EcoSask News, October 5, 2021

Upcoming Events 

Find out about all-season composting at an online Regina Public Library presentation at 7 pm, Oct. 7. 

Join Meewasin staff in removing invasive European buckthorn from Saskatoon Natural Grasslands on Oct. 12 or 15 (morning and afternoon sessions). 

The Saskatchewan Association for Environmental Law is holding its annual general meeting online at 7 pm, Oct. 14. 

Library of Things, Saskatoon, will be open for pick-ups by reservation from the back door in the alley from 1-4 pm, Oct. 15. 

Looking Ahead 

The Saskatchewan Environmental Society is offering online training on Nov. 5 & 19 to help non-profits and small businesses operate their buildings more efficiently. 

Full details on all upcoming events can be found on the EcoFriendly Sask Calendar

 

Local News 

Iain Phillips, Saskatchewan’s senior ecologist for aquatic macroinvertebrates, says that climate change and environmental degradation are playing havoc with aquatic insects. “And what happens to the insects he studies can be a valuable early warning sign of environmental problems.” [CBC News] 

The City of Regina is exploring noise reduction options in response to residents’ complaints about noise on the Ring Road. [Global News] 

Making Smart Choices 

“Pumped hydro has an important role to play in the renewable energy transition, but only where projects cause minimal harm to people and nature” [The Conversation] 

In the last 3 years, 10% of Vancouver’s building permits were in areas prone to flooding. Warmer temperatures will strain electrical distribution systems and transportation systems throughout the country. We need to publicize the risks, build for resilience, and take climate change into account [Canadian Institute for Climate Choices] 

Bad for us and bad for the planet – traces of 122 different pesticides in the 12 most polluted fruit and vegetable products, many with links to cancer and groundwater contamination [The Guardian] 

Canadians who purchase cheap fast fashion from online retailers may be exposing themselves to potentially toxic chemicals. For example, a jacket for toddlers contained almost 20 times the amount of lead that Health Canada says is safe for children [CBC Marketplace] 

An international review of the cruise ship industry “finds that cruising is a major source of environmental pollution and degradation, with air, water, soil, fragile habitats and areas and wildlife affected” [Science Daily]

 

Read, Watch, and Play 

A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching: Getting to Know the World’s Most Misunderstood Bird by Rosemary Mosco is “part field guide, part history, part ornithology primer, and altogether fun” [Saskatoon Public Library] 

You may also enjoy 10 Surprising Facts about Pigeons and Rita’s Re-Coop-eration 

11 new bird- and nature-themed books for kids – from hummingbird migration to dandelion seed travels and piping plover parents [Audubon] 

Orphaned, an hour-long documentary, examines Alberta’s ‘orphaned’ wells. “Thousands sit idle, ‘orphaned’ by companies that went bankrupt and left the pricey cleanup for taxpayers to take care of." A problem but also an opportunity for new purposes and new jobs [Calgary Herald]

In Season, a new video game, you’re invited to join a bicycle-riding woman as she travels around the world documenting plants, animals, and cultures before a mysterious cataclysm washes them away [Season]

Free! In honour of our 10th anniversary, we’re giving away individual or sets of our souvenir glasses. Email us if you’re interested. Supplies are limited, so act fast :-)

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).

EcoSask News, June 22, 2021

This Week’s Highlights 

Help weed and mulch the 200 fruit-bearing trees and shrubs on the east side of the river between the Circle Drive and train bridges from 1-4 pm, Saturday, June 26. Tools will be provided. Contact Jordan for additional information (306-380-9565, jrs260@usask.ca). 

Want to reduce your carbon footprint? Switch from videoconferencing to voice-only online meetings and you’ll reduce your environmental impact by 96%. [Anthropocene] 

Upcoming Events 

Have your say on the City of Saskatoon’s Green Infrastructure Strategy at a virtual workshop from 1-3 pm, June 24, or 7-9:30 pm, June 29. Or you can complete an online survey from now until July 4. 

Nature Conservancy of Canada is hosting a webinar on tackling invasive species from 11:30 am-12:30 pm, June 24. 

