-575812192.html" target="_blank">Winnipeg Free Press</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>The Nature Conservancy of Canada has acquired 646 hectares of grasslands and wetlands located along the eastern shoreline of Chaplin Lake, the second-largest salt lake in Canada. During spring and fall migrations, thousands of shorebirds use Chaplin Lake and the surrounding grasslands to refuel or nest. [<a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/11/27/nature-conservancy-of-canada-becomes-new-owner-of-native-grassland-in-saskatchewan.html" target="_blank">Toronto Star</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>“More than 70% of boreal woodland caribou herds in Canada are in decline, and recent analysis suggests that provincial exemptions allowing forestry and oil and gas activities in critical habitat have accelerated the trend.” [<a href="https://www.pembina.org/media-release/legislative-loopholes-major-cause-decline-caribou" target="_blank">Pembina Institute</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Farming the Future: Agriculture and climate change on the Canadian Prairies</i> - a report on improving climate resilience while supporting local livelihoods. [<a href="https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-11/farming-future-agriculture-climate-change-canadian-prairies.pdf" target="_blank">International Institute for Sustainable Development</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>A “Victoria-based photographer and activist has spent much of the past 15 years searching for and photographing some of Canada's biggest, oldest trees … Most of the trees that Watt finds are slated to be cut down.” [<a href="https://www.cbc.ca/radio/docproject/photographer-of-giant-old-growth-trees-has-best-and-worst-job-in-the-world-1.6251373" target="_blank">CBC</a>]</div><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/34818863482" title="caribou / reindeer"><img alt="caribou / reindeer" height="300" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/4221/34818863482_2c9353e9e7_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
Neighbourhood Planning </span></b></div><div>“To create a circular and regenerative future, we should be looking at our neighbourhoods as fertile grounds of change, not merely as consumers of change decided elsewhere … Because the kind of transformative change needed doesn’t happen abstractly – out there – it happens here, in our houses, our offices, our streets, our river catchments, our institutions. And critically, change happens in our own ways of thinking and being … We need to be alert to context and not ask ‘what will work, generically?’ but ‘what will work and be right for this place and contribute to the bigger picture?’” [<a href="https://www.thersa.org/blog/2021/11/place-circular-economy" target="_blank">RSA</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>Durham Region’s green building practices are expected to “reduce greenhouse gas emissions, build infrastructure that is resilient to future climate change and create a healthier environment for residents.” [<a href="http://DurhamRegion.com">DurhamRegion.com</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Choices</span></b> </div><div>“Economists recognize that congestion reflects underpricing: driving is so cheap that it becomes inevitable. You can have free roads or you can have free-flowing traffic but it is economically infeasible to have both.” [<a href="https://www.planetizen.com/blogs/115395-roadway-expansion-paradox" target="_blank">Planetizen</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>6 ways to make your flights greener and ecologically friendly. [<a href="https://handluggageonly.co.uk/2021/11/29/6-ways-to-look-after-the-environment-when-you-fly/" target="_blank">Hand Luggage Only</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Check out EcoFriendly Sask’s <a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/" target="_blank">Nature Companion</a>, a free nature app for Canada’s four western provinces</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/animals/caribou/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1183" data-original-width="2048" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZZKZhnXlmYP9gBzkviLTFXph3yrN9wIjHksK1L7TUReLXwalWef9AEh9mBlyU9gieZoyjrnVNCXTGRPJyY5Vu-B8sI-mtHlJJOdE8Qybf_63NaJ_y1afkYj_L83cRN8bkIVT5Gp2Y7nJg/w400-h231/caribou.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> supports Saskatchewan environmental initiatives through an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca" target="_blank">online publication</a>, an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/p/event-calendar.html" target="_blank">events calendar</a>, small grants, and the <a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/" target="_blank">Nature Companion</a> website/app. You can follow <b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> by liking us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ecofriendlysk" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, following us on <a href="http://twitter.com/EcoFriendlySask" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, or subscribing by email (top right corner). </i></div></div>EcoFriendly Saskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775672426064519874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1605378753619950672.post-39974807813968810742021-11-25T09:02:00.000-06:002021-11-25T09:02:11.326-06:00Saskatchewan Christmas Bird Counts 2021<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/48303724796/" title="House Finch"><img alt="House Finch" height="300" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48303724796_260241a88f_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div>
In 2020, almost 15,000 people participate in <a href="https://www.audubon.org/news/120th-christmas-bird-count-canada-summary" target="_blank">469 Christmas Bird Counts across Canada</a>. They recorded sightings of more than 3 million birds belonging to 296 different species. The annual count is the <a href="https://www.audubon.org/conservation/join-christmas-bird-count" target="_blank">longest-running citizen science project in North America</a> (2021 is the 122nd count) and plays an important role in tracking changes in the numbers and varieties of birds in different locations. <div><br /></div><div>For example, Canada Geese were notable by their absence from the river in <a href="https://saskatoonnature.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2020-Saskatoon-CBC-RESULTS.pdf" target="_blank">Saskatoon in 2020</a>, but participants spotted 2 female or juvenile Hooded Merganser for the first time in 15 years and Gray Partridge were at a 15-year high. House Finch numbers were higher than the previous year but still below the long-term average. House Finch are susceptible to Avian Conjunctivitis; the local population has declined in recent years and has yet to recover. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://bluejayjournal.ca/index.php/bluejay/article/view/6297/6285" target="_blank">In 2019, Saskatchewan participants</a> spotted 126,813 birds, slightly higher than the century average of 125,000. This was partly due to a record high count of 33,735 Canada Geese in Estevan. Rarities included a Pacific Loon, a new species for Saskatchewan, a Double-crested Cormorant at Gardiner Dam, and a Northern Cardinal at Prince Albert. </div><div><br /></div><div>There are plenty of opportunities for people to participate in this year’s Christmas Bird Counts. Dates are listed below for Regina and Saskatoon. Elsewhere in the province, we recommend you contact your <a href="https://www.naturesask.ca/who-we-are/local-societies" target="_blank">local nature society</a>. Contact <a href="https://www.naturesask.ca" target="_blank">Nature Saskatchewan</a> to find out if there will be a Christmas Bird Count for Kids in Regina.<div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/47138876102" title="Double-crested Cormorant"><img alt="Double-crested Cormorant" height="320" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/7825/47138876102_98312a68f3_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
Regina </span></b></div><div>Nature Regina will be organizing the following Christmas Bird Counts. If you are interested in volunteering, contact <a href="mailto:natureregina@gmail.com">natureregina@gmail.com</a> </div><div><br /></div><div>Saturday, December 18 – Craven </div><div>Sunday, December 26 – Regina </div><div>Sunday, January 2 – Balgonie (includes White City and Pilot Butte) </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Saskatoon</span></b> </div><div>The Saskatoon Nature Society is organizing the following Christmas Bird Counts in the Saskatoon area. To register for a count, complete the <a href="https://saskatoonnature.org/scheduled-trips/" target="_blank">online form</a> on the Saskatoon Nature Society’s website</div><div><br /></div><div>Saturday, December 18 – Clark’s Crossing (Warman, Martensville, Osler, NE Swale) </div><div>Sunday, December 19 – Qu’Appelle Dam (Elbow) </div><div>Monday, December 27 – Saskatoon (city and south) </div><div>Tuesday, December 28 – Christmas Bird Count for Kids (<a href="https://saskatoonnature.org/young-naturalists/" target="_blank">Saskatoon Young Naturalists</a>) </div><div>Monday, January 3 – Pike Lake/Chief Whitecap </div></div>EcoFriendly Saskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775672426064519874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1605378753619950672.post-58364939097170780182021-11-23T09:13:00.000-06:002021-11-23T09:13:23.702-06:00EcoSask News, November 23, 2021<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/34724390195/" title="miniature waterfall"><img alt="miniature waterfall" height="283" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/4187/34724390195_44927aab4a_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
