Water Rangers: Testing the Quality of Canada's Water

Many Canadians spend their summers at the lake, while others relish riverside walks or paddle boarding. We tend to assume that our waters are clean and healthy – but are they? According to the World Wildlife Fund’s 2017 Watershed Reports, we lack data on the water quality of 100 out of 167 of our watersheds. Of the ones that have been tested, 42 out of 67 are rated Poor or Fair. 

Getting Started 

In 2014, Kat Kavanagh was staying at her family’s lakefront cottage and went out with her father when he did his regular test for water quality. Her father had accumulated 10 years’ worth of data, but the lab results were hard to understand and there was no easy way to compare and share the information. Kat was determined to develop a public data-sharing platform, so she and a team of other web designers and developers took her idea and a team to the Aquahacking challenge in 2015. They won: Water Rangers was underway. 

Once the platform was in place, the organization took a look at the water testing kits that were currently on the market. They were dismayed to discover the kits were very expensive and difficult to use. Water Rangers went on to design and distribute their own kit to people in Canada and beyond so they could collect and share community data on the Water Rangers’ free, open platform. 

Water Testing Kit 

Water Rangers test kits can be purchased online and are also being distributed for use in a variety of grant-funded projects. Some groups are testing for changes over time while others, such as a group monitoring mining activity in New Brunswick, have a particular concern and want data so they can hold authorities responsible. 

The kits provide valuable information about water temperature, conductivity, pH, alkalinity, hardness, dissolved oxygen, and water clarity. Different species have different temperature and dissolved oxygen requirements, and many species such as fish, frogs and insects can’t survive without oxygen. Similarly, many species can only survive if the pH is within a certain range. The kits also measure the water’s ability to conduct an electrical current. “Higher conductivity means there are more dissolved ions in the water, which is usually associated with more pollution.” 

Graduate students at Carleton University compared the results from the Water Rangers’ kit with those obtained using a professional probe and determined the kits were very accurate and provided reliable data. 

The kits have some limitations. Tests for toxicity are not included in the kits as they are really expensive. However, participants are encouraged to take photographs, which provide a graphic record of dead fish or algae bloom. Drinking water quality must be tested in a lab, but some of the tests in the kit, such as high conductivity or low dissolved oxygen, do alert you to a potential problem. 

Participants can add their data to an open-source platform so anyone who is interested can check the water quality in their area or compare results with other areas and over time. One of the organization’s goals is to increase its capacity to share its results with researchers and decision-makers. 

Testing water quality on a regular basis benefits participants personally as they spend more time outdoors and visit new locations. They also share what they’ve learned about water and the importance of protecting the environment with their friends and families. 

Large Projects in Ontario & Saskatchewan 

Water Rangers is currently involved in two large water-testing projects. In partnership with Canadian Freshwater Alliance and the Government of Ontario’s Great Lakes Local Action Fund, volunteers in the Lake Erie watershed are using the Water Rangers kits to test their local water bodies on a monthly basis from April to October 2021. Volunteers will also help with shoreline clean-ups, plant trees and wildflowers, and learn about local wildlife. 

Dr. Kerri Finlay started a water monitoring project at the University of Regina with volunteers at 2 lakes in 2017 and 6 in 2018. Once she learned about Water Rangers, she reached out and began a partnership that would expand the program. 43 volunteers are testing water across Saskatchewan this summer, from the Qu’Appelle Valley to Emma Lake. Many of the volunteers have cottages or visit the lakes frequently, so they’re being encouraged to test frequently. The results are uploaded to the Water Rangers’ database and will also be shared on the Gordon Foundation’s DataStream. Long-term goals include expanding the testing to more remote sites that are visited less often, improving communication back to volunteers, and adding to the kit so users can test for nutrients in the water. Over time, they hope to verify the reliability of community-based water monitoring programs and enhance collaboration between citizen and professional stakeholders to inform policies and decisions that affect our lakes, rivers, and streams. 

Additional Activities 

Other organizations share the Water Rangers’ belief in the value of monitoring water quality. The Gordon Foundation’s DataStream is an online platform for sharing information about freshwater health. They are currently uploading water testing results from the Mackenzie Basin, the Atlantic provinces, Lake Winnipeg, and, starting in fall 2021, the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence region. 

