EcoSask News, November 23, 2021

Upcoming Events 

Learn about the effects of land use and climate change on ferruginous hawk habitat in Canada at the online WildEcol Seminar at 3:30 pm, Nov. 26. 

The Society for Ecological Restoration – Western Canada is holding its AGM online from 11 am-2:30 pm PST, Nov. 28. 

Learn about orienteering, geocaching, and Adventure Smart online with SaskOutdoors at 7 pm, Nov. 30. 

EMTF SK is hosting a presentation on energy management systems – leveraging IoT, AI, and cloud-based solutions at a Dec. 1 breakfast meeting. 

Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy is hosting an online lecture on Bridging Science, Policy, Community and More: Cases of Transdisciplinarity from Climate Change from 12-12:55 pm, Dec. 2. 

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

Water 

Abbotsford, Calgary, Fort Simpson, New Orleans – flooding is no longer a rare, isolated incident. We have drained our wetlands, logged our forests, and built homes and communities without taking climate change into consideration. “Water management techniques developed over the 20th century will no longer be useful in this vastly changed water future. Every fen, tree and moss banked stream will count even more so than they have in the past.” [from an article by Edward Struzik, author of Swamplands: Tundra Beavers, Quaking Bogs and the Improbable World of Peat, The Tyee] 

“We need extraordinary and co-ordinated planning and efforts to protect our freshwater through conservation of rivers, lakes and their watersheds. And we need a national water agency with the capacity, financial means and legal foundation to co-ordinate this. We need the research and science capacity to inform wise water decisions and build state-of-the art water prediction and management systems.” (John Pomeroy, Canada Research Chair in Water Resources and Climate Change, U of S, Globe and Mail) 

Two academic papers examine how flood risk management on the Canadian prairie has defaulted towards flood resistance and recovery rather than resilience. “If the aim of flood risk management (FRM) is to increase society’s resilience to floods, then a holistic treatment of flood risk is required that addresses flood prevention, defence, mitigation, preparation, and response and recovery.”

 

Prairies 

What is the best approach to conserving prairies in the face of rapid climate change? Chris Helzer says, “We can’t afford to be so invested in current or past versions of our prairies that we don’t allow them to adapt to changing conditions. We’re hurtling into the future whether we like it or not. Let’s make sure we bring prairies along with us.” [Prairie Ecologist] 

Forest 

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs; Arnold Bercov, past president of the Public and Private Workers of Canada; Torrance Coste, national campaign director for the Wilderness Committee; and Ben Parfitt, resource policy analyst, CCPA BC Office, outline the problems and possible solutions for a forest revolution in BC: “Perpetuating logging rates that anyone with an iota of common sense knew could not go on was guaranteed to have brutal consequences, including old-growth forests so fragmented from logging that they are no longer capable of supporting caribou and vibrant songbird populations; community watersheds where once-clean drinking water has turned to mud; drastically reduced or eradicated salmon stocks; and 41,000 direct jobs lost in the forest industry in just 20 years.” [The Tyee]

 

Sustainable Joy 

“A little daily crow therapy reminds me that other lives — every bit as ordinary and epic as mine — are being lived alongside mine … This is a sustainable joy, free, readily available to anyone, and consuming no natural resources … and it’s the kind of joy I’m trying to rely on more and more.” [The Urban Nature Enthusiast] 

Wild and wonderful – a 3-minute video about the unseen world of living microscopic plankton. [Vimeo] 

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, November 2, 2021

Upcoming Events 

City of Saskatoon residents can dispose of household hazardous waste from 9 am to 3:30 pm, Nov. 7. 

Looking Ahead 

SaskOutdoors is offering Projet Wet (en français) online from 4-6 pm, Nov. 30. 

SK-PCAP will be holding a virtual Native Prairie Restoration/Reclamation Workshop from Feb. 8-10. 

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

Local News 

Regina residents are invited to complete a survey regarding the City’s approach to becoming a 100% renewable energy city by 2050. [City of Regina]

 

Forests 

Canada’s “logging industry continues to clearcut more than 400,000 hectares of the boreal each year — about five NHL hockey rinks every minute — much of this in irreplaceable primary forests, which have not been previously impacted by human disturbance.” [The Narwhal] 

Conservation organizations, with assistance from the Earth Law Center, are challenging the state of Washington for managing forests for revenue generation. “These lands are a gift that should not have to be squeezed for every dollar when they already benefit us in so many ways, from storing carbon to providing clean water, wildlife habitat, and healthy recreation access.” [OPB] 

Aiming for Zero Waste 

While BC is a continental leader in composting and recycling, it continues to generate large amounts of unnecessary waste. A report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives outlines upstream solutions to reduce the flow of material, looking at plastics, demolition and construction waste, and repair and maintenance. [CCPA]

 

Small but Mighty 

There’s more going on in spider brains than they normally get credit for. Jumping spiders have developed devious hunting tactics and are skilled at getting out of dangerous situations. [Knowable Magazine] 

Moths have finessed an extensive repertoire of tactics to avoid being caught and eaten by bats. They issue warning cries, jam bat signals, create false targets, and use sound-absorbing cloaking devices. [Knowable Magazine] 

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).

