EcoSask News, October 3, 2017

Upcoming Events
Campus Sustainability Week, Oct. 10-13 (Saskatoon)
The University of Saskatchewan Office of Sustainability is hosting Campus Sustainability Week, Oct. 10-13. Events include:
Oct. 10, 12-1:30 pm, Public Health Impacts of Climate Change
Oct. 11, 1-3 pm, Bicycle Tune-Up Workshop (BCBC)
Oct. 11, 3-4 pm, Ice-Cycling on Campus
Oct. 11, 5-7 pm, Sustainable Drinks
Oct. 12, 10 am-4 pm, Sustainable Swap Meet
Oct. 12, 11 am-1 pm, Native Vegetation Tour

U of S Sustainability Networking Fair, Oct. 12 (Saskatoon)
As part of Campus Sustainability Week, the U of S Office of Sustainability is hosting a networking fair from 4:30-6:30 pm, Oct. 12, so students can meet businesses and organizations involved in sustainability initiatives.

UN Sustainable Development Goals, Oct. 12 (Saskatoon)
The USSU Sustainability Committee and the Office of Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan, are hosting a UN Sustainable Development Goals training seminar from 6:30-9:30 pm, Oct. 12.

NatureCity Festival Celebration & Planning Kick-Off, Oct. 12 (Saskatoon)
Wild About Saskatoon is hosting an evening of celebration and fun as they begin planning for NatureCity Festival 2018 at 7 pm, Oct. 12. Everyone is welcome.

Seeking Sustainability: Practices for Mindful Living, Oct. 14 (Saskatoon)
Churches for Environmental Action are presenting a workshop on Oct. 14 on Seeking Sustainability: Practices for Mindful Living.

Vermicomposting for Families, Oct. 15 (Regina)
Learn about vermicomposting for families from 2-3 pm, Oct. 15, at the Sunrise Branch, Regina Public Library.

Looking Ahead
Renewables in Remote Communities, Oct. 24-27 (Whitehorse)
Pembina Institute is hosting a Renewables in Remote Microgrids / Communities conference from Oct. 24-27 in Whitehorse.

Wilderness First Aid, Oct. 27-29 (Lumsden)
SaskOutdoors is offering a Wilderness First Aid course, Oct. 27-29, in Lumsden.

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

In the News
"Local energy has only become possible with renewables, which can be installed at small scale . . . . As wind and solar get cheaper the technology opens up all sorts of new opportunities for people to take ownership of their energy supply, and have a stake in their own services." [book review]

Toilet paper was clogging the pipes; the Netherlands used it to pave a bike path.

NYC is mandating that existing buildings become energy-efficient. It’s an expensive but effective way to cut carbon emissions.

Wildlife collisions are expensive. Fences and over/underpasses can pay for themselves.

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

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

EcoSask News, September 12, 2017

Upcoming Events
Kids Clubs @ Royal Sask Museum (Regina)
From biology mixed with art to artifact and gallery exploration – registration is now open for the kids club fall programs at Regina’s Royal Saskatchewan Museum.

Chubby Round Birds, Sept. 14 (Saskatoon)
Songbirds get a lot of attention, but Lyndon Penner will share his enthusiasm for short, chubby birds such as grouse at Wild Birds Unlimited at 7 pm, Sept. 14.

Buffalo Pound/Nicole Flats Photo Trip, Sept. 16 (Regina) 
Join the Regina Photo Club on a field trip to Buffalo Pound/Nicole Flats on Sept. 16.

Royal Astronomical Society General Meeting, Sept. 18 (Saskatoon) 
The Royal Astronomical Society, Saskatoon Centre, is holding a general meeting from 8-9:30 pm, Sept. 18.

The Spread of Purple Loosestrife, Sept. 18 (Regina)
Teresa Bomersbach, Sask Polytech, will discuss the spread of purple loosestrife at the 7:30 pm, Sept. 18 meeting of Nature Regina.