In British Columbia, the Environment Ministry has established Algae Watch, relying on volunteers to contribute information to help the government obtain a better understanding of when and where algae blooms are happening around the province. Water Rangers hope to be able to test for algae blooms in future. Algae blooms have significant side effects on human and animal health and they are starting to appear in places such as Lake Superior where they never happened in the past. 

Dr. Elaine Ho-Tassone led the creation of a community-based water quality monitoring program at Garden River First Nation. Water Rangers test kits were used by community members to collect nearly a thousand data points over the pilot program in 2021, which (coupled with benthic surveys and, soon, E. coli testing) provides some of the most current and comprehensive data compiled in the area of the St. Marys River Area of Concern. Now, three other First Nations across the binational Area of Concern - including one in the United States - are interested in coordinating the collection of community data using Water Rangers test kits and/or their online open data app. This project's data were also part of the October 2021 launch of Gordon Foundation's Great Lakes DataStream platform.

Water First is a charitable organization addressing water issues faced by Indigenous communities. They have been using the Water Rangers test kits in their Indigenous school program. 

Acknowledgements 

Emelia Duguay, Sustainable Development Coordinator, Water Rangers, and Erin Ennis, Summer Student Coordinator – Citizen Science Project, University of Regina in partnership with Water Rangers, graciously provided a wealth of information about the work their organizations are doing – thank you!

Further information and clarification (see above) was provided by Dr. Elaine Ho-Tassone in November 2021.

Photo credits: Water Rangers

EcoFriendly Sask supports Saskatchewan environmental initiatives through an online publication, an events calendar, small grants, and the Nature Companion website/app. You can follow EcoFriendly Sask by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, or subscribing by email (top right corner).

Introducing Nature Companion: An Entry-Level Nature App for Canada's Four Western Provinces

“Be an explorer of your own streams and oceans . . . . It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” Henry David Thoreau 

You’re walking in a park or by a river and you spot a small frog, an orange butterfly, a bird pecking on a tree, or a shrub with red berries. What is it? Is the animal you spotted from a distance a coyote or a cougar? What is the tall yellow flower growing beside the road?

Four years ago, Andrew McKinlay was hiking in Big Bend National Park in Texas and was frustrated. He was seeing all sorts of interesting plants, insects, trees, and other wildlife but was struggling to identify them. “What I need is one app that lists the most common plants, trees, animals, insects, reptiles, and birds that I’ll find in a particular area,” he said. “There are lots of specific bird, flower, or insect guides, but nothing together in one convenient package that I can download on my phone for easy access.”

 And so began a new EcoFriendly Sask project. Developed for curious observers, people who are interested in nature, the Nature Companion website/app will help you identify plants and animals in your community or as you travel in Canada’s four western provinces. In just one app, you’ll find basic information about over 300 common plants, trees, birds, animals, insects, reptiles, and amphibians.

Scroll through the colourful photographs and short descriptions to find out more about nature in your community and enjoy the unexpected details in the Did you know? section at the end of each description.

Nature Companion is free (no ads or sign up). It can be accessed either on or off line and can be installed on your phone or tablet.

Whether you’re travelling in another province, an expert on birds but not on reptiles, young or old, or a newcomer to Canada, we hope you will find Nature Companion a useful guide as you explore the natural world.

If you know someone - or many someones - who might be interested in Nature Companion, please share it with them.

A huge vote of thanks to our early reviewers who provided so many helpful suggestions that we've done our best to incorporate into Nature Companion. Please email us your feedback - we'd love to hear from you.

PS Check the Help (the ? at the top right) for assistance in installing the app. The initial download may be slow, but the app should be faster after that.

"The lasting pleasures of contact with the natural world are not reserved for scientists but are available to anyone who will place themselves under the influence of earth, sea and sky and their amazing life." Rachel Carson

EcoSask News, June 16, 2020

 

Upcoming Events 

Ours to Save, Ours to Lose, June 18 (webinar) 

Join Dan Kraus, Nature Conservancy of Canada, as he discusses the plants and animals that are unique to Canada at 11:30 am (SK time), June 18. 

