EcoSask News, December 8, 2020

Upcoming Events 

Fish & Water Boatman, Dec. 10 (online) 

Stephen Srayko will discuss fish predation on migratory water boatman at the 7:30 pm, Dec. 10, online meeting of the Saskatoon Nature Society. Join the Society to participate. 

Members’ Slides, Dec. 14 (Regina) 

Members of Nature Regina will share their photographs from 7-8:30 pm, Dec. 14. 

For Our Kids SK, Dec. 14 (online) 

For Our Kids Saskatchewan will be meeting online at 7 pm, Dec. 14. 

Backyard Christmas Bird Count, Dec. 14-Jan. 5 (Regina) 

Nature Regina is inviting as many members as possible to record the number of birds at their feeders between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5. 

STEAM Powered New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31 (online) 

Join the Saskatchewan Science Centre in celebrating an out-of-the box New Year’s celebration full of STEAM experiments and activities. Order your kit before Dec. 14 to ensure a timely delivery. 

A full list of upcoming events (online and in person) can be found on the EcoFriendly Sask Calendar 

Local News 

Shanon Zachidniak, founder of Regina’ EnviroCollective and now a city councillor, says she isn’t interested in arguing with people. Instead, she wants to build relationships and hopefully expand each other’s perspectives. 

From Information to Action 

The average car loses ¼- 2 kg of tire fragments annually, making car tires one of the top 7 contributors of plastic in the world’s oceans. 

The US Department of Transportation has released its first Pedestrian Safety Action Plan in an effort to reduce pedestrian fatalities and injuries. 

North Dakota’s water supplies are at risk from contaminants from fracking wastewater, but residents are fighting back. 

Next-generation solar cells promise to be cheaper and more efficient. 

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). 

Check out EcoFriendly Sask’s Nature Companion, a free nature app for Canada’s four western provinces

EcoSask News, June 21, 2016

Coming Soon
Bike Valet Volunteers, June 22 (Saskatoon)
Come find out about upcoming Bike Valet events and sign up as a volunteer from 7-9 pm, June 22, at The Karma – Conscious Café & Eatery. Email cyclingeventsyxe@gmail.com for more info or to RSVP.

Invasive Plant ID Day, June 22 (Moose Jaw)
The Moose Jaw River Watershed Stewards are hosting an Invasive Plant ID Day on June 22 in Moose Jaw.

SaskOutdoors Interpretive Road Trip, July 1-10 (SK)
SaskOutdoors will be visiting 4 provincial parks this summer with a variety of activities: early morning bird walks, pond dipping, photography hikes, campfire building and tarp setting workshops.
Cypress Hills – July 1-3
Great Blue Heron – July 4-6
Narrow Hills – July 7-8
Greenwater Lake – July 9-10

Species at Risk Farm Program, July 6 (webinar)
Tracy Hansen, Simply Ag, will be talking about the SK Species at Risk Farm Program: Habitat Protection and Enhancement in a July 6 webinar sponsored by PCAP-SK.

Scavengers & Outcasts, until July 9 (Saskatoon)
The Saskatchewan Craft Council’s current exhibit, running until July 9, features unloved animals - scavengers and outcasts.

Wildlife Rehab. Volunteer Orientation, July 9 (Saskatoon)
Wildlife Rehabilitation Society of Saskatchewan is holding a volunteer orientation session in Saskatoon on July 9.

Nebo Bioblitz, July 9 (SK)
Help Nature Conservancy of Canada identify all kinds of wildlife at their Nebo property on July 9.

Saskatoon Nature Society Field Trips
July 1, 9 am-2 pm – Wild Orchids Field Trip
July 2, 8 am-5 pm – Tiger Hills Upland Field Trip
July 9 – North American Butterfly Count
Check the Saskatoon Nature Society’s website for full details and updated information.

Looking Ahead
Grasslands Star Nights, July 22-23
The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada will be hosting public star nights in the West Block, Grasslands National Park on July 22-23.

Fairy Hill Dance Performances, July 15-17 (Regina)
New Dance Horizons will be performing at the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s Fairy Hill property (20 minute drive north of Regina) July 15-17.

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

Interesting News
What does it mean to be native in the city? “To sustain biodiversity across the Anthropocene it will be necessary to avoid extinctions while sustaining the evolutionary processes that produce biodiversity. A focus on native plantings – inherently the natives of the past — has the potential to make cities into biodiversity museums – or worse.”

Four concrete steps Canada could take to reduce national emissions

Peregrine falcons have returned to Regina’s City Hall

Slick Water by Andrew Nikiforuk raises questions about the role of Big Oil in government, society’s obsession with rapidly depleting supplies of unconventional oil and gas, and the future of civil society

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, January 26, 2016

Upcoming Events
Open House: Bridges, Jan. 26 & 27
The City of Saskatoon is holding open houses to discuss the North Commuter Parkway and Traffic Bridge:
6 pm, Jan. 26 – Forest Grove School Library
5:30 pm, Jan. 27 – Marion Graham Collegiate 

Purple Martins, Jan. 30 (Fort Qu’Appelle) 
Join the Fort Qu’Appelle Nature Society at 7 pm, Jan. 30, for a talk on being a good host to purple martins. Additional information about purple martins is available on the Purple Martin Conservation Association website.

Growing Native Plants, Feb. 2 (Regina) 
There will be a workshop on planning a native garden at the launch of Natural Urban Landscapes: A Guide to Growing Native Plants in Saskatchewan (Malin Hansen & Laura Ambrose, editors) at 7 pm, Feb. 2, in Regina. Copies are available at Nature's Best Market, Eat Healthy Foods, and the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, Regina, and will be available in Saskatoon and from the NPSS store in future.

Inhabit: A Permaculture Perspective, Feb. 4
Enjoy a free screening of Inhabit: A Permaculture Perspective from 7-9 pm, Feb. 4, at the Frances Morrison Library.

Climate Change Education, Feb. 5 
Dr. Joseph Henderson will share his research on climate change education at 3 pm, Feb. 5, at the College of Education, U of S.

Below Zero, Feb. 6 (Regina) 
Join SaskOutdoors on a sub-zero safari into the winter world of wildlife at 12 pm, Feb. 6, Regina.

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

News 
Setting the Agenda 
Climate Friendly Zone Saskatchewan is launching a five-week pre-election campaign to empower Saskatchewan residents who want to engage on the issue of climate change.

Waste Diversion 
In the past two years, less and less waste has been diverted from the landfill. Saskatoon City Council wants to reverse the decline and has hired a consultant to come up with a plan. The study will include Saskatoon’s businesses and private landfills.

Edmonton Tool Library
A couple of Edmontonians have decided to set up a downtown tool library where people can borrow tools just like they borrow books. A tool library provides people with access to tools that they only need occasionally and may not have space to store or money to purchase.

Good Reads
In North Dakota’s booming oil patch one tribe beat back fracking (#WomanPower).

Practical tips for a greener workplace.

What role can cities play in saving bees?

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).