Sustainability in Saskatoon & Edmonton, Sept. 19 (Saskatoon)
Cody Sharpe will discuss The Stories Behind the Policy: Sustainability in Saskatoon & Edmonton at 7 pm, Sept. 19, as part of the SES/Public Library Sustainable Speaker Series.

H2oil, Sept. 20 (Regina)
Cinema Politica is screening H2oil about the Canadian tar sands at 7 pm, Sept. 20.

Riskier Climate Times in the Prairie Provinces, Sept. 21 (Saskatoon)
Elaine Wheaton, University of Saskatchewan, will discuss riskier climate times in the prairie provinces at the 7:30 pm, Sept. 21 meeting of the Saskatoon Nature Society.

Looking Ahead
Introduction to Passive House High Performance Buildings, Sept. 30 (Saskatoon)
Introduction to Passive House High Performance Buildings, providing an overview of the core principles of Passive House design and building energy efficiency regulations in Canada, is being offered in Saskatoon on Sept. 30.

Nature Retreat, Oct. 13-15 (Ness Creek)
SaskOutdoors is hosting a nature retreat Oct. 13-15 at the Ness Creek site near Big River.

Flowing Waters Conference, Oct. 17-19 (AB)
Partners FOR the Saskatchewan River Basin and the North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance are hosting their annual conference in Leduc, AB, Oct. 17-19. The theme is Flowing Waters: Water Quality and Transboundary Issues in the Saskatchewan River Basin.

Nature Regina Field Trips
Sept. 23, 9 am-noon – Condie Nature Refuge
Check Nature Regina’s website for full details and updated information.

Saskatoon Nature Society Field Trips
Golden Eagles 
Sept. 21, 8 am – Fall Migration South of Delisle
Retirees and partners who are interested in birds and the natural world are invited to participate in Golden Eagle field trips.

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

In the News
Due to budget cuts to the Meewasin Valley Authority, Beaver Creek Conservation Area, Saskatoon, will be closed on weekends and holidays from October 2017 through to March 2018.

In its first year, the Saskatchewan Environmental Society's solar energy project on the roof of the Two Twenty supplied nearly a third of the building's energy and saved 20 tonnes of greenhouse gases.

Edmonton's mayor wants a section of the city's river valley to become a provincial park similar to Fish Creek Provincial Park in Calgary.

These cities are swooping in to save bats with bat fests and citizen bat enthusiasts.

Solar power and honey bees make a sweet combo in Minnesota.

From greening the operating room to energy and waste reduction - a climate action playbook for hospitals.

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

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

EcoSask News, October 25, 2016

Upcoming Events
Native Plant Workshop, Oct. 25 (Regina) 
Natural Urban Landscape is hosting a native plant workshop and seed giveaway at 6 pm, Oct. 25, in Regina.

Challenges of Multiple Species Management, Oct. 26 (SK)
Samantha Fischer will talk about the Challenges of multiple species management: Effects of cattle grazing and resting rangeland on songbird abundance in the mixed-grass prairie at 7:30 pm, Oct. 26, at Val Marie. The presentation is part of PCAP-SK’s Native Prairie Speaker Series.

Trevor Herriot Book Launch, Oct. 27 (Regina)
Trevor Herriot is launching his latest book, Towards a Prairie Atonement, from 7-9 pm, Oct. 27, at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, Regina.

For more book suggestions, check our list of Saskatchewan nature and environment books.

Big, Flat & Beautiful, Oct. 26-Nov. 24 (Saskatoon)
A. Elizabeth Muirhead offers an unapologetic ode to the prairies in her fibre art exhibit in The Gallery, Frances Morrison Library, Oct. 26-Nov. 24.

Hallowe’en at the Creek, Oct. 29 (Saskatoon)
Take in a special Hallowe’en celebration at Beaver Creek Conservation area from 6-11:30 pm, Oct. 29.

Pet a Porcupine, Oct. 30 (Saskatoon) 
Pet Georgia, a friendly North American porcupine, from 1-2 pm, Oct. 30, at Wild Birds Unlimited.

