EcoSask News, November 17, 2020

Upcoming Events 

LEED Green Associate Training, Nov. 19 (online) 

USask students are invited to attend a LEED Green Associate training from 4-8:30 pm, Nov. 19. Check the CPAWS announcement for a discount code. 

Ministry Research, Nov. 20 (online) 

Learn about current wildlife research at the Saskatchewan Ministry of the Environment at the Wild Ecol Seminar at 3:30 pm, Nov. 20. 

Oil, Noise & Songbirds, Nov. 24 (online) 

There will be a discussion about the effects of oil development and anthropogenic noise on grassland songbirds at noon, Nov. 24, as part of SK PCAP’s Native Prairie Speaker Series. 

Natural Ecosystems, Nov. 24 (online) 

Branimir Gjetvaj will offer insights into ways to increase resilience of natural ecosystems in an online Sustainable Speakers series presentation from 7-8:30 pm, Nov. 24. 

Winter Cycling 101, Nov. 24 (online) 

Bridge City Bicycle Co-op and Saskatoon Cycles are offering tips and tricks on winter cycling at 7 pm, Nov. 24. 

Arthropod Enthusiasts, Nov. 27 (online) 

Arthropodata is offering a series of monthly webinars for arthropod and insect enthusiasts. The first webinar is from 1-2 pm, Nov. 27; register online. Follow Arhropodata on Twitter to stay up to date on speakers and seminars. 

Looking Ahead 

Teaching Outside in Cold Weather, Dec. 2 (online) 

Presented by Green Teacher, 4 Saskatchewan-based teachers from different age groups will answer questions about practical approaches to teaching outside in cold weather at 6:30 pm, Dec. 2.

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

Organizational Updates 

The Prince Albert Parkland Permaculture Guild is looking for volunteers to help replenish and organize the seed library (Covid protocols will be observed). 

The Saskatchewan Chapter of the Wildlife Society is encouraging wildlife and conservation professionals to purchase a membership to help keep the organization viable in a difficult period. Follow them on Facebook for the latest wildlife conservation news and events. 

SOS Trees Coalition is looking for volunteers to join their planning committee for the 2021 Arbor Week celebration. If you’re interested, email trees@sostrees.ca. 

In place of the traditional NatureCity Festival, Wild About Saskatoon will be launching the NatureCity Experience with adventure guides to local natural areas, a podcast, a potential speaker series, as well as contests, prizes, and posts to help build community. 

Campus Corps, an offshoot of The Climate Reality Project Canada, offers university students an opportunity to lead climate action and raise ambitions on their campuses. Complete information is available on the Campus Corps website.

Local News 

FSIN Vice-Chief Heather Bear says, “Not only in our region but throughout Canada, throughout North America, water is a resource that is so at risk right now because of industry.” 

Fields with “messy” stuff – wetlands, wooded areas, fence rows, pastures – are more productive. 

From Information to Action 

The shipping of goods around the world produces more CO2 than the aviation industry. The industry must set a net-zero target for 2050 and a realistic plan to meet it. 

Alberta has established principles of good practice for citizen science projects. 

For the Young (and the Young at Heart) 

Kids can explore sailing, coastal communities, and marine conservation virtually with Outdoor Council of Canada’s Ships2Shores. 

Imaginative program adaptations – an online summer camp, streets for kids, and a park scavenger hunt. 

Save the Earth with a Sketch - looks like fun and you could win a contest and get published as well. 

Just for Fun 

From a hippo herd to graceful seals, photographs remind us why conservation matters. 

Dutch students have built a two-seater electric car made entirely from waste. 

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). 

Did you know? The bald eagle’s wings are flat as a board when they fly.

Dare to Dream: 2019 EcoFriendly Action Grants

In 2019, 54 organizations and individuals in Saskatchewan applied for an EcoFriendly Action Grant because they believed that they could make a difference by undertaking a project to protect, preserve, or repair our natural environment. EcoFriendly Sask supported their efforts with over $33,600 in grants.

From individuals and small rural communities to provincial organizations, their efforts involved bees and other pollinators, waste reduction, food security, land and water, trees and shrubs, nature activities for kids, organizational development, and Saskatoon’s NatureCity Festival. Take a look at what they accomplished.




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.