Upcoming Events </span></b><div>Learn about the effects of land use and climate change on ferruginous hawk habitat in Canada at the online WildEcol Seminar at 3:30 pm, Nov. 26. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Society for Ecological Restoration – Western Canada is holding its AGM online from 11 am-2:30 pm PST, Nov. 28. </div><div><br /></div><div>Learn about orienteering, geocaching, and Adventure Smart online with SaskOutdoors at 7 pm, Nov. 30. </div><div><br /></div><div>EMTF SK is hosting a presentation on energy management systems – leveraging IoT, AI, and cloud-based solutions at a Dec. 1 breakfast meeting. </div><div><br /></div><div>Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy is hosting an online lecture on Bridging Science, Policy, Community and More: Cases of Transdisciplinarity from Climate Change from 12-12:55 pm, Dec. 2. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Full details on all upcoming events can be found on the <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/p/event-calendar.html" target="_blank">EcoFriendly Sask Calendar</a> </i></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Water </span></b></div><div>Abbotsford, Calgary, Fort Simpson, New Orleans – flooding is no longer a rare, isolated incident. We have drained our wetlands, logged our forests, and built homes and communities without taking climate change into consideration. “Water management techniques developed over the 20th century will no longer be useful in this vastly changed water future. Every fen, tree and moss banked stream will count even more so than they have in the past.” [from an <a href="https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2021/11/19/Future-Flooding-Canada/" target="_blank">article</a> by Edward Struzik, author of <i><a href="https://islandpress.org/books/swampland" target="_blank">Swamplands: Tundra Beavers, Quaking Bogs and the Improbable World of Peat</a></i>, The Tyee] </div><div><br /></div><div>“We need extraordinary and co-ordinated planning and efforts to protect our freshwater through conservation of rivers, lakes and their watersheds. And we need a national water agency with the capacity, financial means and legal foundation to co-ordinate this. We need the research and science capacity to inform wise water decisions and build state-of-the art water prediction and management systems.” (John Pomeroy, Canada Research Chair in Water Resources and Climate Change, U of S, <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-after-a-year-of-disasters-its-urgent-that-we-address-canadas-climate/" target="_blank">Globe and Mail</a>) </div><div><br /></div><div>Two academic papers examine how flood risk management on the Canadian prairie has defaulted towards <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07011784.2018.1428501" target="_blank">flood resistance and recovery rather than resilience</a>. “If the aim of flood risk management (FRM) is to increase society’s resilience to floods, then a holistic treatment of flood risk is required that addresses <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00267-019-01208-0" target="_blank">flood prevention, defence, mitigation, preparation, and response and recovery</a>.”</div><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/23707952620/" title="frost covered grass"><img alt="frost covered grass" height="300" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/5627/23707952620_f76474a7b9_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
Prairies</span></b> </div><div>What is the best approach to conserving prairies in the face of rapid climate change? Chris Helzer says, “We can’t afford to be so invested in current or past versions of our prairies that we don’t allow them to adapt to changing conditions. We’re hurtling into the future whether we like it or not. Let’s make sure we bring prairies along with us.” [<a href="https://prairieecologist.com/2021/11/17/the-show-must-go-on/" target="_blank">Prairie Ecologist</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Forest </span></b></div><div>Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs; Arnold Bercov, past president of the Public and Private Workers of Canada; Torrance Coste, national campaign director for the Wilderness Committee; and Ben Parfitt, resource policy analyst, CCPA BC Office, outline the problems and possible solutions for a forest revolution in BC:
“Perpetuating logging rates that anyone with an iota of common sense knew could not go on was guaranteed to have brutal consequences, including old-growth forests so fragmented from logging that they are no longer capable of supporting caribou and vibrant songbird populations; community watersheds where once-clean drinking water has turned to mud; drastically reduced or eradicated salmon stocks; and 41,000 direct jobs lost in the forest industry in just 20 years.” [<a href="https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2021/11/12/Protecting-Some-Old-Growth-Not-Enough-Forest-Revolution/" target="_blank">The Tyee</a>]</div><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/30318047884" title="Hooded crow bathing"><img alt="Hooded crow bathing" height="300" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/5452/30318047884_3604b93fda_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
Sustainable Joy</span></b> </div><div>“A little daily crow therapy reminds me that other lives — every bit as ordinary and epic as mine — are being lived alongside mine … This is a sustainable joy, free, readily available to anyone, and consuming no natural resources … and it’s the kind of joy I’m trying to rely on more and more.” [<a href="https://urbannature.blog/2021/11/18/crow-therapy-thoughts/" target="_blank">The Urban Nature Enthusiast</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>Wild and wonderful – a 3-minute video about the unseen world of living microscopic plankton. [<a href="https://vimeo.com/578331650" target="_blank">Vimeo</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><i><b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> supports Saskatchewan environmental initiatives through an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca" target="_blank">online publication</a>, an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/p/event-calendar.html" target="_blank">events calendar</a>, small grants, and the <b><a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/" target="_blank">Nature Companion</a></b> website/app. You can follow <b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> by liking us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ecofriendlysk" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, following us on <a href="http://twitter.com/EcoFriendlySask" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, or subscribing by email (top right corner).</i></div>EcoFriendly Saskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775672426064519874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1605378753619950672.post-86781791666428378242021-11-18T08:35:00.002-06:002021-11-18T17:31:45.300-06:00Community Highlight: Saskatchewan Alliance for Water Sustainability<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIHkfekfqGXcbhuu0hcaHeZqoWNMT6DFnJGnri5PFCA9wgrMRJXoBtkZIyyulWEJGuZkkJ7ip0qpZGKflYBtKXvxGSacrOustVs432QKOzzAOfEFO-LMtbqc2Oee5bLdCgl_anbLQXhyphenhyphenYj/s1280/IMG_0629.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIHkfekfqGXcbhuu0hcaHeZqoWNMT6DFnJGnri5PFCA9wgrMRJXoBtkZIyyulWEJGuZkkJ7ip0qpZGKflYBtKXvxGSacrOustVs432QKOzzAOfEFO-LMtbqc2Oee5bLdCgl_anbLQXhyphenhyphenYj/w400-h300/IMG_0629.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">1. How and when did you form your group? </span></b><div>The <a href="http://www.lmlsg.ca/saws/" target="_blank">Saskatchewan Alliance for Water Sustainability</a> (SAWS) is a grassroots, not-for-profit, volunteer organization made up of members from <a href="http://www.lmlsg.ca/" target="_blank">Last Mountain Lake Stewardship Group</a> (LMLSG), the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CallingLakesEcomuseum" target="_blank">Calling Lakes Ecomuseum</a> (CLEM), and other concerned citizens. <div><br /></div><div>The LMLSG was formed in 2002 to steward and monitor the health of Last Mountain Lake water while sustaining the resources for the communities that depend on them. </div><div><br /></div><div>CLEM is a grassroots arm of the United Nations and works very closely with the <a href="https://www.saskrce.ca/" target="_blank">Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development - Saskatchewan</a>. CLEM believes in protecting the Qu’Appelle Valley’s Calling Lakes using the UN’s 17 goals for sustainable development. </div><div><br /></div><div>SAWS was formed on Oct 20, 2017, in response to the Saskatchewan Government giving the green light for the <a href="https://quilllakeswatershed.com/" target="_blank">Quill Lakes Watershed Association #14</a> to drain highly saline water from the Kutawagan-Pel lakes area in the Quill Lakes basin into Last Mountain Lake without an environmental impact assessment. This project, called the <a href="http://lmlsg.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Common-Ground-Drainage-Design-Report-2017-FINAL-...-7.pdf" target="_blank">Common Ground Drainage Channel Diversion Project</a> (CGDCDP), was the first step in a much larger drainage project that would drain water from the Quill Lakes watershed, 200 kilometres north of Regina, into the Qu’Appelle lakes and river system and eventually into Manitoba, courtesy of the Assiniboine River. </div><div><br /></div><div>We have learned from the Universities of Regina and Saskatchewan that the transfer of salt-rich water from the Quill Lakes into Last Mountain Lake could have serious consequences for water quality in the Qu’Appelle River system. The additional salt and nutrients entering Last Mountain Lake would have a negative effect on fish and wildlife habitat, especially in the Last Mountain Lake National Wildlife Area, a federally protected <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/corporate/international-affairs/partnerships-organizations/important-wetlands-ramsar-convention.html" target="_blank">Ramsar</a> site. The proposed volume of water flowing downstream would cause erosion and high-water levels in the smaller lakes in the Lower Qu’Appelle watershed. Further, the chemical composition of salt in the Quill Lakes is far different from that in Last Mountain Lake and would present a contaminant to game fish in the Qu’Appelle lakes and a human health hazard. Without an environmental impact assessment, we will not know the damage until it is too late. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">2. What are your principal activities and why do you believe they’re important? </span></b></div><div>We focus on creating awareness about wetlands and the negative impacts that drainage has without a wetland conservation policy. According to the Water Security Agency’s own reports, high water levels in the Quill Lakes are the result of high rain events and agricultural drainage. Despite committing to do so in 2017, the <a href="https://leaderpost.com/news/saskatchewan/water-agency-slammed-for-handling-of-unapproved-quill-lakes-area-drainage" target="_blank">Agency has not closed any of the illegal drainage</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>Our goal is to work with others to implement long-term solutions for the Quill Lakes high water levels that will benefit all stakeholders and protect the environment. We focus on educating the public and stakeholders, creating a conversation, and advocating for sustainable water management and conservation. </div><div><br /></div><div>Our activities are important because people do not understand the importance of wetlands. Wetlands provide all kinds of benefits from flood and drought protection, to filtering contaminants and nutrients from our water, to providing habitat for fish and wildlife including pollinators, to fighting climate change. </div><div><br /></div><div>Our education and communication activities include: </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Hosting public meetings within our communities to inform residents of how wetland drainage contributes to the pollution of our lakes and rivers. </li><li>Producing monthly newsletters that keeps residents up to date on our progress and current news. </li><li>Promoting the development of a round table made up of all stakeholders, including scientists, to develop solutions for the Quill Lakes flooding. The Water Security Agency declined to establish one. </li><li>Organizing meetings with the Water Security Agency and its Minister to present solutions and discuss WSA’s proposed plans on regulating agricultural drainage. </li><li>Contacting provincial government officials and stakeholders requesting they develop a wetland policy for this province. </li><li>Producing media releases and responding to interviews. </li><li>Creating a <a href="http://www.lmlsg.ca/saws/" target="_blank">SAWS website</a> that provides a history of our communication documents and events. </li><li>Maintaining a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/QuappelleValleySK" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> to increase awareness that allows for public discussion. Posts include valuable facts and initiatives on how we can improve water quality, conserve wetlands and our natural environment, show the benefits of wetland protection, and provide news and invitations to webinars and other current events. </li><li>Connecting with universities, scientists, and other non-profit groups. </li><li>Attending and helping the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Citizens-Environmental-Alliance-Saskatchewan-487487245069414/" target="_blank">Citizens Environmental Alliance</a> organize its annual farmland drainage conferences and workshops. </li></ul></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjli4kar-aXFK-V0biSSc7fp-H0ORQoAfuJIGyo7VDvLgx-ynJ9M9VMz9ukSypUXMKC_sU40A6JJRBFX63ymkSSv4xSGru512E8DIzC_nkFORVj0sHIdCWK2F0d2DnxcLkI78SnxHGqppLt/s409/Water+Sampling+Capture.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="348" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjli4kar-aXFK-V0biSSc7fp-H0ORQoAfuJIGyo7VDvLgx-ynJ9M9VMz9ukSypUXMKC_sU40A6JJRBFX63ymkSSv4xSGru512E8DIzC_nkFORVj0sHIdCWK2F0d2DnxcLkI78SnxHGqppLt/w340-h400/Water+Sampling+Capture.jpg" width="340" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">3. What have been your success to date? </span></b></div><div>Our efforts supported the <a href="https://www.brandonsun.com/local/sask-group-shelves-diversion-project-that-would-have-drained-salt-water-into-manitoba-waterways-471215773.html" target="_blank">halting of the Quill Lakes Drainage Project without an environmental impact assessment</a>. We gave our support to the judicial review application filed by the Pasqua First Nation (PFN) against the Minister of Environment and Quill Lakes Watershed Association. On January 22, 2018, the drainage plan was withdrawn and <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/emails-show-very-cozy-relationship-between-sask-gov-tand-quill-lakes-1.4496750" target="_blank">any future project cannot proceed without an environmental impact assessment</a> unless PFN, LMLSG, CLEM, Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation, and the public are first notified and given the opportunity for a full written hearing. </div><div><br /></div><div>We have created a positive presence in our communities and have gained their interest and support in efforts to protect water and the environment. Our success is due to our grassroots approach of meeting with the communities, providing science from Saskatchewan universities, and being open and transparent about the process. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">4. What would you like to achieve in future? </span></b></div><div>Saskatchewan is the only province in Canada that does not have a wetland conservation policy. This lack of regulation is negatively impacting our economy, our communities, and the environment. We would like to see a wetland conservation policy similar to Alberta or Manitoba’s adopted by summer 2022 that provides adequate mitigation when drainage occurs with negative impacts such as downstream flooding, nutrient loading that leads to algae blooms in our lakes, loss of habitat, and the loss of climate change resiliency. </div><div><br /></div><div>We would also like to see the Water Security Agency become much more transparent, notifying the public when and where they are licensing drainage projects and providing quality information and alerts for our lakes in an easy-to-use online format. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBqXF11bTkWbfc6ajKmGVge_HFxrjhuBmN-yk1MRo5SO5Aqp3y-pSAM0ZyhmmpIxvPt7S0eZAGjSvd999RfMFRN2ceatohC1lJnqSFGs0DWnobkG2282PviAmuKSwjsOco394ACBXcSqY8/s2048/CLEM+photo+of+Pow+Wow+Parade.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBqXF11bTkWbfc6ajKmGVge_HFxrjhuBmN-yk1MRo5SO5Aqp3y-pSAM0ZyhmmpIxvPt7S0eZAGjSvd999RfMFRN2ceatohC1lJnqSFGs0DWnobkG2282PviAmuKSwjsOco394ACBXcSqY8/w400-h300/CLEM+photo+of+Pow+Wow+Parade.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">5. If you could have 3 wishes for improving your community, what would they be?</span></b><b style="font-size: x-large;"> </b></div><div>#1 Working together is our only hope for a sustainable future. Partnership is #17 of the United Nations’ goals of sustainable development. </div><div><br /></div><div>#2 A Saskatchewan Wetland Conservation Policy building the protection of wetlands into all developments including agriculture, municipalities, recreation, and industry will benefit all Saskatchewan residents. We need natural infrastructure like wetlands to build adaptation and resiliency and to ensure business and environmental success for this province (UN goal #13). </div><div><br /></div><div>#3 We need leadership from the Federal and Provincial governments on water management that is based on science and climate change data rather than politics. </div><div><br /></div><div>6. Are there volunteer opportunities with your organization? If so, please describe them and indicate how people can contact you. </div><div>We welcome volunteers and ensure volunteer success by working to their strengths. We encourage those with the following skills to reach out to us - writers, artists, scientists, IT experts, and industry expertise (agriculture, potash, fishing etc.). We can be contacted at <a href="mailto:saskaws@gmail.com">saskaws@gmail.com</a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Photo credits:</b> LMLSG (water sampling on Last Mountain Lake), SAWS (boy playing), CLEM (PowWow Parade)</div><div><br /></div><div>Edited to correct full title of SAWS and a few other details - late afternoon, November 18, 2021</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">See Also</span></b></div><div><a href="https://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/2018/12/were-losing-our-wetlands-and-thats-big.html" target="_blank">We're Losing Our Wetlands - And That's a Big Problem</a></div><div><br /></div><i><b>
EcoFriendly Sask </b>supports Saskatchewan environmental initiatives through an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca" target="_blank">online publication</a>, an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/p/event-calendar.html" target="_blank">events calendar</a>, small grants, and the <a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/" target="_blank">Nature Companion</a> website/app. You can follow <b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> by liking us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ecofriendlysk" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, following us on <a href="http://twitter.com/EcoFriendlySask" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, or subscribing by email (top right corner).</i></div>EcoFriendly Saskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775672426064519874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1605378753619950672.post-67663878034998404612021-11-16T09:12:00.000-06:002021-11-16T09:12:29.627-06:00EcoSask News, November 16, 2021<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/9722688369" title="mushrooms"><img alt="mushrooms" height="320" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/3814/9722688369_d111684e33_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