Take a look at EcoFriendly Sask's Nature Companion, a kid-friendly nature app for Canada's 4 western provinces

Community Highlight: Public Pastures – Public Interest

1. How and when did you form your group? 

Public Pastures – Public Interest (PPPI) was formed in late 2012 in response to the federal government’s announcement that the PFRA program was being dissolved. This meant that the native prairie pastures scattered across Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba were to be returned to provincial jurisdiction and potentially developed and sold. PPPI was born at a meeting of pasture stakeholders, people who made regular use of these publicly owned pastures – managers, patrons who grazed cattle on the pastures, hunters, birdwatchers, artists, First Nations, and other citizens for whom these community pastures are a central part of their homeland. We were united in our commitment to preserving these grasslands, both their biodiverse health and their public ownership. Although the PFRA has been dissolved and the lands returned to provincial jurisdiction, they are still publicly owned and PPPI has evolved to advocate for native prairie grasslands and ecosystems more widely. Our mission is now to “Retain and conserve publicly-owned grasslands and advocate for the conservation and protection of all Saskatchewan’s prairie ecosystems.” 

2. What are your principal activities and why do you believe they’re important? 

Our activities in the service of these old-growth grasslands are varied but serve four main goals: to retain public ownership, to manage the lands to protect ecosystem health and respect the needs of all people who use and care about them, to enhance community appreciation for and knowledge of these natural treasures, and to engage in research to document the past, present, and possible futures of the grasslands. 

Grasslands are one of the most endangered and least protected biomes on earth, and in Saskatchewan more than 90% of our original grasslands have been lost to development. Sadly, we continue to lose native grasslands as well as wetlands and bush throughout the province, leading to the rapid decline of several species at risk, severely hampering our ability to mitigate and adapt to climate change, and damaging our treaty obligations to Indigenous people. 

To influence policies and decisions relevant to the grasslands, we spearhead letter-writing campaigns to all levels of governments, meet with government officials, hold news conferences, and sponsor educational grassland tours and film events. We also circulate lists of suggested issues and questions to discuss with candidates during municipal, provincial, and federal election campaigns to bring grassland preservation issues to the attention of voters and politicians. 

PPPI monitors government attempts to privatize our public lands, bringing these actions to public attention and working to prevent them. We consult with companies planning developments on native grasslands, such as windfarms, potash mines, and landfills to help them minimize the damage to fragile ecosystems, and we help local communities organize to respond to such proposals. We also combine our efforts with other conservation groups such as Nature Canada, Nature Saskatchewan, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Citizens Environmental Alliance, Saskatchewan Alliance for Water Sustainability, the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, Saskatchewan Environmental Society, the National Farmers Union, Heritage Saskatchewan, South of the Divide Conservation Action Program, the Prairie Conservation Action Plan, and, of course, EcoFriendly Sask. We are members of consultation groups such as the recently formed National Grasslands Taskforce and the Transboundary Grassland Partnership. 

3. What have been your successes to date? 

With respect to our initial goals to protect the now-former PFRA pastures, the province agreed to three conditions: 1) only patrons could buy the pastures and any sales would include a conservation easement, 2) no breaking, drainage, or clearing would be allowed, and 3) pastures were to be operated as wholes and not subleased to individual patrons. To our knowledge, no former provincial or federal pastures have been sold. In 2019-2020, Environment and Climate Change Canada arranged to operate three former PFRA community pastures in southwestern Saskatchewan (Govenlock, Nashlyn, & Battle Creek), resulting in 80,155 hectares of land becoming the Prairie Pastures Conservation Area, with habitat technicians monitoring species at risk. 

We were key contributors to Saskatchewan’s provincial guidelines on the siting of wind energy projects, and our advocacy made sure that native grassland would be clearly indicated in the avoidance zone requirements. 

Our actions related to specific development projects have prevented the destruction of several areas of native prairie. For instance, a proposed windfarm on native grassland near Chaplin Lake was prevented as was a golf course proposed for grassland within the White Butte Provincial Recreation Area. We facilitated public critique of the siting of a potash mine near Sedley, leading to stricter environmental mitigation requirements. We helped inform the community and company about problems with a planned landfill at Avonlea on a privately owned piece of native prairie next to the Caledonia-Elmsthorpe Community Pasture, and the project was halted. 