Saskatchewan’s Hydro Option, Nov. 2 (Saskatoon)
Naomi Christianen, Canada West Foundation, will discuss Saskatchewan’s hydro option at the Nov. 2 meeting of the SK Energy Management Task Force.

Fence Marking at Grasslands, Nov. 7-9 (SK)
Grasslands National Park is looking for volunteers to attach markers along the fence line from Nov. 7-9. Contact Danielle.Grant@pc.gc.ca for additional information.

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

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

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

EcoSask News, February 9, 2016

Upcoming Events
Great Backyard Bird Count, Feb. 12-15 
Join the Great Backyard Bird Count, Feb. 12-15, and help create a snapshot of where the birds are in North America.

Bird Banding & Citizen Naturalists, Feb. 15 (Regina)
Join Nature Regina at 7:30 pm, Feb. 15, for a discussion about banding birds and how we as citizen naturalists can help to provide a link between field observations and the gathering of data.

Family Week at Beaver Creek, Feb. 15-19
Enjoy winter walks, a craft and information about owls at the Beaver Creek Interpretive Centre from Feb. 15-19.

Electric Vehicle Movement, Feb. 16 
Kent Rathwell, Sun Country Highway, will discuss electric vehicles and filling stations at 7 pm, Feb. 16, at the Frances Morrison Library as part of the Sustainable Speaker Series.

Sustainability through Disruption, Feb. 18 
Kent Rathwell and his wife run bird seed company Sun Country Farms, Saskatchewan’s first zero-emission company and installs electric vehicle charging stations. He’ll be speaking at the Saskatoon Nature Society’s monthly meeting at 7:30 pm, Feb. 18.

Field Trips
Young Naturalists 
Mar. 12, 1-3 pm – Great Horned Owl Ecology
Apr. 9, 1-2:30 pm – Birdhouse Workshop
Space is limited; register early to avoid disappointment.

Other Saskatoon Nature Society Field Trips 
Feb. 13, 1-3 pm – Weir and City Park Birding
Feb. 27, 9 am–5 pm – Gardiner Dam Field Trip
Check the Saskatoon Nature Society’s website for full details and updated information.

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

News
SK’s First Bullfrog-Powered Hotel
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel and Conference Centre has become the first hotel in Saskatchewan to be powered by Bullfrog Power. Bullfrog Power will ensure that all the power used in the conference and meeting rooms as well as the three Hilton HHonors floors comes from clean, green sources.

Single-Stream Recycling is a Pain in the Glass 
“a quarter of single-stream recycling is hauled to the dump due to cross-contamination. Glass represents roughly 40 percent of landfilled recyclables”

Biodiversity in Vancouver 
“The Vancouver Park Board has voted unanimously in favour of a biodiversity strategy that will see 25 hectares of ‘natural area’ in the city restored or enhanced by 2020.” Restoration projects are designed to protect 20 species that have been designated at risk.

Energy Storage
A Welsh home has installed the UK’s first Tesla Powerwall. Solar-power energy not used during the day will be stored and become available in the evening when the family is at home.

Powered by Poo 
A Welsh dairy farm is creating enough biogas from manure to power 6,000 homes. The farmer insists he is only going to use waste to create power rather than switching from food to fuel crops. "We're here to make cheese, and if we can make power out of what was once waste, that's great. And there is plenty of muck to go round." 

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

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

EcoSask News, March 10, 2015

Recreation and Parks Master Plan Open House, Mar. 12
The City is holding open houses to give the public an opportunity to review the Recreation and Parks Master Plan on March 12 (Cosmo Civic Centre) from 12-2 and 5-8 pm.

Beaver Creek Nature Hikes, March
Join an interpreter Sundays at 2:30 pm during the month of March for a hike and discussion about how canines adapt to find their prey. Beaver Creek Conservation Area is currently open from 9-5 weekdays and 12-5 weekends and holidays.

Saskatoon Zoo Run, Apr. 19
Join the Saskatoon Zoo Society’s fun run/walk at 9 am, April 19 and raise funds for the Zoo Club program.