City of Regina residents can dispose of hazardous waste from 4-7 pm on Friday, 9 am-4 pm, Saturday, and 9 am-4 pm, Sunday, June 25-27. 

EnviroCollective Regina will be holding an online meeting from 7-9 pm, June 28.

Looking Ahead 

Enjoy art classes in a natural setting at Ness Creek from July 26-29.

 

Local News 

“In a province that’s home to nearly half of Canada’s arable land . . . the impact of farming operations on downstream water bodies is huge. . . . a careful balance has to be struck between the vital economic necessities of farming and protecting the environment for the future” [Saskatoon StarPhoenix] 

Find out more about the prairies with games and activities from the Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan, including an interactive game, a field guide to the plants and animals living on the prairies, and field activities. 

What a Good Idea! 

E-scooter fees will partially fund a $2 million program to add 3 miles of protected bike lanes in downtown Miami. [Planetizen] 

The online shopping boom calls for new urban freight options to reduce emissions, air pollution, and traffic congestion. Here are 10 proven options as well as 4 new ones. [Pembina Institute] 

Ten Bold Ideas: Accelerating Climate Action in the 2020s offers some intriguing ideas, such as a repair workshop on every main street, menu flipping, and real golf. [Possible] 

Over 100 wildflower meadows, funded by the municipalities, have been planted in Germany’s largest cities over the past 3 years. Their goal is to protect Germany’s wild bees, more than half of which are endangered or on the verge of extinction. [The Guardian] 

A colony of rare orchids, thought to be extinct in the UK, has been discovered in the rooftop garden of a London bank, demonstrating that green infrastructure can protect and maintain biodiversity. [The Guardian] 

We Can Do Better! 

Cascades: Creating a Sustainable Health System in a Climate Crisis wants to engage the health care community in climate action and is hosting a listening tour, starting July 7. [Centre for Sustainable Health Systems] 

A proposed lithium mine in Nevada highlights a dilemma facing green tech: it’s still reliant on extractive industries. Opponents “assert that the mining industry is simply greenwashing old practices and exploiting the political climate that favors green energy, while using the laws that have enabled dispossession and destroyed environments for over a century.” [Earth Island Journal] 

“Peatlands, such as fens, bogs, marshes and swamps, cover just 3% of the Earth’s total land surface, yet store over one-third of the planet’s soil carbon.” They’re drying out or being destroyed, and that’s a problem. [The Conversation] 

If you’re looking for hard economic data to support climate action, check out The economics of climate change: no action not an option, which states, “The world economy could be 10% smaller if the 2050 net-zero emissions and Paris Agreement targets on climate change are not met.” [Swiss Re Institute] 

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 subscribe by email (top right corner).

Nature Companion, a free nature app/website for Canada's 4 western provinces

Nature Apps for Kids

We did some digging on the internet and came up with some nature apps that we think look great for families with kids. This is by no means a comprehensive list but will hopefully serve as a good starting point. 

Nature Identification Apps 

iNaturalist is a great place to share your observations of nature. If you can’t work out what something is, there’s sure to be someone on iNaturalist who will be able to help you. You can also participate in various projects, pooling your observations with those of others (e.g. City Nature Challenge). (free, android and iOS) 

Seek was developed by iNaturalist and uses image recognition software to help you identify plants and animals. Point your camera at a living thing and Seek will tell you what it is. (free, android and iOS) 

Three other apps that use image recognition software are Leafsnap (free, android and iOS), Plantsnap ($ and free, android and iOS), and Picture Insect (free, android and iOS). 

Many animals are shy and hard to spot, but with iTrack Wildlife you may be able to identify them by their tracks. iTrack Basic includes the tracks of 40 common mammals, while iTrack Pro includes over 800 track photographs. ($, android and iOS) 

Audubon Owls Guide, an interactive guide to North America’s 19 owl species, offers descriptions, range maps, and audio vocalizations to help you identify the owls in your neighbourhood. (free, iOS) 

Audubon offers a wide variety of other nature apps, including Mammals, Birds, Wildflowers, Mushrooms, and Reptiles. 