Wildlife-Friendly Urban Planning

Saskatoon Joins the Urban Wildlife Information Network

For the first time ever, over half the world’s population lives in urban areas, and that number is expected to grow to 68% by 2050. Most of this growth is expected to occur in small and medium-sized cities, such as Regina and Saskatoon. Sprawl magnifies the challenges of a rapidly growing urban population as our cities are growing twice as fast spatially as population-wise. “It’s not going to slow down,” Katie Harris says. “We need to start putting into place initiatives that will combat habitat fragmentation and barriers to wildlife movement.”

Urban centres such as Saskatoon are a mix of buildings, parking lots, and streets, but there is also river valley, swale, slough, and wetlands. “There are patches of wildlife habitat within the non-habitat,” Katie explains. “Animals use those areas.” One recent study found that green areas outside the downtown core contained as many ground-dwelling mammals as did rural areas. The researchers noted that “this phenomenon of relatively unchanged fauna outside the downtown area shows that small cities have the potential to maintain a high level of diversity of small ground-dwelling mammals if appropriate planning of further building expansion is implemented. More studies of small cities are needed to better assess their impact on biodiversity. This knowledge can then be applied in better planning for urban wildlife.”

No one knows what or how many wild animals live within the confines of Saskatoon. Katie Harris, in conjunction with the international Urban Wildlife Information Network (UWIN), plans to find out.

Katie is working on her Master’s degree at the University of Saskatchewan. She describes herself as a “northern Manitoba girl” who grew up watching wildlife and going for walks in the bush. This was supplemented by 10 years of camping and environmental initiatives through Girl Guides of Canada. Katie has a dual diploma in conservation/restoration ecology and wildlife/fisheries conservation from Lakeland College as well as a Bachelor’s degree majoring in environmental science. She has just started working on her Master’s degree in animal science with funding from an NSERC scholarship. “The scholarship has given me greater flexibility in choosing my research topic,” Katie says. “They’re highly competitive awards and I’m proud to have received one.”

Katie will be studying urban mammals living in Saskatoon’s fragmented urban landscape. A key element of her research will be to establish Saskatoon’s first-ever database documenting the wildlife living within the city. Her findings will contribute to the Urban Wildlife Information Network’s database, providing an opportunity to compare what is happening in Saskatoon with what is happening around the world.

Saskatoon is the second Canadian city (after Edmonton) to join the Urban Wildlife Information Network. The Network’s partners contribute to the largest international study on urban wildlife in existence gaining valuable opportunities to share information based on comparative data. Dr. Maureen Murray of the Urban Wildlife Institute, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, was the keynote speaker at the 2019 NatureCity Festival, providing an overview of the importance of the work being undertaken by UWIN's partners.

A small committee of community partners (University of Saskatchewan, City of Saskatoon, Meewasin Valley Authority, Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park and Zoo, Saskatoon Nature Society) is assisting Katie with her work. The Forestry Farm Park and Zoo generously contributed 25 trail cameras that will be used to track the wildlife that move about the city. Cameras already set up in the Northeast Swale will be used to provide supplementary data.

The cameras will be set up along a transect with north/south and east/west lines leading away from the central point at Meewasin’s downtown office building. The cameras will be set up within one kilometre on either side of the transect and about a kilometre apart. Their placement will carefully follow UWIN’s guidelines in order to provide relevant comparisons with other cities based on the degree of habitat fragmentation and population density.

Katie’s focus will be on the mammals that show up on the cameras, but the material will be archived and available for other researchers who may want to study birds, reptiles, or other wild creatures. Privacy will be maintained by blurring human faces and making an effort not to install cameras on private property. There will be opportunities for the public to get involved in checking to make sure the cameras are still in place and in helping to identify wildlife on Zooniverse. Katie will also be sharing some of the photographs on social media.

Katie hopes the database will be a long-term, 30-50 year project providing a rich database for future biodiversity-friendly urban planning. “We need to adapt to the needs of urban wildlife,” Katie says. “It’s possible we won’t have these animals in future if we don’t become more flexible.”

If you would like to be involved in tracking urban wildlife, contact your local nature society or Nature Saskatchewan.

EcoSask News, October 22, 2019

Upcoming Events
Waste Reduction Conference, Oct. 22 (Prince Albert) 
The City of Prince Albert is hosting a Waste Reduction Week conference from 9:30 am-12 pm, Oct. 22.

Blood-Sucking Creatures, Oct. 25 (Moose Jaw) 
Richard Pickering will discuss blood-sucking creatures in Saskatchewan at the 7:30 pm, Oct. 25, meeting of the Moose Jaw Nature Society.