PPPI is a supporter of the Treaty Land Sharing Network, which connects Saskatchewan farmers with Indigenous people to support treaty rights by providing safe access to farmlands for activities such as foraging, hunting, and ceremonies. 

In a broader sense, our proudest accomplishment is in knowing that we have helped to get native grassland onto the agendas of national and regional conservation organizations and governments at all levels. Canadians are beginning to understand that native grasslands are rare and precious places worthy of protection and good stewardship. 

4. What would you like to achieve in future? 

Saskatchewan needs a complete inventory of its remaining grasslands in order to most effectively direct conservation efforts to keep public control of these natural resources and to include these areas in nature-based climate solutions which are becoming increasingly central to international plans to mitigate and adapt to climate change. 

Grazers, such as bison or cattle, are essential for healthy grassland ecosystems. Thus, efforts to support a sustainable livestock grazing industry, operating with best rangeland management practices, are increasingly important as farmers and ranchers struggle to cope with the challenges of climate change. 

We hope to increase public appreciation for, and thus motivation to protect, the multiple wonders and value of our native grasslands. Native landscapes, which means grasslands in the prairies, provide solutions to so many problems, including carbon sequestration, air and water filtration, flood and drought protection, and human health issues and disparities. 

5. If you could have 3 wishes for improving your community, what would they be? 

Stronger relationships with Indigenous conservation groups and projects, 

More public appreciation of the value of grasslands for carbon sequestration and biodiversity, and 

Better policies to support grassland preservation. 

6. Are there volunteer opportunities with your organization? 

If so, please describe them and indicate how people can contact you. We welcome volunteers from across the province to contribute to these prairie conservation efforts. Volunteers can take part in actions of their own communities, as in the consultations for specific windfarm, mining, and landfill projects. Volunteers can also introduce people to the beauties of their local landscape by organizing tours and events sponsored by PPPI. We need as many “eyes on the land” as possible to help monitor the health and state of public grasslands and parkland and proposed sales and cultivation of these lands. We also need volunteer help to achieve a better social media presence. To contact PPPI, please email public4pastures@gmail.com 

See Also: 

Living Prairie Museum: A Glimpse into our History 

From Ranches to Classrooms: The Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan 

It’s Okay to Go Wild! The Restoring 71 Project 

Community Highlight: Nature Saskatchewan 

Photo Credit: Trevor Herriot 

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).

Living Prairie Museum: A Glimpse into our History

Most history museums are full of inert objects from a past that no longer exists – horse-drawn carts, penny farthing bicycles, or vintage cameras. But that’s not the case at the City of Winnipeg’s Living Prairie Museum, a 12-hectare remnant of tall grass prairie. “The site is a glimpse into our history, what Winnipeg would have looked like 100-200 years ago,” explains Sarah Semmler, the museum’s curator. “People often don’t understand the importance of tall grass prairie. We’re able to explain that it’s rarer than rain forests, covering less than 1% of North America.” 

Prior to European settlement, tall grass prairie stretched from southern Manitoba to Texas, covering one million square kilometres. Thousands of plants, animals, and insects found a home here as did many of Canada’s Indigenous peoples. The Living Prairie Museum gives visitors the opportunity to experience tall grass prairie, to touch the grass, smell the flowers, and hear the birds. It also serves as a refuge for native plants and urban wildlife and provides Winnipeg residents with educational opportunities and a chance to connect with nature. “A space like this helps demonstrate the connectivity of species and ecology,” Sarah says. “Without it, it would be harder to draw people’s attention to grassland conservation.” 

The museum opened in 1976 and is located in Winnipeg’s St. James neighbourhood. It’s surrounded on 3 sides by housing estates, while the fourth side is industrial. The Living Prairie Museum falls under the jurisdiction of the City of Winnipeg’s Naturalist Services. “Winnipeg is unique in having quite a few pieces of intact land – forest, wetland, and prairie – within its boundaries,” explains Sarah. The remnant prairie isn’t totally enclosed so wildlife come and go using wildlife corridors and an adjacent aspen/oak forest to access other parts of the city. 

The Living Prairie Museum has been fortunate not to have experienced any wildlife conflict. Staff regularly remind visitors not to feed any of the wildlife as the prairie is a complete habitat providing all the food the animals need. Work is ongoing to keep invasive species such as Canada thistle, smooth brome, and tufted vetch out of the prairie. “We try to maintain a border,” Sarah says. “The main tool is hand-pulling by summer students. We also rent a herd of sheep from a local farmer for 2-3 weeks a year. We tried goats this year, but they’re just a little too mischievous for our temporary fencing.” 