Summer Solstice, June 21 (Regina) 

You’re invited to gather on Wascana Hill to greet the sunrise and the beginning of summer at 4:45 am, June 21. 

Nature Sask AGM, June 22 (online) 

Nature Saskatchewan will be holding its annual general meeting online at 7 pm, June 22. 

Wildlife Research during a Global Quarantine, June 22 (webinar) 

Ryan Brook will discuss wildlife research during a global quarantine: tracking the rapid spread of invasive wild pigs during a noon-hour webinar on June 22. 

Group Excursion Leadership & Preparedness, June 23 (online) 

SaskOutdoors and Back40 Wilderness First Aid are hosting a webinar on group excursion leadership and preparedness from 7:30-8:30 pm, June 23. 

Women & the Energy Transition, June 23 (online) 

Pembina Institute is hosting a webinar panel discussion on the role of women in a changing energy economy from 11 am-12:15 pm (SK time), June 23. 

Sask River Basin AGM, June 24 (Saskatoon) 

The annual general meeting of Partners FOR the Saskatchewan River Basin will be held at 10 am, June 24. 

Carrot River Valley Watershed AGM, June 26 (Melfort) 

The Carrot River Valley Watershed Association is holding its annual general meeting at 1 pm, June 26, in Melfort. Email crwatershed@gmail.com by June 23 to register. 

Supporting Wild Bee Diversity, June 26 (webinar) 

Join SaskOrganics for a live webinar on supporting wild bee diversity on farms from 9:30-10:30 am, June 26. 

Zoo Training, June 29 (Saskatoon) 

The Saskatoon Zoo Society is looking for volunteer interpreters to help with their Wild Weekends programming. Find out more at the volunteer training session from 6-8 pm, June 29. 

Creating an Ecological Society, June 29 (webinar) 

This 2 ½ hour UK-based webinar on creating an ecological society will explore the relationship between social and ecological problems on June 29, 8-10:30 am (SK time). 

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

Local News 

Explore Regina's green spaces with self-directed guides from Nature Regina 

Nature Saskatchewan is asking residents to post sightings of burrowing owls 

Prince Albert’s plastic bag ban has been put on hold until the end of the current state of emergency 

From Information to Action 

A Yukon First Nation plans to open a native plant nursery to support mine reclamation work 

Could cabbages, rapeseed, and sunflowers replace mining as a source of lithium, a key component of electronics and electric vehicles? 

Carbon-neutral coffee via wind power: “Sometimes long-distance transport is necessary for a balanced and sustainable supply chain, so sail cargoes have a role to play in that” 

We’re drowning in light: human beings, when faced with the availability of a cheaper and more efficient lighting technology, simply use more of it 

“Spending time with wild animals and plants, observing them, considering what they need to survive and thrive, exponentially expands our sense of family. . . . All of these plants and animals, these urban trees, sidewalk beetles, pearl-winged pigeons, are our neighbors” 

Miyawaki Forests – converting barren land into a thriving forest in a span of 3 years 

5 inventions illustrating the future of solar energy [10-minute video] 

Natural Wonders 

Jeremy, the love-lorn lefty snail 

Parenting helps shape bigger brains – in jays, crows, and ravens 

The Big Bat Year – 29 countries, 396 species 

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).

Saskatchewan Contributes to a Green New Deal for Canada

In February 2019, two Democratic members of the US House of Representatives introduced a Green New Deal resolution. The plan incorporated “a massive program of investments in clean-energy jobs and infrastructure, meant to transform not just the energy sector, but the entire economy. It is meant both to decarbonize the economy and to make it fairer and more just.” The proposal has generated interest worldwide, responding to a common concern that governments are not doing enough to address the climate emergency and social injustice.

In Canada, a coalition of concerned citizens and organizations decided to instigate a Green New Deal for Canada. The coalition invited Canadians to sign a Pact for a Green New Deal, which “demands we cut emissions in half by 2030, protect critical cultural and biological diversity, create a million jobs, and address the multiple crises we face through a holistic and far reaching plan that respects the constitutionally enshrined and internationally recognized rights of Indigenous peoples.”