NWT Road Trip, Oct. 26 (Fort Qu’Appelle) 
There will be a presentation on a road trip through the Northwest Territories at the 7 pm, Oct. 26, meeting of the Fort Qu’Appelle Nature Society held at the Fort Qu’Appelle train station.

Repair Café, Oct. 26 (Gravelbourg) 
Gravelbourg is holding its first repair cafe from 9 am-12 pm, Oct. 26.

Repair Cafés, Oct. 26 (Saskatchewan)
Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council is hosting repair cafés in a number of Saskatchewan cities on Oct. 26 from 10 am-2 pm as part of Waste Reduction Week.

Household Hazardous Waste Day, Oct. 26 (Regina) 
City of Regina is holding a Household Hazardous Waste Day on Oct. 26.

Dark Skies at the Creek, Oct. 26 (Saskatoon) 
Celebrate International Bat Week with Meewasin at Beaver Creek from 12 – 11 pm.

NatureCity 2020 Celebration, Oct. 28 (Saskatoon) 
There will be a planning meeting for NatureCity Festival 2020 at 7 pm, Oct. 28.

Scary Birds, Oct. 28 (Saskatoon) 
Just in time for Hallowe’en, Lyndon Penner will introduce unsettling birds from around the world at 7 pm, Oct. 28.

Car Share Co-op AGM, Oct. 30 (Regina) 
Regina Car Share Co-op is holding its annual general meeting at 7 pm, Oct. 30, at 1109 East Broadway Avenue.

Goatsuckers, Oct. 30 (webinar) 
Mark Brigham will discuss Goatsuckers: The Enigma of Feathered Bats in a noon-hour webinar on Oct. 30.

Sharp-tailed Grouse, Nov. 1 (Regina) 
Brandon Burda will discuss Sharp-tailed Grouse: Habitat Selection and Population Trends in Saskatchewan from 2:30-3:45 pm, Nov. 1, at the University of Regina.

Looking Ahead
Build Sask Green, Nov. 14 (Regina) 
This year’s Build Sask Green conference is in Regina on Nov. 14.

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

In the News 

University of Saskatchewan 2018/2019 Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report.

“Frugality is an environmental statement that’s far more powerful than empty words or bumper stickers.”

What if we thought of our world as something precious to be handed down through time?

Planting native prairie could be a secret weapon for farmers.

Wildlife road crossings not only protect vulnerable animals and genetic diversity – they save money by preventing car repair and medical expenses following a collision.

“Because the House Sparrow can digest agricultural grains, they thrive pretty much anywhere—as long as it’s near people and our foodstuffs.”

Wildlife photographer of the year award winners.

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).

They Deserve an Award!

As part of Saskatoon’s 2019 NatureCity Festival, Wild about Saskatoon is offering awards to recognize the contributions of individuals, community initiatives, and businesses who advocate for the conservation and restoration of nature and natural areas in and around Saskatoon. The NatureCity Awards also honour people and projects that promote a relationship of belonging, connection, and care between local residents and the nature that surrounds us.

If you know someone who would be wildly deserving of this award, nominate them now. Awards will be made in each of 3 categories: Individual, Community Initiative, Business. Nominees must be a resident of Saskatoon or its surrounding area. They cannot have been a previous award recipient or be a member of the Wild about Saskatoon/NatureCity Festival steering committee.

Nominations must be submitted by May 1. Awards will be presented at a special ceremony during the 2019 NatureCity Festival from May 21-26.

See also: 2017 NatureCity Awards

Every One of Us Can be an Eco-Warrior

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” Mary Oliver 

Do you know an eco-warrior – someone who is putting energy and determination into protecting and preserving our natural environment? EcoFriendly Sask has the privilege of not only meeting some of Saskatchewan’s eco-warriors but of helping them out financially. They may not get their picture in the paper, but in so many different ways they are working to make this world a better place for all of us.

From January to June 2018, we distributed EcoFriendly Action Grants worth over $23,000 to 34 different groups. Here is just a sampling to demonstrate the groups' initiative, enthusiasm, and commitment.

Digging in the Dirt
The Grade 5/6 class at Englefeld School researched native trees and shrubs with fruits and berries for the birds to enjoy, voted for their favourites, and planted them in a future off-leash dog park. They planted mountain ash, wild rose, hazelnut, burning bush, gooseberry pixels, highbush cranberry, honeysuckle, elm, maple, scotch pine, spruce, birch, flat-needled spruce, and false sunflowers, attaching tags with the tree’s name and some fun facts.