Upcoming Events</span></b> <div>CaféSci Saskatoon is hosting an online presentation on UNESCO Biosphere Reserves: Reconciling people and planet at 7:30 pm, Nov. 23. </div><div><br /></div><div>SK-PCAP is hosting a noon-hour webinar on prescribed fire as a conservation management tool on Nov. 30. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Full details on all upcoming events can be found on the <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/p/event-calendar.html" target="_blank">EcoFriendly Sask Calendar</a> </i></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Climate Solutions</span></b> </div><div>“Research suggests that there are significant health and learning benefits for students attending green schools: schools that are built to last and fill classrooms with natural light and freshly-circulated air.” Find out more in this 13-minute video. [<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9EsDgt1ZYs" target="_blank">Sustainable Building Manitoba</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>New Las Vegas golf courses won’t be able to access municipal water. Golf courses in southern Nevada annually consume over 1400 times as much water as a residential home. [<a href="https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/clark-county/new-golf-courses-cant-use-colorado-river-water-las-vegas-board-says-2470511/" target="_blank">Las Vegas Review-Journal</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>Passive solar heating systems could supply enough heat for a third of the residential space in the United States. Skylights, for example, are an untapped resource. [<a href="https://www.futurity.org/passive-solar-heating-skylights-2653302-2" target="_blank">Futurity</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>Washington, DC’s wastewater treatment plant describes itself as a resource recovery facility. “When recycled properly, poop can power your home, cook your food, fuel your car, and even stave off algae blooms and floods.” [<a href="https://nautil.us/issue/108/change/this-is-some-good-shit" target="_blank">Nautilus</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>Is there a case for sucking carbon out of the air? A long, in-depth article explores the pros and cons of this visionary proposal. Is it crucial to our long-term survival or simply a boondoggle to keep big oil in operation? [<a href="https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2021/10/sucking-carbon-engineering-global-thermostat-co2-direct-air-capture-climeworks-solution-climate-crisis-big-oil-boondoggle-ipcc/" target="_blank">Mother Jones</a>]</div><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/9725911946" title="shelf fungus"><img alt="shelf fungus" height="320" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/3813/9725911946_84a57065d9_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
We Can Do Better </span></b></div><div>“Sharrows don’t make a road safer — there’s data that they are worse than doing nothing. Drivers don’t understand them. They extend no actual legal benefits to riders. Cities like to install them to seem like they’re doing something. In short, sharrows are bullshit.” [<a href="https://medium.com/@peterflax/why-sharrows-are-bullshit-b01fea1fea6f" target="_blank">Peter Flax</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>“While governments play a role in certain policies, such as transit and urban planning, consumers can shop their way out of a warming climate … Just make everything last longer and buy less." [<a href="https://www.cbc.ca/radio/checkup/can-we-shop-our-way-out-of-the-climate-crisis-1.6247473/government-policy-can-limit-climate-change-but-so-can-changing-your-shopping-habits-say-experts-1.6248260" target="_blank">CBC</a>]</div><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/34645911591" title="fungus"><img alt="fungus" height="300" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/4188/34645911591_f4d0c8d062_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
Mushrooms are Magic </span></b></div><div>“All mushrooms are magic … It’s time to say their name by acknowledging them all around - from the dinner table to international conservation policies - and including them in our conception of ecosystems that need to be cherished and protected. Say it with me: the world is inhabited by fauna, flora and funga.” [<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/nov/11/fungi-earth-secret-miracle-weapon" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>For more information about the all-important presence of fungi in our lives, check out the article we posted last December. [<a href="https://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/2020/12/all-about-fungi.html" target="_blank">EcoFriendly Sask</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><i><b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> supports Saskatchewan environmental initiatives through an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca" target="_blank">online publication</a>, an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/p/event-calendar.html" target="_blank">events calendar</a>, small grants, and the <a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/" target="_blank">Nature Companion</a> website/app. You can follow <b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> by liking us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ecofriendlysk" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, following us on <a href="http://twitter.com/EcoFriendlySask" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, or subscribing by email (top right corner).</i></div>EcoFriendly Saskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775672426064519874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1605378753619950672.post-28102428416155827642021-11-09T08:55:00.000-06:002021-11-09T08:55:34.672-06:00EcoSask News, November 9, 2021<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/29138419865/" title="backlit grass"><img alt="backlit grass" height="300" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/8559/29138419865_a6acc9ec2c.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
Upcoming Events </span></b><div>There will be a climate rally in Saskatoon in support of COP26 from 11:30 am-1 pm, Nov.12. </div><div><br /></div><div>Nature Regina is holding an online presentation on the Prussian Carp from 7:30-9 pm, Nov. 15. </div><div><br /></div><div>Saskatchewan Environmental Society/Saskatoon Public Library are hosting an online presentation from 7-8:30 pm, Nov. 16, on the future of climate action in Saskatchewan following the Supreme Court of Canada’s carbon pricing decision. </div><div><br /></div><div>Learn about stewardship initiatives in the North and South Saskatchewan River Watersheds online at 11 am, Nov. 17. </div><div><br /></div><div>Kai Chan, UBC, will be presenting an online lecture on confronting the climate and ecological crisis with intention: what path to genuine policy solutions? from 7-8:30 pm, Nov. 17. </div><div><br /></div><div>SK-PCAP is hosting a noon-hour webinar on a prairie grasslands initiative on Nov. 17. </div><div><br /></div><div>Dale Eisler will be presenting an online talk on addressing climate change and economic growth: are they compatible? from 12-12:55 pm, Nov. 18. </div><div><br /></div><div>Saskatoon Nature Society is hosting an online presentation on fungi, how and where they grow, what they offer mankind at 7:30 pm, Nov. 18. </div><div><br /></div><div>Partners FOR the Saskatchewan River Basin is hosting a webinar from 12-1 pm, Nov. 18, on the Bow River reservoir options. </div><div><br /></div><div>SaskOutdoors is offering a virtual Below Zero workshop from Nov. 22-29. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Details about all upcoming events are available on the <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/p/event-calendar.html" target="_blank">EcoSask Calendar</a></i></b></div><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/28830511490/" title="Untitled"><img alt="Untitled" height="266" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/8090/28830511490_200a4c41f6.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
Local News</span></b> </div><div>The Citizens Environmental Alliance is a volunteer group addressing water drainage issues in Saskatchewan. Their current newsletter contains important information on the ongoing problems in the Quill Lakes Watershed, which could lead to problems in Last Mountain Lake. It also contains links to articles about the cumulative effects of farmland drainage, a First Nation study on toxicity levels in Pasqua Lake, and much more. [<a href="https://mailchi.mp/6332e6f2d020/saskatchewan-is-being-destroyed-acre-by-acre-cea-november-2021-newsletter" target="_blank">Citizens Environmental Alliance</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>A recent article assembles current Western scientific knowledge on what is known and not known about wetland drainage on the Prairies. [<a href="https://research-groups.usask.ca/hydrology/documents/pubs/papers/baulch_et_al_2021.pdf" target="_blank">Canadian Water Resources Journal</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.wascanamarsh.ca/about-wascana-marsh" target="_blank">Friends of Wascana Marsh</a> are looking for volunteers for their board of directors. </div><div><br /></div><div>A 2-megawatt solar farm project in Saskatoon “would power roughly 330 homes and reduce greenhouse gases by an average of 450 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent each year.” [<a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/saskatoon-councillors-support-2-megawatt-solar-farm-project-near-montgomery-place-1.6233034" target="_blank">CBC</a>]</div><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/28830507830/" title="Untitled"><img alt="Untitled" height="266" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/8152/28830507830_eab203810c.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