The coalition went on to invite communities across Canada to hold town hall meetings to develop and refine the plan for a Green New Deal. Over 150 events involving more than 7,000 people were held in communities across Canada in May 2018.

Saskatchewan hosted 3 town hall meetings in Prince Albert, Regina, and Saskatoon, all of which were very well attended.

Prince Albert
Nancy Carswell, Council of Canadians – Prince Albert Chapter, reports that they were very pleased with the turnout in Prince Albert.

On a national level, Prince Albert participants wanted to hold corporations accountable for pollution and regulate automakers to achieve higher sustainability standards. They recommended that the government improve building standards, invest in renewable public transportation, ban single-use plastics, end uranium extraction, and legislate earth-friendly and healthy food production (e.g. eliminate pesticides, restrict hormones, limit distances food can travel). Participants supported proportional representation, a national basic annual income, universal pharmacare and dental care, as well as a national housing first policy offering cooperative, low-carbon affordable green housing, especially for Indigenous communities.

On a local level, participants focused on personal initiatives. These included travelling less and avoiding use of cars, investing in solar and wind energy, shopping locally and supporting farmers’ markets, participating in climate justice activism, voting for candidates who are committed to the environment, working in solidarity with Indigenous people, and embracing and becoming an advocate for diverse communities.

Regina
Jim Elliott, Council of Canadians – Regina Chapter, says there was a mix of local, provincial, and national issues raised at their town hall meeting. These ranged from stopping construction on flood plains to eliminating urban sprawl and tax havens for the rich, and abolishing the Indian Act. There were lots of ideas on energy conservation, ending oil and gas subsidies, and achieving renewable quicker.

Jim says, “What was rewarding was the breadth of thought from cultural industries to housing, education, water, agriculture, welcoming refugees, and listening to children and elders.”

Saskatoon
Dianne Rhodes, a member of Climate Justice Saskatoon, was one of the organizers of Saskatoon’s town hall meeting.

Federal concerns included transportation (need for better bike lanes, electric cars, and green electricity sources); keeping air, water, and soil clean; the federal election as an opportunity to move things forward; and reconciliation. Participants wanted to work with unions to find green jobs for workers on pipelines and in extractive industries. They felt it was important to work together and to counteract what the public is hearing from the extractive industries.

The discussion on community initiatives focused on personal, individual actions such as composting, talking to family and friends about what’s going on, retrofitting homes, gardening, spending time outdoors, and learning more about nature.

National Compilation
Each group forwarded the local feedback for compilation into a national plan. Responses were then sorted into categories with the following areas emerging as key priorities:

Economy and Government: a legally binding climate target keeping global warming to 1.5°C; a green jobs plan ensuring fossil fuel workers and affected community members receive the training and support needed to guarantee good, dignified work; increased unionization and implementation of workers’ rights; and personal and public subsidies for greener technology.

Green Infrastructure: massive public investments in the infrastructure to build a 100% renewable energy economy, sustainable public transportation, and prioritization of local renewable energy creation.

Social Justice: justice and equity for marginalized communities, free post-secondary education, full access to quality public services, permanent resident status and family unity for refugees and immigrants, and payment of Canada’s share of the climate debt of southern countries impacted by practices and decisions in Canada and of corporations operating abroad.

Fossil Fuels: freeze all new projects, develop a plan to phase out fossil fuels and move to 100% renewable energy by 2040, and eliminate fossil fuel subsidies from provincial and federal governments.

Biodiversity & Nature: grant personhood protection to forests and bodies of water, create an environmental bill of rights, stop dumping waste into bodies of water, greater protection for critical biodiversity and natural areas, and protection of at least 30% of land and waters by 2030.

Plastics: develop alternatives to single-use plastics, legislate curtailment of excessive packaging, and end boil water advisories in Indigenous communities.

Democracy: end corporate lobbying and introduce proportional representation. Indigenous Sovereignty: full recognition of Indigenous title and rights.

Moving Ahead
The town hall meetings were an initial step towards uniting, developing a voice, and obtaining a green new deal. National organizers are recommending continued discussions and further coalition-building, particularly with groups that are not traditionally included in environmental discussions.