20 children and 13 parents celebrated Earth Day at Redvers Public Library. They planted and learned how to take care of a flower pot and then listened to stories about bees and how to protect them.

Political Advocacy 
Stand Up for Meewasin organized a social media campaign prior to the last provincial budget to promote continued provincial funding for Meewasin Valley Authority.

Climate Justice Saskatoon is interviewing residents of coal-mining communities and preparing videos to share what they’ve learned about the social and political barriers to transitioning to renewable energy.

Less Waste – More Worms 
Kiskahikan School, Weyakwin, has purchased reusable cups, dishes, and cutlery to replace the disposable ones that were creating waste in the landfill.

The Grade 6 class at Minahik Waskahigan High School, Pinehouse Lake, spent several months learning how to compost and recycle. Worm composting was a huge success: “at some point all the students were engaged with them and we spent a lot of time examining them and how they were decomposing the food. We weren't able to get a lot of food from our classroom snacks so students would bring in food from home. I also heard from parents that students had started to talk about recycling and composting at home.” Recycling was trickier as Pinehouse Lake doesn’t have a community-wide recycling program. Every week the students filled multiple garbage bags with materials that would otherwise be sent to the dump, stored them in the classroom bathroom, and the teacher would fill up her car and take them with her when she visited Saskatoon.

Food Renew is working with local food businesses in Saskatoon to save and renew food that would otherwise be wasted and thrown away. The rescued food will be collected by volunteers and delivered to community groups and organizations who need it the most.

Organizational Support 
A crew of volunteers helped Nature Saskatchewan reshingle the monitoring station at the Last Mountain Bird Observatory – and EcoFriendly Sask helped purchase the shingles.

Every year NatureCity Festival invites the whole community to get outside and grow a little wild. Over 3,000 participants took part in over 60 events in 2018. EcoFriendly Sask is proud to have sponsored this event since its inception.

Water, Wildflowers, and Grasslands: Saskatoon's NatureCity Festival

With over 50 events spread over 7 days, there’s something for everyone at Saskatoon’s sixth annual NatureCity Festival. We’re highlighting just a handful of activities that connect us back to nature.

Water 
Free Wetland Field Trips at Chappell Marsh – May 23, 12:30-2:30 pm (a half-day session of experiential learning in the conservation area)

An Intro to Canoeing – May 24, 6-9 pm (a come-and-go workshop to learn the basics of canoes and safety equipment)

Chief Whitecap Waterway Voyageur Trek – May 27, 2-6 pm (feel the exhilaration of paddling and see the dynamic interplay of land and water)

Wildflowers 
Wildflower Identification Workshop – May 23, 7-9:15 pm (learn about the native violets, lilies, and irises in the Saskatoon region)

Path to Wild Food – May 25, 10:30 am-12 pm (explore native plants, wild foods, and “nature’s pharmacy” on a walk at Wanuskewin – please note time change)

Spring Wildflower Walk – May 27, 9-11 am (see early season wildflowers at Cranberry Flats)

Grasslands
Reclaim Our Prairie I – May 22, 7-8:30 pm (a presentation on our native prairie ecosystem, followed by an opportunity to plant native prairie seeds and seedlings)

Reclaim Our Prairie II – May 26, 3-3:45 pm (tour the St. Joseph Grassland Demonstration site at St. Joseph High School)

EcoSask News, May 15, 2018

Upcoming Events
Recycling, May 16 (Regina)
A lunch and learn on recycling will be held at noon, May 16, at Innovation Place Regina.

Zoom, May 17 (Regina)
View nature up close in the new exhibit at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum opening May 17.

Best Places to Bird in the Prairies, May 19 (Saskatoon)
Alan Smith will be signing copies of Best Places to Bird in the Prairies at 1 pm, May 19, at McNally Robinson Booksellers.

Management Targets for Grassland Songbirds, May 21 (Regina)
Join Nature Regina at 7 pm, May 21, for their AGM and a talk by Philip Rose on developing management targets for grassland songbird species at risk on native rangelands.

The Climate Crisis and its Solutions, May 23 (Regina)
Jared Clarke will speak on what can be done to address climate change in Saskatchewan from 7-8 pm, May 23.

Our Nationhood, May 23 (Regina)
Join Cinema Politica Regina for a screening of Our Nationhood on the Mi'gmaq people's ongoing struggle to maintain control over their natural resources at 6:30 pm, May 23.