Spotlight on Manitoba</span></b> </div><div>Winnipeg-based Bison, one of Canada’s largest trucking companies, is making an effort to go green. It’s currently testing two of only 40 pre-production battery electric Freightliner tractors in North America. "For a trucking company to jump on to a new technology that has different performance capacity, like shorter range and maybe the ability to hold less freight… the economies of the entire industry need to be adjusted. And the economics is not dependant on the individual corporate budget. It is dependant on the expectations of the entire supply chain." [<a href="https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/bison-adds-electric-big-rig-to-fleet-575234532.html" target="_blank">Winnipeg Free Press</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>Great signage from <a href="http://climatechangeconnection.org/resources/idle-free-zone-signs/" target="_blank">Climate Change Connection – Winnipeg</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqx1G1vzkW2L9syWgqeRAQYpHcPBquLkC1ccqlmF671RhWI9W1PFKD5Eejtq2aiiTSCsL4ur9s09uMrQwSXFmKkzj9SUZ0OrVhfYssJNmbv9NedyAKRN7OUQsj7EDhfHflIMqEEAYQT1RV/s366/bilingual+idle+free.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="366" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqx1G1vzkW2L9syWgqeRAQYpHcPBquLkC1ccqlmF671RhWI9W1PFKD5Eejtq2aiiTSCsL4ur9s09uMrQwSXFmKkzj9SUZ0OrVhfYssJNmbv9NedyAKRN7OUQsj7EDhfHflIMqEEAYQT1RV/w400-h295/bilingual+idle+free.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Local climate activists say change is too slow in Winnipeg – “We do need political champions at city hall.” [<a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-climate-change-efforts-too-slow-1.6239879" target="_blank">CBC</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">In Other News</span></b></div><div>The Netherlands has had a near-total dependence on natural gas heating. Natural gas-free districts are piloting alternative low-carbon technologies. Heat pumps, bio gas, solar-powered hydrogen electrolysers, and geothermal are some of the ideas municipalities are investigating. [<a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20211025-netherlands-the-end-of-europes-largest-gas-field" target="_blank">BBC</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>“Making democracy work better for the climate doesn’t just mean hearing more from people. It means hearing less from those economic interests, such as oil majors and airlines, that have a stake in the high-carbon status quo … What is necessary, then, is not to dispense with democracy, but to double down on it. Seeing climate change not as something that can be solved by experts, nor through individual sacrifices – but by the negotiation of a new sort of social contract between people and the state.” [<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/nov/01/the-big-idea-is-democracy-up-to-the-task-of-climate-change" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><i><b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> supports Saskatchewan environmental initiatives through an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca" target="_blank">online publication</a>, an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/p/event-calendar.html" target="_blank">events calendar</a>, small grants, and the <a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/" target="_blank">Nature Companion</a> website/app. You can follow <b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> by liking us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ecofriendlysk" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, following us on <a href="http://twitter.com/EcoFriendlySask" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, or subscribing by email (top right corner).
</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/plants/bluggras/ " style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1242" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi792k2ck86RkG0E7R3HFfRF2dbUi2sEbOEKy8nI_ytO5bYfnacSoPylMcAOIWav0_XyDGCOo1gOakMMkEP2O-KNf6jN4u4txzG0gD_qH2CXjtmlB1AeOppym3k_sNvZe09ztSqR4InqfQM/w400-h225/blue+grama+grass.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><i><br /></i></div>EcoFriendly Saskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775672426064519874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1605378753619950672.post-14291395006217331552021-11-02T09:30:00.001-06:002021-11-02T20:54:48.729-06:00EcoSask News, November 2, 2021<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/28999408781/" title="mule deer"><img alt="mule deer" height="300" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/8461/28999408781_298a92fae4.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
Upcoming Events</span></b> <div>City of Saskatoon residents can dispose of household hazardous waste from 9 am to 3:30 pm, Nov. 7. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Looking Ahead</span></b> </div><div>SaskOutdoors is offering Projet Wet (en français) online from 4-6 pm, Nov. 30. </div><div><br /></div><div>SK-PCAP will be holding a virtual Native Prairie Restoration/Reclamation Workshop from Feb. 8-10. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Full details for all upcoming events can be found on the <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/p/event-calendar.html" target="_blank">EcoFriendly Sask Calendar</a></i></b> </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Local News </span></b></div><div>Regina residents are invited to complete a survey regarding the City’s approach to becoming a 100% renewable energy city by 2050. [<a href="https://beheard.regina.ca/energy-sustainability-framework" target="_blank">City of Regina</a>]</div><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/27686922026" title="sun on trees and ferns"><img alt="sun on trees and ferns" height="287" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/7340/27686922026_745944032d.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
Forests </span></b></div><div>Canada’s “logging industry continues to clearcut more than 400,000 hectares of the boreal each year — about five NHL hockey rinks every minute — much of this in irreplaceable primary forests, which have not been previously impacted by human disturbance.” [<a href="https://thenarwhal.ca/canada-emissions-boreal-logging/" target="_blank">The Narwhal</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>Conservation organizations, with assistance from the Earth Law Center, are challenging the state of Washington for managing forests for revenue generation. “These lands are a gift that should not have to be squeezed for every dollar when they already benefit us in so many ways, from storing carbon to providing clean water, wildlife habitat, and healthy recreation access.” [<a href="https://www.opb.org/article/2021/10/24/washington-state-forest-management-conservation-state-supreme-court/ " target="_blank">OPB</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Aiming for Zero Waste </span></b></div><div>While BC is a continental leader in composting and recycling, it continues to generate large amounts of unnecessary waste. A report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives outlines upstream solutions to reduce the flow of material, looking at plastics, demolition and construction waste, and repair and maintenance. [<a href="https://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/reports/closing-loop" target="_blank">CCPA</a>]</div><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/28135516054" title="crab spider"><img alt="crab spider" height="300" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/7750/28135516054_8ed92c008a.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
Small but Mighty </span></b></div><div>There’s more going on in spider brains than they normally get credit for. Jumping spiders have developed devious hunting tactics and are skilled at getting out of dangerous situations. [<a href="https://knowablemagazine.org/article/mind/2021/are-spiders-intelligent" target="_blank">Knowable Magazine</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>Moths have finessed an extensive repertoire of tactics to avoid being caught and eaten by bats. They issue warning cries, jam bat signals, create false targets, and use sound-absorbing cloaking devices. [<a href="https://knowablemagazine.org/article/living-world/2021/prey-tell-how-moths-elude-bats" target="_blank">Knowable Magazine</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div><i><b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> supports Saskatchewan environmental initiatives through an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca" target="_blank">online publication</a>, an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/p/event-calendar.html" target="_blank">events calendar</a>, small grants, and the <a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/" target="_blank">Nature Companion</a> website/app. You can follow <b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> by liking us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ecofriendlysk" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, following us on <a href="http://twitter.com/EcoFriendlySask" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, or subscribing by email (top right corner).</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/insects/hawkmoth/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1198" data-original-width="2048" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdu0U_R1FlnudnQnImq4TXhT2Z7cE5ffevualXErO0eWAq4vJzdibOq3QUQRh2p_RKM1sufGS1WBAJ880vkOhNYeeL1Xxi6oNhsbiuU8RUnYbYq4stmF8TO-vgs5KtUE8ZpdDJTT8jdsYH/w400-h234/Hawk+Moth.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i>Take a look at EcoFriendly Sask's <a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/" target="_blank">Nature Companion</a>, a kid-friendly nature app for Canada's 4 western provinces</i></b></div>EcoFriendly Saskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775672426064519874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1605378753619950672.post-65890468360074776672021-10-28T09:49:00.000-06:002021-10-28T09:49:29.251-06:00Berries: Wildlife's Winter Pantry<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/23635890179/" title="berries"><img alt="berries" height="300" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/1480/23635890179_7b16537842_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div>