Plans are in place nationally to hold 100 non-partisan, all-candidate debates on the environment prior to the federal election.

Both Prince Albert and Regina are planning follow-up meetings.

Saskatoon is planning a full-day event on September 20 as part of the global Climate Strike initiative. All local groups will be invited to participate. “We want it to be a big, family-friendly day of coming together and sharing information,” Dianne says.

Climate Justice Saskatoon is following Regina’s lead and has initiated a petition encouraging the City of Saskatoon to become a blue dot community in support of the right to a healthy environment. The Council of Canadians’ Prince Albert chapter has been working on a similar initiative with a specific focus on water.

To get involved, contact one of the following organizations: 
Council of Canadians – Prince Albert Chapter
Council of Canadians – Regina Chapter
EnviroCollective
Climate Justice Saskatoon

Saskatoon's NatureCity Festival: Reconnecting City Dwellers with Nature

Living in a city with streets and buildings, carefully manicured gardens and pets, it’s easy to feel that humans have tamed nature. If nature does intrude on our neatly planned urban lives with a winter storm or a coyote sighting, we often become irritated. Nature is great so long as it’s pretty (pelicans at the weir) and manageable (parks with walkways and playgrounds).

Several years ago a group of volunteers, under the leadership of Candace Savage, came together to reconnect city dwellers with the wild lives and life-sustaining processes going on all around us. Wild About Saskatoon sponsors the annual NatureCity Festival whose long-term purpose is to foster a broad and vocal community, ready to take action to protect the diversity of life both at home and elsewhere.

The first festival was held in 2013, and it has been held every year since. Plans are already underway for the 2016 NatureCity Festival from May 24-29.

Festival Participation
One of the most exciting aspects of Saskatoon’s NatureCity Festival is the diversity of organizations hosting activities during the week-long event. The Wild About Saskatoon volunteer collective organizes a handful of keynote activities, but the bulk of the programming is carried out by local groups who are invited to draw attention to the natural beauty of our city and the many ways in which we rely on nature to survive.

1800 people participated in the 2015 Festival, a 20% increase over 2014, with 72 organizations and businesses taking part. Activities ranged from art exhibits, animal yoga poses, and a concert by the river to a plant exchange, wetland cleanup, native plant hike, and birding for beginners.

Keynote Events
Each year, Wild About Saskatoon invites guest speakers to contribute to the local conversation around urban nature. In addition to a public event, the speakers frequently facilitate workshops for municipal officials, volunteer advocates, and other interested parties.

A 2015 workshop on creating nature-oriented play spaces for children was sold out and attracted participation from both school systems and other agencies such as the Saskatoon Tribal Council and provincial Ministry of Education.

The theme of the 2015 Festival was Healthy by Nature and helped to create connections with the health care community.

Free programming for school groups of all age levels supplements the public program. 2015 activities included a trip to Chappell Marsh, insects, bees, bison, and Aboriginal traditional knowledge.

2016 NatureCity Festival
Planning is underway for the 2016 NatureCity Festival and there are various new initiatives to look forward to.

Maria Campbell, author, playwright, cultural teacher, and Métis elder, has agreed to be the keynote speaker on May 24 at the Broadway Theatre. She will address the theme of Reconciliation with the Land. What will it mean, now and in the future, to live respectfully with our own home place, right here in the city of Saskatoon? How can we honour all our relations: the birds, animals and plants that share this place with us – the land, the air, and the water that sustain our lives?

A panel discussion on March 17 at Station 20 West involving Indigenous people and organizations will provide an opportunity to begin considering the theme in terms of reconciliation among prairie peoples.

Festival organizers believe that connecting with the natural landscape can make newcomers feel more at home, so they are making an extra effort this year to involve newcomers in Festival activities. Organizations are invited to a lunch-time meeting on January 26 with Larissa Sandri Meleiro from the Saskatoon Open Door Society who will share ideas on how to plan events with new Canadians in mind.