Build a Bathouse, May 23 & June 11 (Saskatoon)
Nutana Community Association is hosting bathouse building workshops at 7:30 pm, May 23 or June 11.

Bicycle Tune-Up Workshop, May 24 (Saskatoon)
Bridge City Bicycle Co-op is hosting an Intro Bicycle Tune-up Workshop from 6:30-8 pm, May 24.

Greater Sage-Grouse Volunteer Event, May 24-27 (Grasslands National Park)
Help plant sagebrush as part of a Greater Sage-Grouse enhancement and restoration project at Grasslands National Park, May 24-27.

Nature Needs Half, May 25 (Saskatoon)
Harvey Locke will be explaining why nature needs half at 7 pm, May 25. An article in Planet S explains that keeping ecosystems healthy means giving them enough space to thrive.

Saskatoon Nature Society Field Trips
Golden Eagles 
May 24, 8 am – Warblers at the Forestry Farm
May 31, 7:30 am – Shorebirds in the Perdue Area
Retirees and partners who are interested in birds and the natural world are invited to participate in Golden Eagle field trips.

Other Saskatoon Nature Society Field Trips 
May 19, 8 am-9 pm – Quill Lakes Area Birding
May 20, 7-9:30 am – MVA Trail Bird Walk
June 2, 9 am-late evening – Last Mountain Lake Bird Sanctuary
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 

In the News
Members of Nature Regina spoke out about the importance of urban wildlife: “The animals make Regina what it is — and we’re going to have to find a way to share our city.”

Andrew Garn, author of The New York Pigeon, views pigeons as a gateway drug to nature as they are some of the only wildlife many city dwellers see.

The City of Saskatoon has published feedback from residents, businesses, and non-profits concerning Saskatoon’s climate action plan. Top priorities for all groups included energy efficiency and waste management.

The University of Saskatchewan has released its 2017 Sustainability Report.

Listen to an interview with Dr. Max Foran, author of The Subjugation of Canadian Wildlife: Failures of Principle and Policy. Foran argues that, “wildlife policies are as much – or more – about human needs, priorities, and profit as they are about preservation.”

Congratulations to municipalities looking for and finding new markets for recycled materials - but the long-term solution remains using less plastic and other waste materials.

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, May 8, 2018

Wow! What a line-up – from a garden tool swap in Saskatoon to birds, bees, and dinosaurs in Regina, compost in Yorkton, and a Moose Jaw road trip.

Upcoming Events 
Local Bats & Surprise Plants, May 8 (Saskatoon) 
Enjoy a surprise class about local bat rescue and a mystery plant family at the U of S from 7-9:30 pm, May 8.

Release the Bats, May 8 (Regina) 
The Saskatchewan Science Centre is releasing its overwintering bats at 8 pm, May 8.

U of S Lunch & Learn Series, May 11 (Saskatoon) 
Join the U of S Office of Sustainability from 12-1 pm, every third Friday of the month, for presentations and discussions on sustainability.

U of S The Fix, May 11 (Saskatoon) 
Join the U of S Office of Sustainability and university sustainability professionals over a pint at 5 pm, every third Friday of the month, to fix some of sustainability’s most complicated issues.

Saskatoon Wildlife Tour, May 12 (Moose Jaw) 
Join Moose Jaw Nature Society on May 12 for a tour of two Saskatoon wildlife rehab. facilities and Beaver Creek Conservation Area.

Wildlife Rehab Volunteer Orientation, May 12 (Saskatoon) 
The Wildlife Rehabilitation Society of Saskatchewan is holding a volunteer orientation session from 11 am-12:30 pm, May 12, in Saskatoon.

Garden Tool Swap, May 13 (Saskatoon) 
Bring your unneeded garden tools to swap with or donate to other gardeners from 12-1 pm, May 13, at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market.

Oil Well Noise & Songbirds, May 15 (webinar) 
Paulson Des Brisay will present a webinar on studies regarding the impact of oil well noise on songbirds at noon, May 15.

EV Enthusiasts Meetup, May 15 (Saskatoon) 
EV drivers and enthusiasts are invited to a meetup from 7-9 pm, May 15, in Saskatoon.

National Energy Code for Buildings, May 15 & 16 (Regina, Saskatoon) 
The Canada Green Building Council is hosting Lunch ‘n’ Learns on the National Energy Code for Buildings in Regina on May 15 and in Saskatoon on May 16.