People living in the St. James neighbourhood are very familiar with the museum and ask lots of questions so staff try to be proactive and advertise activities such as grazing and prescribed burns. They promote the museum to a wider Manitoba audience by publishing fun facts and macro photos on social media. 

The museum has 2 full-time year-round staff and up to 10 employees during the summer months. It’s a busy place with activities ranging from habitat management to school and family educational programs and self-directed visits. The interpretive centre was closed for an extended period due to Covid 19 with the museum unable to provide its standard environmental programming. In a normal year, however, thousands of school children participate in programs ranging from colours and sounds of the prairie to soil, weather conditions, and the scoop on poop. Winter programs include animal tracks and snowshoe rental on Sundays. 

There is family programming once a week during the summer months and speakers on the research taking place in Manitoba’s natural habitats during the winter. Individual visitors can explore a trail with a pamphlet pointing out interesting features (buffalo wallow, sites of former homesteads, snowberries enjoyed by deer in winter, etc.) and nature backpacks with fun things for kids to do on the hike. 

The Museum’s annual Monarch Butterfly Day has proven to be extremely successful. “We try to find things that get people excited to draw them in,” Sarah says. “People already know a fair bit about monarch butterflies, so we use that to bring people out. Then we can make the link between monarchs and our prairie habitat and how one supports the other.” Up to 1500 people attend the event which has been in place for the past 13 years. There is a trade show, displays by local conservation organizations, a speakers’ tent, guided hikes, face painting and crafts, prizes, and a butterfly release at the end of the day. Up to 500 free milkweed plants are given away each year. 

Seed plots south of the city are used to grow native plants, which are used to improve genetic diversity at the museum and enrich other sites around the city. Volunteers help to harvest seeds from remnant prairie sites but are strictly supervised as there are firm guidelines on harvesting seeds on city sites. 

Last fall, the museum planted an Indigenous garden next to the museum’s nature playground as part of its response to the Commission on Truth and Reconciliation. They’ve planted native plugs of sweetgrass and sage but avoided cedar and tobacco in case they encroached onto the remnant prairie. The public has been invited to start harvesting this fall under the guidance of Elders and Knowledge Keepers. 

Further Information 

The Living Prairie: Landscape Change Landscape Loss 

Seeds of Diversity 

Northeast Swale (a ribbon of remnant prairie in and close to Saskatoon)

Photo Credits

Wild Bergamot and Purple Prairie Clover, Sarah Semmler

Sheep Grazing, Paul Mutch

Guided Hikes at Monarch Butterfly Day, Christa Burstahler

Volunteer Seed Harvesting, Celeste Odono

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, April 6, 2021

This Week’s Highlights 

An online webinar hosted by the Nature Conservancy of Canada will discuss the importance of community pastures at 11:30 am, Apr. 8. 

The Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan has added 3 new plant checklists to their website: two from Pine Cree Regional Park (grassland and forest) and one from Batoche National Historic Site. 

Upcoming Events 

Saskatoon Public Library is offering a virtual workshop on camping with babies and toddlers from 7-8 pm, Apr. 12. 

SaskOutdoors is hosting online training to introduce educators to Flying Wild from 7-9 pm, Apr. 14 and 21. 

Saskatoon Public Library is hosting an online discussion for teens about making our community more sustainable from 6-7 pm, Apr. 15. 

Katie Harris will discuss Saskatoon’s urban wildlife monitoring project at the 7:30 pm, Apr. 15, online meeting of the Saskatoon Nature Society. 

Looking Ahead 

Saskatoon Young Naturalists are planning a crocus hike on Apr. 24/25 and pond dipping on May 1. Space is limited; register early to avoid disappointment. 

Registration is now open for the Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council’s virtual Waste ReForum from Apr. 27-29. 

Join Stan Shadick for a May series (May 9, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 24 & 25) of online and outdoor (Saskatoon) workshops designed to improve your skills at identifying common bird songs in the prairie provinces. Proceeds will go to support Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation. 

From Information to Action

Urban gardens are an important source of nectar and floral diversity for insects and compare favorably with rural areas. 

Greater sage-grouse populations in the US have fallen by 80% since 1965. The report recommends a proactive approach alerting government agencies when local sub-populations are in trouble. 

Ants 

Empire of Ants: The Hidden Worlds and Extraordinary Lives of Earth’s Tiny Conquerors, Susanne Foitzik & Olaf Fritsche: “Just like us, ants grow crops, raise livestock, tend their young and infirm, and make vaccines. And, just like us, ants have a dark side: They wage war, despoil environments, and enslave rivals—but also rebel against their oppressors.”