The Northeast Swale is central to discussions around urban planning in Saskatoon and honouring our relations with the birds, plants, and animals that share this space with us. Wild About Saskatoon, in conjunction with the Northeast Swale Watchers and Meewasin Valley Authority, is planning a Bioblitz of the Swale during the Festival to establish permanent monitoring quadrants that can be re-assessed periodically to keep track of how the area is changing.

National Impact
Saskatoon’s NatureCity Festival has attracted national attention.

The work that Wild About Saskatoon has been doing, together with a similar event the group inspired in Vancouver (Wild about Vancouver) has been noticed by Earth Day Canada and the Canadian Wildlife Federation. Those two organizations are now applying for funding to encourage the creation of similar events in Halifax, Fredericton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary and Edmonton, with Wild About Saskatoon as advisers.

Writes Lindsay Bunce of Earth Day Canada, "We have been so inspired by the work that you...have launched in Saskatoon...."

If you or your organization is interested in participating in the 2016 NatureCity Festival, contact Wild About Saskatoon at wildaboutsaskatoon@gmail.com or sign up online

EcoFriendly Sask is proud to be an annual sponsor of Wild About Saskatoon’s NatureCity Festival.

Photo Credit: Photo #1 and #3 - Branimir Gjetvaj, Photo #2 - Karin Schwier, Photo #4 - Candace Savage

Permaculture: Practical Solutions for Restoring Healthy Ecosystems

"What permaculturists are doing is the most important activity that any group is doing on the planet. We don't know what details of a truly sustainable future are going to be like, but we need options, we need people experimenting in all kinds of ways and permaculturists are one of the critical gangs that are doing that." David Suzuki 

What is Permaculture? 
“Permaculture is a design system that focuses on meeting human needs – habitat, food, shelter, community, energy – while at the same time healing and regenerating the natural environment,” explains Joanne Blythe, a member of the Permaculture Research Institute of Saskatchewan (Permasask). “It’s a framework for developing solutions, for fixing what we’ve done wrong,” says Mark McLaughlin, Permasask.

Bill Mollison, one of permaculture’s founders, describes permaculture as “a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted and thoughtful observation rather than protracted and thoughtless labor; and of looking at plants and animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single product system."

The first step in any permaculture project is to observe nature in order to support the natural systems rather than impose an external order. “We haven’t been trained to observe,” Joanne says. “For every hour of work on the ground, we should do 100 hours of observation. Our western culture has taught us to act quickly with very little observation, but that may not be the best approach.”

Permaculturalists try to look at the big picture and to see how things are connected. Initial activities have focused on gardening because food is central to our survival and one way that people can take responsibility, relatively easily, for their own well-being. Garden designers take into account the local climate, water, and light, choosing plants that are well suited to the local environment as well as plants that grow well together.

Permaculture principles can be applied broadly. When designing a residence, permaculturalists look at the placement and size of the house on the land, ways to reduce the ecological footprint of the house, renewable energy sources, rainwater run-off, root cellars and cold rooms to store food, a water tank for garden use or possibly drinking water, etc.

They pay particular attention to placing the elements in relation to one another in order to enhance their functioning and facilitate the system functioning as a whole rather than as isolated, individual parts.

“You look at the whole situation, observe all the opportunities, and choose the ones which will work best together,” Joanne explains. “You’re not just growing carrots or raising chickens. You’re developing an ecosystem. Heat from the chicken coop can warm the greenhouse, and the manure will fertilize the garden.”

“You try to find as many connections as possible,” Mark says. “That’s the really exciting, nerdy side of it.”

Permasask 
In 2009, Ken McLeod took a two-week Permaculture Design Certificate course with Jesse Lemieux of Pacific Permaculture. Ken invited Jesse to come to Saskatoon in January 2010 to give a public talk and two-day introductory permaculture workshop. The events generated a lot of interest, so organizers decided to offer the full two-week course in the summer. Approximately 24 people attended the course, and some of them decided to start a group.

The Permaculture Research Institute of Saskatchewan was officially incorporated in 2011 as a non-profit organization, and the group currently has over 50 members. They host workshops, film nights, monthly potlucks, and other educational events, as well as organizing permablitzes. Membership includes a discount on workshops, a 10% discount at Turning the Tide bookstore, and a monthly digital newsletter.