With Sky Guide/Sky Map, you can point your phone at the sky and identify stars, constellations, and satellites. Sky Guide is highly recommended for iOS ($), while Sky Map may be a better android option (free).

 

Nature Stories & Games 

Find the Birds brings bird watching to the screen. Visit Arizona to discover its birds. Complete conservation quests to improve the birds’ habitats, and collect information cards with photos, videos, and sounds. The next geographic region to be added to the game will be British Columbia. (free, iOS and android) 

Animals for Kids is a fun way for 1-4 year olds to learn the names and sounds of different animals. Bonus - you can learn the animals’ names in 7 different languages. ($, android and iOS) 

Care for our World, an animated story book, incorporates an animal encyclopedia, colouring pages, and a game. You can also place animals in custom habitats. ($, iOS) 

WWF Together lets you interact with endangered animals to find out how they live. You can try out “tiger vision,” flap your wings like a butterfly, and chop the panda’s bamboo. (free, iOS) 

What is your family's favorite nature app? Have you found a good app for identifying Canadian trees? Let us know and we'll add them to the list.

Nature Companion 

Last, but definitely not least, we encourage everyone to download EcoFriendly Sask’s Nature Companion, which introduces over 300 of the trees, plants, insects, reptiles, animals, and birds found in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia. Nature Companion provides short, easy-to-understand descriptions and colourful photographs along with a Did you know? section with interesting, unexpected details about each species. 

We think it’s an amazing resource for children, tourists, newcomers, and curious observers who are eager to learn more about the world around them. It’s free (and ad-free) and can be downloaded directly from the Nature Companion website Help page. 

Nature Companion has “been a great teaching tool for my inquisitive kid who always asks me 1000 questions including what kind of bird or tree he's looking at...it’s nice to have that info accessible and easy to find. K. gives this app a big thumbs-up as does his mom who now knows which yellow bird is always in our yard (yellow warbler!)” [Nicole] 

See Also 

Educational Resources for Kids on Nature and the Environment 

Nature and Environmental Programming for Children and Youth 

Safe Outdoor Adventures for Kids 

Outdoor Explorations in Saskatchewan

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 by email (top right corner).

A New Year's Chorus of Birds

Songs, snacks, glamour, and games – welcome in 2021 with a bevy of birds. 

The carol of the birds is performed by Nancy Rumbel and friends, including black-capped chickadees, red-winged blackbird, song sparrow, house finch, pine siskins, and mourning dove. 

Bird Bingo features 64 species of birds from around the world – mark them off on your card and bingo! 

“The ravens of Mount Seymour are well known for their lunch and snack stealing prowess. On almost every hiking or snowshoeing trip there we’ve witnessed a skilful heist of one sort or another, with prizes ranging from sandwiches to chocolate bars to full party-sized bags of chips.”

 

Just eat one chip when there are three? Not a chance, said the crow! 

“The strangest bird I’ve ever seen is called the Bokhara Trumpeter. Such a mass of feathers crowns its head that it looks disturbingly faceless, like a living tassel. Long plumes jut out from its ankles, like a second pair of wings. But for all its gaudiness, the Bokhara Trumpeter is, in fact, just a specialized breed of pigeon. It’s a frou-frou version of the same bird you might see choking down an entire Pop-Tart on the streets of any major city. 

“The Bokhara Trumpeter is one end-point of humanity’s long entanglement with pigeons, a relationship that began when the birds were first domesticated at least five thousand years ago. Since that time, pigeons have carried love-letters and military dispatches, assisted fortune-tellers, and inspired cutthroat bird-racing subcultures.” 

See also: 10 Surprising Facts about Pigeons 

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

Did you know? Evening Grosbeak's thick, cone-shaped beak is very strong and can crush large seeds, such as cherries and olives.

Santa Goes Green: Games, Books & Magazines

We've found some fun stuff to amuse you over the holidays. Enjoy!

Magazine 

Biographic, an online photography magazine, shares images and stories of some amazing species from around the world. There’s a female flying fox who carries her nursing pup under her wings as she moves from foraging grounds to roost, a sinuous comb jelly that resembles an underwater strip of the Northern Lights, and a video of the sacred salamanders of Mexico City. 