Kidnapper ants can’t feed themselves. Instead, they kidnap other ants and brainwash them into looking after the kidnapper ants’ young, foraging for food, chewing it, and feeding it to their kidnappers. [5-minute video] 

Book Reviews 

In A World on the Wing: The Global Odyssey of Migratory Birds, Scott Weidensaul conveys his joy and amazement at the ability of birds to navigate the hemisphere. 

Beyond Capitalist Realism: The Politics, Energetics, and Aesthetics of Degrowth by Samuel Alexander explores, in a series of essays, “post-capitalism by design not disaster,” covering topics such as simple living, land and housing options, and monetary theory. 

Post Growth: Life after Capitalism by Tim Jackson is “perhaps the most imaginative book I’ve read on the topic of economic growth, a lyrical and thoughtful account of where capitalism fails and the many ways that things could be done better.” 

Have you spotted any butterflies this spring? Mourning Cloak Butterfly overwinter as adults in tree cavities, under bark, or in unheated buildings. Once they come out of hibernation, the males perch in a sunny spot and wait for a female to flutter by so that they can mate. They die soon after the eggs are laid. 

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

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).

EcoSask News, March 16, 2021

This Week’s Highlights 

There will be an online discussion on the potential for conservation and restoration of Saskatchewan forests to mitigate against climate breakdown at 7 pm, Mar. 23. 

A climate activist in California has spent 589 days cleaning up a park and is encouraging others to follow his example. "Climate action is a group project," he tweeted. "There will be no hero that will emerge from the fog to save us from ourselves. To preserve this planet, we'll need a billion climate activists." 

Upcoming Events 

Regina residents are invited to a virtual public open house at 7 pm, Mar. 18, for the Foxtail Grove Solar Energy Project, a 10 MW project that will generate enough green electricity to power over 2,600 Saskatchewan households. 

The WildEcol Seminar Series is hosting an online presentation on the research studying contaminants in loons and gulls being undertaken as part of the Boreal Watershed Initiative at 3:30 pm, Mar. 19. 

Join Nature Regina for an online presentation on how you can grow native plants for pollinators in your own yard from 2-3:30 pm, Mar. 20. 

Join the Saskatoon Nature Society on the following outings. Field trips are currently for members only, so sign up now. Advance registration is required.

Mar. 20, 8:30 am-4:30 pm - Gardiner Dam Waterfowl Trip

Mar. 26, 7:30-10 pm - Owling Evening

Mar. 27, 10 am-4 pm - Snowy Owl Trip

Saskatoon Seedy Saturday has gone virtual with online gardening workshops and presentations from Mar. 20-27. 

The Saskatoon Zoo Society is holding a virtual annual general meeting at 1:30 pm, Mar. 21. 

Let’s Talk About Water is hosting an online panel with experts from the industry, research, and non-profit sectors about valuing water at 11 am, Mar. 22. 

The Saskatchewan Chapter of The Wildlife Society is offering an online workshop for members on navigation from 3-6 pm, Mar. 22. 

Blue Gold: World Water Wars will be screened in Regina at 7 pm, Mar. 22. 

The film, Addicted to Plastic, will be shown in Regina at 7 pm, Mar. 24. 

Public Pasture - Public Interest will be holding its AGM online from 7-9 pm, Mar. 24.

Regina Public Library is hosting an online talk on starting to compost at 7 pm, Mar. 25. 

The Moose Jaw River Watershed Stewards will discuss biosecurity and invasive species online at noon, Mar. 25, as part of PCAP-SK’s Native Prairie Speaker Series. 

Find out about Climate West, a regional hub for climate services, at a noon-hour, Mar. 25, presentation hosted by Partners FOR the Saskatchewan River Basin. 

Local News 

The City of Saskatoon is reviewing speed limits in residential neighbourhoods. The survey is open until April 30. 

A USask research “study hopes to find ways to better manage the wetlands and marginal areas in Saskatchewan fields . . . in order to design effective incentive programs for improving sustainable farm production.” 

The Saskatchewan Orienteering Association has been established to promote and administer orienteering as sport and recreation in Saskatchewan. 

Transportation Options 

“Without the Keystone XL pipeline . . . Canadian oil producers are turning to trains. And using a new technology to help make it more affordable — and less flammable.” 

The demand for materials needed to make batteries for electric cars and other clean technology is driving interest in deep-seabed mining. “One of my greatest fears is that we may start ocean mining because it’s profitable for just a handful of years, and then we nail it with the next gen battery or we get good at doing low-cost e-waste recycling . . . . And then we’ve done irreversible damage in the oceans for three years of profit.” 

Drive-thru fast food chains have become increasingly popular during the pandemic and the trend is expected to continue, reinforcing a reliance on cars over more environmentally friendly forms of transportation. 