Bike to Work Day, May 16 (Saskatoon) 
It’s Bike to Work Day in Saskatoon May 16 with food, prizes, and other activities.

Birds, Bees, & Dinosaurs, May 16 (Regina)
Cory Sheffield and Ryan McKellar, curators at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, will discuss birds, bees, and dinosaurs at 6:30 pm, May 16, at O’Hanlon’s Irish Pub, Regina.

Harvesting & Using Compost, May 16 (Saskatoon) 
Saskatoon Food Bank & Learning Centre’s Garden Patch is offering a workshop on harvesting and using finished compost from 6-7:30 pm, May 16.

Everybirdy Deserves a Home, May 17 (Edenwold)
Join Nature Conservancy of Canada in installing birdhouses on their Edenwold property from 10 am-3 pm, May 17.

Beyond the Big Dipper, May 19 (Grasslands National Park) 
View the stars and learn more about them from Royal Astronomical Society volunteers at Grasslands National Park on May 19.

Looking Ahead
NatureCity Festival, May 22-27 (Saskatoon) 
There are over 50 activities to choose from at this year’s NatureCity Festival in Saskatoon. Teachers, be sure to register your class for one of the school programs - bus subsidies are available.

Compost Field Day, May 29 (Yorkton) 
The Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council is hosting a Compost Field Day in Yorkton on May 29.

Dundurn Bioblitz, June 2 (Dundurn)
Help the Nature Conservancy of Canada create a baseline inventory for a new property near Dundurn on June 2.

Tree Planting, June 3 (Saskatoon) 
Alchemy Salon, Better Good, and Green Tree Beauty will be planting 3,000 trees near Saskatoon on June 3. Contact Melissa at Alchemy if you’d like to help.

SES Fun Run, June 3 (Saskatoon) 
Support the Saskatchewan Environmental Society by participating in a trail fun run from 9 am-12 pm, June 3.

Saskatoon Nature Society Field Trips
May 12, 9 am-12 pm – Beaver Creek Conservation Area Birding
May 13, 7-9:30 am – MVA Trail Bird Walk
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 

In the News 
City of Regina to study whether City-owned buildings could be fitted with solar panels.

Small strips of prairie can reduce erosion and run-off & provide bird/pollinator habitat.

Praise, admiration + respect for the wildness in coyotes.

Native bees would be better off with fewer honey bees.

The federal environment minister has reaffirmed ecological integrity as the first priority in all aspects of national parks management.

Combining business and political activism - Patagonia v. Trump.

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).

2017 EcoFriendly Sask NatureCity Awards

The EcoFriendly Sask NatureCity Awards are a new initiative developed by Wild about Saskatoon for the 2017 NatureCity Festival and are sponsored by EcoFriendly Sask.

The awards were created to recognize the efforts of businesses, community initiatives, and individuals who are working to promote a sense of belonging and everyday connection between citizens and the nature within and surrounding Saskatoon.

Award Winners 
A huge round of applause for the winners of the 2017 EcoFriendly Sask NatureCity Awards:

Business 
Blazing Star Wildflower Seed Company – a family business supplying prairie gardeners with Saskatchewan-grown wildflowers

“A lot of our customers buy our seeds or plants because it reminds them of the native prairie they explored in their youth. It often gets them thinking about what has been lost and they are more likely to take steps to conserve what little native prairie remains.” 

Community 
Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation – teaching understanding, respect, and appreciation for our wild neighbours

“99% of the 625 plus animals that arrive on our doorstep for care have been impacted by humans. Our work is an attempt to ‘balance the scales’ of human impact.” 

Individual 
Louise Jones – working tirelessly to protect urban nature, particularly the Northeast Swale

“As citizens, we must challenge our leaders to ensure that the lofty ideals about living in harmony with nature are demonstrated by our actions.” 

Thank you for all that you do and all that you are - you help make Saskatoon a great place to live.

Prizes 
Award winners were offered a choice of experiential outdoor adventure prizes. Many thanks to the companies who donated the prizes – we’re so glad you are helping our community to enjoy nature.

Back40 Wilderness First Aid Training (20-hour wilderness first aid training) 

Branimir Gjetvaj Photography (2-hour nature photography training session) 

CanoeSki Discovery Company (12-hour Learn to Canoe Plus course) 

Chef Jenni (wild rose petal gathering and ice cream/vinaigrette making) 

Eco Glide Adventures (tandem bike ride) 

Prairie Lily Riverboat Cruises (river cruise for 4 people)