The monthly potlucks are open to everyone – you don’t have to be a member – and there is usually a guest speaker. Recent topics have included urban beekeeping, native plants, water harvesting, and a seed exchange.

In March 2014, Permasask offered a two-day introductory permaculture course in Saskatoon. They are currently developing their own permaculture design certificate course. Instead of offering the course as a two-week block, which many people find difficult to attend, they hope to offer a series of weekend workshops, once a month for six months. This format has been offered successfully in other centres and constitutes the full 72-hour Permaculture Design Certificate course, in which each participant completes at least one permaculture design.

Permablitzes
Permasask holds several permablitzes every year. A group of people gather at a member’s yard to implement a permaculture design that has been prepared by someone who has taken the two-week permaculture design program.

The design usually focuses on enhanced food production. The host, who must be a member of Permasask, provides lunch and supplies and agrees to participate in three further permablitzes.

“The blitzes are an opportunity to put permaculture ideas into practice and to offer hands-on demonstrations,” Joanne says. “People work so hard. We offer some mini workshops over the course of the day so that volunteers and host alike get a lot out of the day. A lot of learning takes place during the permablitz.”

In addition to helping individuals, permablitzes build community. “Working together, there’s a great feeling of camaraderie,” Mark says. “The last blitz was really good. We always get the backbone of the design done but not always the fun, last-minute touches. Last time we did it all and were finished a half hour early.”

Around the World and Across Canada 
Permaculture has its origins in the intense discussions between a teacher, Bill Mollison, and a student, David Holmgren, in Tasmania, Australia, in the mid ‘70s. The men were looking for a positive direction forward and a concrete way to address the energy crisis and land degradation. Permaculture UK was founded in 1983, while the Permaculture Institute USA was founded in 1997.

The permaculture movement is particularly active in Western Canada and three groups have strongly influenced Permasask.

Jesse Lemieux, Pacific Permaculture, taught the first permaculture design course in Saskatoon. He offers permaculture design courses and consulting services from his base on Bowen Island, BC.

Tayler Krawczyk, a graduate of the first design course in Saskatoon, was instrumental in establishing the Ness Creek Forest Garden, which incorporates chickens, a pond, an edible hedgerow, and a passive solar greenhouse. Tayler and Solara Goldwynn operate Hatchet & Seed: Edible Landscaping and Applied Permaculture out of North Saanich, Vancouver Island.

Verge Permaculture is a Calgary-based company. Michelle and Rob Avis provide guidance on renewable energy solutions, ecological landscape design and regeneration, as well as offering permaculture design courses.

The Future of Permaculture 
As permaculture develops in a community, people branch out and develop permaculture-related businesses. The most common are permaculture design consultants and teachers, some of whom are listed in the previous section.

This is just beginning to happen in Saskatoon. Happy Bug Farms is using permaculture principles to guide their farming practices. A Permasask member hopes to start a day care based on permaculture principles.

The Transition movement, which is most active in the United Kingdom, was created by a permaculture teacher using permaculture principles and is a program for transitioning to a post-oil society. It demonstrates the full breadth of permaculture possibilities, from community-owned businesses and energy to local currency.

Conclusion 
Permaculture is a positive, optimistic approach to addressing current environmental problems. “We acknowledge we’re in big trouble,” Mark says, “but we don’t let that freeze us.”

“We’re a creative species,” Joanne adds. “We can use that creativity to find solutions, to create relationships that benefit the planet and all its creatures.”

Additional Resources 
Gaia’s Garden, A Guide to Home Scale Permaculture, Toby Hemenway

Ron Berezan, The Urban Farmer – resource list for the prairie climate

Permaculture Calgary Guild

Big Sky Permaculture, Calgary – photos of their projects

Harvest Moon Local Food Initiative, Manitoba – Prairie Culture: Regenerative Agriculture Workshops (strawbale building, forest gardening, grey water systems, root cellar building, etc.)

Pattern Literacy – Toby Hemenway

Regenerative Design Institute at Commonweal Garden

Photo Credit: Permasask Facebook page