A Pembina Institute report looks at the costs, benefits, and uptake on fuel-efficiency technologies in the highway transportation sector.

 

Forests 

“The lodgepole pine’s ability to live in many environments—and to live a long time—gives it a genetic boost that could make it more resilient to climate change than other species.” 

“In western North America, huge swaths of forested areas may become unsuitable for trees owing to climate change.” 

Natural Wonders 

“Dismissing all wasps because of a few aggressive ones is kind of like giving up on Mexican food because you don’t like cilantro.” 

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). 

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

EcoSask News, March 9, 2021

This Week’s Highlights 

Let’s Talk About Water is offering a free virtual filmmaking workshop from noon-2 pm, Mar. 11, for scientists who are interested in sharing their scientific work through film. 

The National Farmers’ Union has published a report on Tackling the Farm Crisis and the Climate Crisis: A Transformative Strategy for Canadian Farms and Food Systems. 

Watch a single cell grow into a salamander.

Upcoming Events 

Regina Public Library is hosting an online talk on the benefits of including prairie grasses in your garden at 7 pm, Mar. 10. 

The Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy is offering a noon-hour online presentation regarding water policy and the contention which arises between individual goals and social group pressures for water management on Mar. 11. 

All ages are welcome on an outing to explore the Wascana Waterfowl Display Ponds area with Nature Regina on Mar. 12 (various time slots). Register in advance. 

Meewasin Valley Authority is hosting self-directed eco-scavenger hunts to help track wildlife at Beaver Creek Conservation Area on Mar. 13 and 27. 

Saskatoon Public Library is offering an online workshop on basic camping skills from 7-8 pm, Mar. 15. 

Join Nature Regina online at 7 pm, Mar. 15, for a discussion on the mandate of the Wildlife Rehabilitation Society of Saskatchewan. 

Enjoy noon-hour presentations on wetlands, grasslands, and prairie biodiversity as well as a 3 pm, Mar. 16, presentation of an Indigenous perspective of the goods and services provided by the prairie ecosystem and wetlands during the virtual Prairie’s Got the Goods Week organized by SK-PCAP. 

Create a poem or spoken word piece to honour World Water Day during this online workshop from 7-9 pm, Mar. 18. 

The Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy is offering an online presentation on decarbonizing agriculture from 10:30 am-noon, Mar. 18. 

Nature Saskatchewan is offering a multi-species management and conservation awareness online workshop at 7 pm, Mar. 18. 

Saskatoon Public Library is hosting an online discussion for teens about making our community more sustainable from 6-7 pm, Mar. 18. 

Global Water Futures is offering an online lecture series on women and water with a 12:30 pm, Mar. 18, talk on valuing water. 

Saskatoon Nature Society members are invited to share their photographs at the online annual general meeting of the Society at 7:30 pm, Mar. 18. 

Regina’s EnviroCollective will be meeting online from 7-10 pm, Mar. 18. 

Local News 

The Government of Saskatchewan is reviewing the Multi-Material Recycling Program. You’re invited to read a discussion paper and complete a survey. 

Research at the Canadian Light Source has demonstrated that key proteins protect wildlife when temperatures drop below freezing. 

You can borrow a birding backpack from the Saskatoon Public Library. Are any other Saskatchewan libraries doing this? 

From Information to Action 

The David Suzuki Foundation has released a guide to help you work with your local government on addressing climate change. 

Bird migration is underway – here’s what property managers and owners can do to protect birds. 

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). 

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

EcoSask News, November 10, 2020

Upcoming Events 

Beaver Creek Tour, Nov. 7, 14, 21, 28 (Saskatoon) 

Enjoy a one-hour guided family or couples tour at Beaver Creek Conservation Area on Saturdays in November (fee ranges from $79-114). 

Beyond Pesticides, Nov. 10 (online) 

Christy Morrissey will discuss Beyond Pesticides: Challenging the Paradox of Agriculture and Environment in an online event from 3-4 pm, Nov. 10. 

Saskatoon Cycles AGM, Nov. 10 (online) 

Saskatoon Cycles is holding its annual general meeting at 7 pm, Nov. 10, on Zoom. 

Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas, Nov. 11 (online) 

The Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas are holding an online annual general meeting at 7 pm, Nov. 11. 

Invasive Species in Sask River System, Nov. 12 (online) 

Renny Grilz will discuss invasive species and their potential impacts to the health of the Saskatchewan River system at noon, Nov. 12. 

Train the Trainer, Nov. 14 (Regina) 

Nature Regina members are invited to learn about birds, native plants, and wildlife from 10-11 am or 11 am-noon, Nov. 14, so that they can then help with the Get Outside! Kids Club and other upcoming events. 