Books 

Based on the popular webcomic, Bird and Moon, Birding is my Favorite Video Game by Rosemary Mosco “is a collection of fun, quasi-educational comics combining weird science, cute visuals, sweet wit, and a strong environmental message.” 

Looking for more environmental cartoons? Check out Green Humour by Rohan Chakravarty. 

All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis edited by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine K. Wilkinson is an anthology of women’s art, poetry, and prose on climate change. “My heart is moved by all I cannot save: So much has been destroyed/I have to cast my lot with those who age after age, perversely/with no extraordinary power, reconstitute the world.” (Adrienne Rich) 

Kids’ Books for All to Enjoy 

Wild Symphony by Dan Brown takes you on a world tour to meet a wide variety of creatures. As you can expect from this author, there are clues and coded messages. Plus you can play related songs by hovering your smart phone’s camera over each page. 

Get your kids hooked on astronomy when they’re still toddlers with the Animals in the Sky board book by Sara Gillingham. (The 10 Best Children's Books of 2020, Smithsonian Magazine)

Ed Emberley’s Drawing Book of Animals explains how to use a few simple shapes, letters, numbers, and symbols to draw almost any animal. 

Games 

Create your own nature reserve, follow monarch butterflies on their migration, try your hand at evolution with these natural history board games. 

You can also rethink orthodox economic theories with a tactical card game. 

 

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

Did you know? Birds and other predators know that Monarchs taste horrible and stay away.

New Year's Eve Special 2019

Greetings! We’ve got apps, comic strips, Instagram accounts, graphic novels, and even a game to help you welcome in a green new year.

A new generation of naturalists & environmental activists:
BirdGirl is a 17-year-old birder and environmentalist who wants to remove the barriers from visual minority ethnic (VME) people getting into nature.

Diary of a Young Naturalist chronicles 15-year-old Dara McAnulty’s world in Northern Ireland.

@glacier996girl introduces climate change to a younger audience.

Next Generation Naturalists is a Kamloops group for 17-22 year olds, facilitated by the Kamloops Naturalist Club.

Comic strips, graphic novels, games, & Instagram:
Consider the vulture: a comic strip that gently reminds us that we will all return to the earth someday.

Follow the story of two ecologists studying quail in the Sierra Nevada in a short art game.

@colinfranksphotography takes photos of birds in Victoria, BC.

@everydayclimatechange, photographers on six continents, document climate change.

Rain, a graphic novel by Mary and Bryan Talbot, is both a love story and a flood story: “ a desperate appeal on behalf of our land, our lives and the lives of our “non-human fellow earthlings.”

There’s an app for that:
Eevie is an eco habit tracker, designed to help you improve your carbon impact by making small changes every day.

Lens is designed to help us explore our surroundings - from identifying plants and animals to scanning and translating text or seeing what’s popular on menus.

They may be shy and retiring, but they still leave tracks in the snow. Find out their identity with iTrack Wildlife.

Help identify plants as part of a citizen science project with Pl@ntNet.

“The only lost cause is the one we give up on before we enter the struggle.” – Vaclav Havel

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

Boxing Day Specials 2018

"Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts."  Rachel Carson 

Books, games, videos, and more to enjoy during the holidays.

Play 
There’s an award-winning video game based on Thoreau’s Walden: “It opens in the summer and for a virtual year, the player, Thoreau, can build a cabin, plant and harvest beans, jot down thoughts in a journal, collect arrowheads, go fishing, and, should the mood strike, stroll over to Ralph Waldo Emerson’s place for a bit of conversation.”

Try your hand at growing a forest with sunlight as your currency in the Photosynthesis board game.

Watch 
Geckos are known for their acrobatic feats. But did you know they can actually race on water?

These microscopic images of seeds are extraordinary.

Discover 
From a purple-flowering yam to a 24-metre tall rainforest tree, Kew Gardens’ scientists identified 172 plants new to science in 2018.