Nature provides year-round food for many birds and animals. While insects may be plentiful in spring, it’s persistent berries that are an important food source in winter. Unlike raspberries or blueberries, persistent berries ripen later in the year and remain on the bushes and trees even after the leaves have fallen. The berries on native trees and plants such as <a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/trees/silbufber/" target="_blank">buffaloberry</a> and <a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/trees/reddog/" target="_blank">red osier dogwood</a> are <a href="https://content.yardmap.org/learn/winter-berries/" target="_blank">high in fat and carbohydrates</a>, offering birds plentiful energy for their migratory journey or to weather the cold. <div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Bunchberry </span></b></div><div><a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/plants/bunchby/" target="_blank">Bunchberry</a> is a low-lying plant found in the cool coniferous forests of Canada’s northern and mountainous regions. The red berries, which ripen in late summer, are a tasty snack for bears, hares, and songbirds. They contain two hard, crunchy seeds, hence the <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/2017/stop-and-smell-the-bunchberry-get-to-know-canada-s-unofficial-national-flower-1.4189407" target="_blank">plant’s name</a> of <i>kawiscowimin</i> in Cree, which can be translated as “gravel inside.” It’s also known as dwarf dogwood with similar leaves and flowers to the Pacific dogwood tree.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/plants/bunchby/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="2048" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdd5fK8u_Bs2a5LdHseJvCOJzFx0zY4Pr6olKtQwqRSS5vtOADyBS3K1CeVF2DW-LjslvJBX4LNG3Sdi9gq9fxFcbhAuAOapeI6hYlaCNmjDazn7zhpq8FVFE9VXrj2GA1BquFwtBoquxS/w400-h235/bunchberry.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Common Juniper</span></b> </div><div><a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/trees/comjun/" target="_blank">Common juniper</a> is a spreading shrub that often forms a low-lying mat but can grow to 3-4 ft tall. What appear to be blue berries are actually cones with very tightly packed miniature scales. The fleshy covering on the cones is popular with robins, black-capped chickadees, cedar and Bohemian waxwings. American robins often <a href="https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/juncom/all.html" target="_blank">devour large quantities</a> in spring and fall.</div><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/41008860534/" title="Bohemian Waxwing eating juniper berries"><img alt="Bohemian Waxwing eating juniper berries" height="300" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/825/41008860534_e98164aac6_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
Mountain Ash</span></b> </div><div>A highlight of a Prairie winter’s day is when a flock of <a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/birds/cedarwax/" target="_blank">cedar waxwings</a> swoops in to feast on mountain ash berries. Despite its name, <a href="https://gardening.usask.ca/articles-and-lists/articles-plant-descriptions/trees/mountain-ash.php" target="_blank">mountain ash</a> belongs to the rose family and its closest relatives are apples and hawthorns. Humans find the berries bitter and unpleasant, but they are very high in vitamin C and birds love them. </div><div><br /></div><div>Wild apple and crabapple trees are also popular with wildlife – from deer and bears to birds and squirrels.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/trees/orgrape/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1193" data-original-width="2048" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiYbpIIXTZeYVErtEipNVCDxSAxhLNHahVOO0fdKlzzezoW5O0DU3jmoVz4w2fyjmcn2xOCxpbOgGiy36tC3EjOyabkyDAwfCPmVVIpStecj8ONw5Wj-8OYQjavb-zs9YBWr5FLZtYfspB/w400-h233/oregon+grape.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Oregon Grape</span></b> </div><div><a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/trees/orgrape/" target="_blank">Oregon grape</a> can be found in mountainous areas of the Pacific Northwest from British Columbia and eastern Alberta to northern California. The dark blue berries grow in clusters and bear some resemblance to grapes. Wildlife benefit from Oregon grape in <a href="https://realgardensgrownatives.com/?p=4268" target="_blank">all seasons of the year</a> as the bright yellow flowers attract pollinators, the fruit is enjoyed by robins and waxwings as well as some mammals, and some butterfly and moth species rely on Oregon grape plants to host their larvae.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/trees/reddog/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="707" data-original-width="1358" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHGZUPYSfbIt9zLaw91Lfi0EAE97RQRHTH8kmxzSGN1unzQHs3GxZj4ansBqewkiLJxri6gYdXhXKf0jSN5efiT8Q7uqPg2sjHg4GmlEDogaGMi0rOe1QRc2hDzefxLEDoy6taV0wolL6w/w400-h209/red+osier+dogwood.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Red Osier Dogwood </span></b></div><div><a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/trees/reddog/" target="_blank">Red osier dogwood</a> is a many-branched shrub about 6 ft tall. Its red stems and branches are particularly noticeable in winter. The white, waxy berries are high in fat and <a href="https://notsohollowfarm.ca/five-native-berry-producing-trees-shrubs-birds/" target="_blank">popular with migrating birds</a>, bears, and grouse. The stems and winter buds provide valuable forage for deer, moose, and snowshoe hare, and the plants often suffer from overbrowsing. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/trees/silbufber/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1187" data-original-width="2048" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOGtRRcqFkEnaNxQusHCO2HQ5QejfzGt68Im-c9_w58uOOxhHQMbPA07cUN_DjxYHnnhbTSKayQhtynxkrA9z6_hS7FydLPMUlHcwRIf57rnYEa80cXIMBFu7uK24DFH4aPF3i-wVi477A/w400-h231/Buffaloberry.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Silver Buffaloberry</span></b> </div><div><a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/trees/silbufber/" target="_blank">Silver buffaloberry</a> (shepherdia argentea) is a thorny shrub often found growing along rivers and streams, especially on the northern Great Plains. It's slow to lose its leaves in autumn. The clusters of red berries ripen in late summer and are a favorite food of many songbirds and sharp-tailed grouse. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/trees/snow/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1261" data-original-width="2048" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz2p4-EtBMQHAy2DqfFStnzWP7GX5Lo3bFQP0CdClzBpgTReLOwnNnvCFYumOZgmFMGq7EuePxakxi00HYVqjWxWEK2cyrzxRu8RSCEai53ZCUMOQHnDDtYHay07D2If79dou4ItV42Yk_/w400-h246/Snowberry.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Snowberry</span></b> </div><div><a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/trees/snow/" target="_blank">Snowberry</a>, a native shrub found across western Canada, has white, waxy berries that persist into winter. The berries are toxic to humans as they contain <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saponin" target="_blank">saponin</a>, a foaming compound used to make soap. They are, however, appreciated by <a href="https://blogs.oregonstate.edu/treetopics/2016/06/24/shrubs-wildlife-snowberry/" target="_blank">over-wintering birds</a> such as robins and thrushes, as well as chipmunks.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Springtime Follies </span></b></div><div>As the weather warms up in the spring, overwintered berries can ferment and birds, particularly cedar waxwings and robins, that eat a lot of fruit can become <a href="https://www.audubon.org/news/spring-air-and-so-are-intoxicated-birds" target="_blank">intoxicated</a>.</div><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/49799370238/" title="Bohemian Waxwings"><img alt="Bohemian Waxwings" height="300" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49799370238_a83479dc68_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
See Also</span></b> </div><div><a href="https://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/2021/01/conifers-of-western-canada.html" target="_blank">Conifers of Western Canada</a> </div><div><a href="https://ecofriendlysask.substack.com/p/early-flowering-trees-and-shrubs" target="_blank">Early Flowering Trees and Shrubs on the Canadian Prairies</a> </div><div><a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/2017/04/dead-trees-full-of-life.html" target="_blank">Dead Trees Full of Life</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Check out EcoFriendly Sask’s <b><a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/" target="_blank">Nature Companion</a></b>, a free nature app for Canada’s four western provinces </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> supports Saskatchewan environmental initiatives through an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/" target="_blank">online publication</a>, an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/p/event-calendar.html" target="_blank">events calendar</a>, small grants, and the <a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/" target="_blank">Nature Companion</a> website/app. You can follow <b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> by liking us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ecofriendlysk" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, following us on <a href="http://twitter.com/EcoFriendlySask" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, or subscribing by email (top right corner).</i></div>EcoFriendly Saskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775672426064519874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1605378753619950672.post-52048756087324002072021-10-26T08:18:00.000-06:002021-10-26T08:18:48.887-06:00EcoSask News, Oct. 26, 2021<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/51621573387/" title="fall leaves"><img alt="fall leaves" height="300" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51621573387_e7a24c1d40_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