Birding at City Park, Nov. 15 (Saskatoon) 

Saskatoon Nature Society will be birding at City Park from 2-3 pm, Nov. 15. Field trips are currently for members only, so sign up now. 

Contemporary Art & Climate Change, Nov. 16 (online) 

Adrian Stimson and Laurier St. Pierre will discuss The Black Snake & Secret Gardens: Contemporary Art and Climate Change online from 6-7:30 pm, Nov. 16. 

Discard Twitter Conference, Nov. 16 & 17 (online) 

If you’re concerned about waste, check out the Discard Studies Twitter conference schedule for Nov. 16 & 17. 

Climate Change & Forests, Nov. 17 (online) 

Mark Johnson will discuss Climate Change and its Impact on Canada’s Forests: How are we Adapting? in an online Café Sci presentation from 7:30-8:30 pm, Nov. 17. 

Recording Bird Sounds, Nov. 19 (online) 

John Patterson will discuss recording bird sounds and behaviours at the 7:30 pm, Nov. 19 online meeting of the Saskatoon Nature Society. Join the Society to participate. 

Looking Ahead 

Below Zero, Nov. 26 & Dec. 3 (online) 

SaskOutdoors is offering a virtual Below Zero workshop with classroom resources for teaching about wildlife in winter from 7-9 pm, November 26 and December 3.

 

Restoration & Reclamation in a Changing Environment, Feb. 1-5 (online) 

Registration is now open for the online Native Prairie Restoration/Reclamation Workshop from Feb. 1-5. 

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

Local News 

Wild about Saskatoon invites you to come and explore the Northeast Swale.

 

 

Wetlands can add economic and environmental benefits for farmers. 

The Nature Conservancy of Canada has established a new conservation site in the Milk River Basin Natural Area in southwestern Saskatchewan. 

Energy 

Is green hydrogen the next big thing in future energy? 

Gaining Steam: A Regulatory and Policy Framework for Geothermal Energy Development in Alberta (Environmental Law Centre) could prove useful in Saskatchewan when considering issues such as licensing and environmental assessment. 

Urban Life 

Fencing is an effective and realistic way to reduce roadkill. A step-by-step plan helps transportation managers decide on length and where to place them. 

“It’s past time to accept that lethal methods and relocation are neither effective, sustainable nor humane approaches to human-wildlife conflicts.” There are alternatives. 

Book Review 

“Narratives of eternal technological progress obscure the alternative of making do with what we already have. It closes our imagination to the possibility of choosing smaller and simpler over bigger and better.” [The Age of Low Tech: Towards a Technologically Sustainable Civilization] 

Thank you for reading EcoSask News. If you enjoyed it, please share it with someone – or many someones! 

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, September 1, 2020

Upcoming Events
Lightspark, Sept. 2 (online)
Energy Management Task Force is hosting an online presentation on Lightspark, a digital platform measuring community carbon reduction from 7:30-9 am, Sept. 2.

Migrating Shorebirds, Sept. 3 (online)
Watch migrating semi-palmated sandpipers and other shorebirds as they congregate on the Bay of Fundy and hear the most up-to-date research on the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s webinar from 12-12:30 pm, Sept. 3 (SK time).

Climate Adaptation, Sept. 10 (online)
Partners FOR the Saskatchewan River Basin will be holding a series of monthly webinars in lieu of an annual conference. The first, from 12-1 pm, Sept. 10, is a report on the City of Saskatoon’s Climate Adaptation Strategy.

Sheep Grazing Demonstrations, Sept. 10-13 & 17-20 (Saskatoon)
View how a herd of sheep are managed as they practise targeted conservation grazing at Beaver Creek Conservation Area from Sept. 10-13 and 17-20.

Electric Vehicles & their Health Benefits, Sept. 11 (online) 
Climate Reality Canada is hosting a webinar on the health benefits of electric vehicles at 9:30 am, Sept. 11 (SK time).

Saskatoon Nature Society Field Trips
Saskatoon Young Naturalists
Nov. 14, 1-2:30 pm – Bird Feeder Workshop
Dec. 6, 1-3 pm – Paper Making Workshop
Space is limited; register early to avoid disappointment.

Golden Eagles
Sept. 3, 9 am – Gabriel Dumont Park
Sept. 10, 9 am – Cranberry Flats & Beaver Creek
Sept. 17, 9 am – South Saskatchewan Ferry
Retirees and partners who are interested in birds and the natural world are invited to participate.

Other Saskatoon Nature Society Field Trips
Sept. 12 – Fall Bird Count (volunteers needed)
Sept. 21, 6-8 pm – Sandhill Crane Viewing
Field trips are currently for members only, so sign up now. Full trip details are available on the Saskatoon Nature Society’s website.