Read 
Fox 8 by George Saunders is the story of a fox who learns to talk Yunan by listening to children’s bedtime stories, goes shopping at the mall, and tries to save his pack when their food supply runs out.

"I come home with a chicken or a rabbit and sit up singing all night with my friends. It’s baroque, my life, and I tell it on the mountain. I wouldn’t trade it for yours."  Coyote, William Stafford

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, November 20, 2018

Upcoming Events 
Why We Should Listen to the Plants, Nov. 20 (Saskatoon)
Dr. Prakash Venglat will discuss what we can learn from plants about stress, adaptability, and thriving in new environments at the 7:30 pm, Nov. 20, meeting of Café Scientifique Saskatoon.

Human-Polar Bear Conflicts, Nov. 23 (Saskatoon)
There will be a presentation on Human-Polar Bear Conflicts at 3:30 pm, Nov. 23, as part of the WildEcol Seminar series.

Ferruginous Hawks, Nov. 24 (Fort Qu’Appelle)
Ryan Fisher will discuss ferruginous hawk research on the Prairies at the 7 pm, Nov. 24, meeting of the Fort Qu’Appelle Nature Society. Meetings are held at the Fort Qu’Appelle Train Station.

Species at Risk: Grasslands National Park, Nov. 26 (Val Marie)
Parks Canada ecologists will provide an update on species at risk in Grasslands National Park at 7 pm, Nov. 26, in Val Marie.

Greater Sage-Grouse Update, Nov. 27 (Glentworth)
Ministry of Environment will provide an update on their work with Greater Sage-Grouse at 7 pm, Nov. 27, in Glentworth.

Forestry Farm Park & Zoo, Nov. 27 (Saskatoon)
The City of Saskatoon is hosting an information session to share the new Master Plan for the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo at 7 pm, Nov. 27. The Plan will be available online effective Nov. 28.

DIY Green Cleaners, Nov. 27 (Regina)
Learn how to eliminate toxins from your home and create natural cleaning products from 7-8:30 pm, Nov. 27, at the Sunrise Branch, Regina Public Library.

Storytime at the Zoo, Nov. 27/28 (Saskatoon)
Enjoy a story in the company of an animal at the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo from 1:30-2:30 pm, Nov. 27 & 28.

Sea of Life, Nov. 28 (Regina)
Sea of Life, a visit to the world’s oceans, will be screened at 6:30 pm, Nov. 28, in Regina.

Sharp-tailed Grouse, Nov. 29 (webinar)
Brandon Burda will discuss Sharp-tailed Grouse: Tools for Managing in a Changing Environment in a noon-hour webinar hosted by SK PCAP on Nov. 29.

Christmas in Who-scana-ville, Dec. 1 (Regina)
Wascana Centre is hosting an outdoor nature program for kids from 12-3 pm, Dec. 1.

Looking Ahead
Climate Alarm March, Dec. 8
Citizens for Climate are inviting communities around the world to join with people in France in holding a climate alarm march on Dec. 8 to to encourage world representatives during the COP24 to make serious commitments to adopt important measures limiting global warming.

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

In the News
Kristen Martin and Jared Clarke are fighting climate change with conviction and native grasses.

The City of Regina set a new record this year by collecting over 800 tonnes of leaf and yard waste. Due to increased volumes, they’ll be replacing current depots with a single site open from April-November with additional operating days.

Congratulations to Max Abraham on receiving the Meewasin Conservation Award 2018.

Saskatoon’s Northeast Swale Watchers are sharing information from panelists who presented at their last event – MORE Than an Urban Park on their Facebook page.

How will Saskatoon’s George Genereux Urban Regional Park be affected by development plans for the surrounding area?

The plastic backlash - what’s behind our sudden rage and will it make a difference?

Pathways to zero-energy buildings need to focus on energy efficiency as well as renewable energy options such as solar.

Both parks and cemeteries support bird diversity. More trees and a larger site contribute to greater species richness.

Conflicting priorities - grand old trees vs affordable housing.

World Climate Simulation game players come away with a strong desire to learn and do more about climate change.

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).