Upcoming Events </span></b><div>SK-PCAP is hosting a noon-hour webinar on weather, climate, and living things on grassland on Oct. 28. </div><div><br /></div><div>Wild Ecol Seminar Series is hosting an online talk about tracking cougars across southern British Columbia’s fire-prone landscape at 3:30 pm, Oct. 29. </div><div><br /></div><div>EMTF-SK is hosting an online update on DEEP at 7:30 am, Nov. 3. </div><div><br /></div><div>Watch the film, <i>The Legacy of Saskatoon’s Secret Forest</i>, with stories from people who knew Richard St. Barbe Baker from 1-3 pm, Nov. 6. </div><div><br /></div><div>Families are invited to enjoy guided and self-guided nature activities in Finlayson Park, North Battleford, the afternoon of Nov. 7. Sign up for a time slot. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Looking Ahead </span></b></div><div>Energy-efficient passive house standards aren’t just for new buildings. Sign up for an online course in Achieving the Passive House Standard for Existing Buildings starting Dec. 6. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Full details on all upcoming events are available on the <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/p/event-calendar.html" target="_blank">EcoFriendly Sask Calendar</a></i></b></div><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/44070672724/" title="fresh snow on the mountains"><img alt="fresh snow on the mountains" height="252" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/1843/44070672724_e17bb5b3ac_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
In the Spotlight – British Columbia </span></b></div><div>Planned amendments to BC’s Forest and Range Practices Act mark a move away from 'industry-driven' policy that doesn't plan for the health and makeup of forest ecosystems in the long term. [<a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/forestry-changes-bc-1.6221219" target="_blank">CBC</a>]</div><div><br /></div><div>The Cool 'Hoods Champs program, a neighbourhood-based climate change workshop, was created to bridge the knowledge gap between climate science and everyday people — by bringing solutions to where they live. [<a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/grassroots-to-glasgow-1.6218684" target="_blank">CBC</a>]</div><div><br /></div><div>In a precedent-setting case, the BC Supreme Court ruled that “by allowing industrial development in Blueberry River's territory at an extensive scale — without assessing cumulative impacts and ensuring Blueberry River's ability to continue meaningfully exercising its treaty rights — the province breached the treaty.” [<a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/blueberry-legal-victory-1.6216915" target="_blank">CBC</a>]</div><div><br /></div><div>North Vancouver businesses are offering customers the option of reusable containers to be returned within 14 days. [<a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/reusables-take-out-containers-north-vancouver-1.6216039" target="_blank">CBC</a>]</div><div><br /></div><div>Vancouver is calling for a city-wide ban on outdoor gas-powered tools such as leaf blowers due to noise and GHG emissions. [<a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/westend-residents-say-leaf-blower-ban-not-enforced-1.6218191" target="_blank">CBC</a>]</div><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/49904492293" title="juvenile beaver"><img alt="juvenile beaver" height="320" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49904492293_207922a7b0_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
Wetlands </span></b></div><div>Wetland drainage on the prairies has a significant impact: </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>It reduces the land’s ability to store water and increases the risk of flooding; </li><li>Groundwater reserves aren’t replenished; </li><li>Increased rate of nutrient export downstream affects water quality, fish habitat, and recreational opportunities; </li><li>There is a loss of pollinator habitat and biodiversity; and </li><li>Reduced landscape diversity results in decreased ability to adapt during times of stress. [<a href="https://theconversation.com/to-be-resilient-the-canadian-prairie-needs-lots-of-wetlands-168178" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>] </li></ul></div><div>A wetland in the midst of Colorado’s largest wildfire was spared – thanks to the beavers who created an abnormally wet patch in the middle of an otherwise dry area. The beaver meadow stores the water, releasing it slowly and delaying water shortages in a drought. [<a href="https://www.kunc.org/environment/2021-09-23/even-colorados-largest-wildfire-was-no-match-for-beavers" target="_blank">KUNC Public Radio</a>]</div><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/27396363201" title="windblown tern"><img alt="windblown tern" height="266" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/7317/27396363201_a04636e012_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
Probing the Future </span></b></div><div>A policy paper by Dale Eisler, expresses doubt as to whether Canada and the world can achieve its climate goals while maintaining economic growth. He notes that Canada’s economic success since its early days has been dependent on its natural resources, including oil and gas production, whereas we have no comparative advantage in terms of renewable energy. “To date government and others engaged in the climate debate have failed to prepare the public for the real and measurable impacts on their lives if we are to meet our climate targets. The reason is simple: they know the political risk that comes with being honest about what it’s going to take. But all that avoiding the truth does is ensure we continue down the path of the last four decades where we set impressive targets, and then never meet them. The day of reckoning is fast approaching.” [<a href="https://www.schoolofpublicpolicy.sk.ca/research/publications/policy-brief/addressing-climate-change-and-economic-growth.php" target="_blank">Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy</a>]</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Ecological Citizen</i> has published 3 articles on the topic of overpopulation and its impact on the environment and on our wellbeing as a species. The <a href="https://www.ecologicalcitizen.net/pdfs/epub-044.pdf" target="_blank">first article</a> explores how discussion is silenced by raising past experiences with eugenics and ultra-nationalism as population control. The <a href="https://www.ecologicalcitizen.net/pdfs/epub-046.pdf" target="_blank">second article</a> propose what just population policies would look like, while the <a href="https://www.ecologicalcitizen.net/pdfs/epub-048.pdf" target="_blank">third</a> examines the anthropocentric and non-anthropocentric moral reasons to reduce population.</div><div><br /></div><div><i><b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> supports Saskatchewan environmental initiatives through an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca" target="_blank">online publication</a>, an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/p/event-calendar.html" target="_blank">events calendar</a>, small grants, and the <a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/" target="_blank">Nature Companion</a> website/app. You can follow <b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> by liking us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ecofriendlysk" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, following us on <a href="http://twitter.com/EcoFriendlySask" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, or subscribing by email (top right corner).</i></div>EcoFriendly Saskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775672426064519874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1605378753619950672.post-12917922414623276272021-10-21T08:22:00.000-06:002021-10-21T08:22:42.227-06:00Wildlife Protection on Urban Roads and Highways<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/28131499097/" title="Red fox"><img alt="Red fox" height="267" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/1775/28131499097_01c9207698_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div>
Roads are inherently dangerous places for wildlife, whether it’s a female turtle heading to its nesting ground, a fox out hunting, or a mule deer trying to reach the river for a drink of water. <div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Threats to Wildlife from Transportation Networks </span></b></div><div>Transportation networks create <a href="https://www.oala.ca/ground_articles/road-ecology/" target="_blank">4 main risks for wildlife</a>: </div><div>1. Loss of life </div><div><br /></div><div>2. Loss of habitat, including habitat degradation and fragmentation </div><div><br /></div><div>3. Loss of access to critical resources (e.g. nesting sites, water, migratory routes) </div><div><br /></div><div>4. Loss of population integrity as herds are sub-divided into smaller groups, increasing the risk of local extinction </div><div><br /></div><div>In addition, roads create a new and dangerous habitat where snakes choose to bask in the sun, predators feed on roadkill, and turtles nest in the gravel roadsides. Roads also increase human access to wildlife habitat, raising the risk of poaching, dumping, and other illegal activities. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Determining Risk and the Need for Wildlife Road Mitigation </span></b></div><div>There are a number of factors that need to be considered when planning a road or seeking to <a href="http://ftp.rockies.ca/files/reports/H3%20Final%20Report%200607_June8.pdf" target="_blank">mitigate roadkill</a> in a specific area. First and foremost, is the road necessary? Extra roads <a href="https://environmentaldefence.ca/2020/09/15/why-building-more-highways-wont-make-your-commute-any-better/" target="_blank">do not reduce traffic congestion</a>. To effectively address climate change, the focus must be on moving away from a reliance on cars. If the road is absolutely essential, it should be carefully planned, keeping in mind the needs of non-human and human animals. </div><div><br /></div><div>1. What is the conservation value of the surrounding habitat? Is the area of particular natural importance (e.g. patch of remnant prairie, wetlands)? </div><div><br /></div><div>2. Does the surrounding area shelter threatened or endangered species (e.g. badgers or a sharp-tailed grouse lek)? </div><div><br /></div><div>3. How many wildlife live in the surrounding area? Is it home to large herds of deer, a significant breeding ground for frogs, or a rest spot for migrating birds? </div><div><br /></div><div>4. Will the road impact wildlife corridors and habitat connectivity? For example, will the road inhibit animals heading to a river for water? Will it cut across traditional migratory routes? </div><div><br /></div><div>5. What is the current or potential mortality rate? For existing roads, this can be estimated from roadkill and accident reports. For proposed roads, studies of current wildlife population sizes and movement patterns will provide valuable information. </div><div><br /></div><div>6. What are the costs entailed in providing or not providing wildlife road mitigation? An underpass or wildlife bridge may appear prohibitively expensive until it is compared to the expenses and human deaths incurred due to wildlife road collisions.</div><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/9120735555" title="elk"><img alt="elk" height="300" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/3823/9120735555_fabd5e916c_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
Urban Road Considerations </span></b></div><div>Roads through or in the vicinity of urban areas involve high traffic volumes and require special consideration even if they do not appear to be ecologically important areas. A <a href="https://www.rockies.ca/files/reports/Alberta_Improving_Human_and_Wildlife_Safety_April2019.pdf" target="_blank">study of highway mortalities in southern Alberta</a> showed that road sections close to urban centres were at greatest risk of animal vehicle collisions due to “high traffic volume and abundant deer populations.” </div><div><br /></div><div>The risk of collisions can vary significantly for different species. One <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jue/article/7/1/juaa039/6139340" target="_blank">British study of roadkill along an urban-rural spectrum</a> speculated that “the variation in road kill risk might be attributed to animals developing avoidance behaviours.” However, in urban settings, these adaptations may be offset by “other behavioural changes that are common in urban populations, for example, increased boldness and habituation, including longer response times to threats, such as oncoming vehicles, which could increase roadkill risk.” </div><div><br /></div><div>The British study also looked at the significance of urban green spaces but found it difficult to determine their impact. On the one hand, parks may increase the urban wildlife population and encourage species that wouldn’t normally be found in an urban setting. On the other hand, they may provide urban wildlife which have limited home ranges with a low-risk habitat where they can move around without needing to navigate roads. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Minimizing the Risk of Collisions</span></b> </div><div>The <a href="https://wildliferoadsharing.tirf.ca/research/mitigation-measures/" target="_blank">Wildlife Roadsharing Resource Centre</a> provides an overview of steps that can be taken to avoid animal-vehicle collisions and assesses their effectiveness. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>1. Physically separate animals from the roadway</b> </div><div>Wildlife crossings, combined with exclusion fencing, are the most effective means of reducing wildlife collisions. Fencing in isolation is a barrier to wildlife movement and, unless the fencing is extensive, can lead to clusters of collisions at either end of the fencing. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>2. Influence Driver Behaviour</b> </div><div>Public education can be useful to remind drivers of peak collision times and the optimal way to respond to a potential collision, but it must be accurate and evidence-based.
Setting lower speed limits has not proven to be effective, but road designs that encourage a reduction in speed appear to work, although there are mixed results depending on the type of traffic calming measures used.
It’s not yet clear whether different animals are attracted to or withdraw from roadway lighting. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>3. Reduce wildlife population size </b></div><div>To be effective, more than 50% of a population needs to be culled. The public looks more favourably on relocation, but there is a low survival rate for animals that have been relocated and, if not relocated far enough away, the animals will return to their original home. Sterilization is not always effective and can be expensive. It is not permitted along Canadian highways. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>4. Influence animal behaviour </b></div><div>None of these methods appeared to be effective.</div><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/9073903576/" title="Western painted turtle"><img alt="Western painted turtle" height="300" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/5544/9073903576_c0a9af2b2c_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">
Improving Road Design</span></b> </div><div><a href="https://www.lsrca.on.ca/Shared%20Documents/Road-Ecology-Guide.pdf" target="_blank">Studies of existing roadway mitigation initiatives</a> provide helpful advice for future projects. </div><div><br /></div><div>1.Build roads near the edges of habitat as opposed to directly through them to reduce fragmentation and the need for crossings </div><div><br /></div><div>2. Modify infrastructure and roadside borders to avoid trapping animals or hindering movement </div><div><br /></div><div>3. Map light-sensitive areas (e.g. wetlands with breeding amphibians) to inform the installation (or non-installation) of lighting </div><div><br /></div><div>4.Install noise barriers to minimize disturbance of neighbouring natural areas </div><div><br /></div><div>5. <a href="https://www.rockies.ca/files/reports/Priddis%20Slough%20Infographic.pdf" target="_blank">Improve the surface of underpasses</a> and shorten the length of culverts to make it easier for animals to use them </div><div><br /></div><div>6. Plan ahead for the long-term maintenance of fencing and eco-passages and ensure that they will not interfere with snow clearing and other road maintenance activities </div><div><br /></div><div>7. Consult experts with prior experience </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Importance of Wildlife Advocates </span></b></div><div>Public education plays an important role in mitigating wildlife fatalities. Miistakis Institute held <a href="https://www.rockies.ca/files/reports/Alberta_Improving_Human_and_Wildlife_Safety_April2019.pdf" target="_blank">workshops with members of the public about wildlife-vehicle collisions</a> and found that participants emphasized human safety over wildlife connectivity. “However, roads may have a significant impact on wildlife via direct mortality or avoidance behavior by species sensitive to road disturbance. Thus, ensuring safe passage of wildlife across roads is an important strategy for maintaining biodiversity and protecting species at risk. Public education and science-policy translation regarding the need for investments in mitigation in support of biodiversity and species-at-risk recovery planning is urgently needed.” </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.oala.ca/ground_articles/road-ecology/" target="_blank">Collaboration and information sharing across specialties</a> can prove valuable. “Improving the way wildlife/road interactions are managed in Ontario has been championed by the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Ontario-Road-Ecology-Group-118070921724239/" target="_blank">Ontario Road Ecology Group</a> (OREG), a not-for-profit organization that protects biodiversity from the threats of roads by facilitating partnerships among government and non-government agencies dedicated to resolving road ecology issues through research, policy, and stewardship.”</div><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/33024281312/" title="Pronghorn"><img alt="Pronghorn" height="267" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/2893/33024281312_f053915b6b_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">If you are concerned about road construction in Saskatoon, be sure to join forces with the <a href="https://swalewatchers.org/" target="_blank">Northeast Swale Watchers</a>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b><br /></b></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> supports Saskatchewan environmental initiatives through an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca" target="_blank">online publication</a>, an <a href="http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/p/event-calendar.html" target="_blank">events calendar,</a> small grants, and the <a href="https://www.naturecompanion.ca/" target="_blank">Nature Companion</a> website/app. You can follow <b>EcoFriendly Sask</b> by liking us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ecofriendlysk" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, following us on <a href="http://twitter.com/EcoFriendlySask" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, or subscribing by email (top right corner).</i></div></div></div>EcoFriendly Saskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775672426064519874noreply@blogger.com