Building a Sustainable Future, Mar. 17
Join the Saskatchewan Environmental Society’s Director of Environmental Policy, Peter Prebble, and SES board members at 7 pm, Mar. 17, for a discussion about the unsustainable nature of our province's economic growth, climate change, and biodiversity loss. They’ll propose policies that could lead us to a more sustainable future.

Solar Power Cooperative, Mar. 19
Peter Prebble will discuss the Saskatchewan Environmental Society’s plans to establish a solar power cooperative at the Mar. 19 meeting of PermaSask. This is a well thought-out plan with the promise of huge benefits for Saskatoon residents.

Do You Want a 33rd Street Bridge?
Thousands of people visit the weir every year to admire the pelicans, sniff the wild roses, and walk or run. A 33rd Street bridge would destroy one of Saskatoon’s loveliest natural places. And for what? Research clearly shows that when we build more roads (or bridges), we invite more cars.

Saving a Tower Full of Water
Water fixture retrofits in the Education Building, University of Saskatchewan, have saved 41 million litres of water since they were installed in 2012. “The volume of water saved each year due to the retrofit would fill 10 floors of the 11-storey Arts Tower.”

Meewasin’s Resource Management
Congratulations to Renny Grilz (South Saskatchewan River Watershed Stewards) on his new job as Resource Management Officer with the Meewasin Valley Authority. He replaces Luc Delanoy who is retiring after 32 years of passionate conservation work.

Canada’s Species at Risk
"Mitigation does not facilitate species’ recovery – at best, it decreases the impact of harm; at worst, when applied as the primary policy for protecting species at risk, it leads to death by a thousand cuts."

Wild Nature
The Wild Farm Alliance promotes healthy agriculture that protects and restores wild nature.

EcoSask News is a weekly round-up of local news and events. Email us if you have items you would like us to include. Additional upcoming events can be found on our Calendar. 

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

EcoSask News, July 1, 2014

Events
Wild Zoo Weekends, June 28 - Sept. 1
The Saskatoon Zoo Society will be setting up special touch table displays and wild animal programs on weekends and holiday Mondays throughout the summer from 10 am – 4 pm.

Beaver Creek’s Birds, July 3, 12, 22, 31
Learn more about Beaver Creek’s birds as part of the Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship program on July 3, 12, 22, and 31.

Creating Monarch Friendly Habitat, July 10
Learn how to create a successful butterfly habitat in a full-day workshop at the Saskatoon Forestry Farm and Zoo on July 10.

Thought Provoking
Some environmental issues have relatively straightforward solutions (buy new light bulbs, start a compost pile), but others demand much more of us. Here are just two examples:

Green Sex: “It is better for the environment if a couple enjoys international air travel, eats a high-meat diet, each drive an SUV, never recycles, and lives in a large, free-standing home, but never has a biological child"

100-Mile Travel Diet: “Perhaps it’s time for the concept of a 100-mile travel diet to join our lexicon along with its culinary cousin. Either way, we need to ditch the environmentally destructive and, frankly, classist, travel narratives in which whomever travels furthest, to the most exotic locale, wins. We can discover ourselves in ways that don’t kill the planet."

Thumbs Up
Aquavist Manitoba is a grassroots movement designed to save all the rivers and lakes in the Lake Winnipeg watershed.

The Meewasin Valley Authority has just released its strategic plan for 2014-2024. Strategic priorities include updating the Meewasin Valley boundaries to secure riverbank and significant natural and heritage areas, extending the Meewasin Trail, promoting activities in all seasons of the year, developing a framework for conservation planning aimed at maintaining biodiversity and heritage valley-wide, and developing a Northeast Swale interpretive plan.

Thumbs Down
Fashion is killing our rivers. Find out more and help support RiverBlue, a documentary being produced by Canadian Mark Angelo about the impact of the textile and tannery industries on the world’s rivers.

EcoSask News is a weekly round-up of local news and events. Email us if you have items you would like us to include. Additional upcoming events can be found on our Calendar.

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