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

Local News
Congratulations to the Saskatchewan Environmental Society on 50 years of standing up for the environment.

Saskatoon Nature Society is working with Nature Conservancy of Canada to develop/conserve a site near Asquith. The Society’s president says, “Portions of the land are perfect examples of prairie habitat and others seem promising for management to return it to its native roots.”

Birds in Real Danger, Saskatoon is looking for volunteers to check for birds and feathers in downtown Saskatoon indicating window strikes during fall migration. Window strikes can also be posted online.

Tourism Saskatoon invites you to take a tour of Saskatoon’s trees.

From Information to Action
“Wildfire is just a natural part of the dynamics . . . . I would love to see the day when we give these severely burned forests the protections that they deserve.”

TikTok has 800 million users, many of them conscious young eco-influencers campaigning on issues from climate change to biodiversity . . . . People are genuinely learning things they never learned in school or from their communities.”

“Any creature that appears indoors these days is greeted with fear, hysteria and calls for extermination. . . . ‘Gardens’ are now treated as outside rooms and sterilised in the same way as houses, with the result that tiles, decking, and artificial grass have all but wiped out urban wildlife.”

Earthworms are invading the Arctic.

Can we justify mothing? “They’re delicate creatures being drawn into unnatural conditions for what often is a significant percentage of their adult lives. All is not as harmless it seems at first glance.”

Treeline: The Secret Life of Trees, available on YouTube, follows a group of skiers, snowboarders, scientists, and healers to the birch forests of Japan, the red cedars of British Columbia, and the bristlecones of Nevada.

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 9, 2020

Upcoming Events
Young Naturalists Bluebird Trail, June (Saskatoon) 
Sign up to participate in the Saskatoon Young Naturalists bluebird monitoring trail program on June 15, 17, 19, 22, 23, or 24. Register early as dates are filling up fast.

Plants of the Opimihaw Valley, June 11 (online) 
Find out about the plants of the Opimihaw Valley from 12-12:30 pm, June 11, as part of Wanuskewin’s Snax & Facts series.

Teacher/Outdoor Educator Forum, June 11/12 (online) 
SaskOutdoors is hosting a follow-up forum for teachers and outdoor educators on June 11 and 12 with various time slots for different age groups.

Wascana Marsh Tour, June 13 (Regina) 
Take a guided tour of Wascana Marsh at 11 am, June 13, by emailing friendsofwascanamarsh@gmail.com or download a self-guided tour pamphlet.

Native Prairie Appreciation Week, June 14-20 (online) 
Native Prairie Appreciation Week 2020 is online with a video, webinars (including one with Candace Savage), a plant Id presentation and quiz.

Woodland Caribou, June 16 (online) 
There will be a webinar on the efficacy of habitat restoration for woodland caribou at 2 pm, June 16. Email Caribou.Webinars@gmail.com to participate.

Navigating Risky Play, June 16 (online) 
SaskOutdoors is hosting a webinar on navigating risky outdoor play from 11 am-noon, June 16.

Overnight/Emergency Preparedness, June 17 (online) 
Join SaskOutdoors and Back40 Wilderness First Aid for a webinar about overnight/emergency preparedness from 7:30-8:30 pm, June 17.

Teacher/Outdoor Educator Discussion Panel, June 18 (online)
SaskOutdoors is hosting an online panel discussion with experienced environmental educators sharing their tips for taking learning outside from 11am-noon, June 18.

Wilderness First Aid, June 19-21 (Saskatoon) 
Back40 Wilderness First Aid Training is offering a 20-hour wilderness first aid training course in Saskatoon June 19-21.

Looking Ahead
Waste ReForum, July 14-16 (online) 
The Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council has switched to an online format for this year's Waste ReForum from 10:30 am-3 pm, July 14-16.

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

Local News
Sign up for Nature Regina’s newsletter and receive information about self-directed family hikes, citizen science projects, and much more.

The University of Saskatchewan has been awarded a $2.5 million grant to increase climate change education, training and public awareness on a global scale.

University of Saskatchewan researchers have developed an app that shows the economic value of shelterbelts while helping landowners determine the best trees to grow.

Where you live in Saskatchewan has an impact on your attitudes towards power production sources.

Stories along the Qu’Appelle Valley offers land-based Indigenous wisdom from Treaty 4 territory, the land of the Saulteaux-Cree, Saulteaux, Dakota, and Nakota peoples.

From Information to Action
The incredibly biodiverse world of soil and how it connects to the ground above that we as humans inhabit

Back Market is an online retail platform for secondhand electronics. “They sell refurbished goods through a network of partners, with careful vetting to ensure quality. That allows them to offer a warranty and to provide customer service.”

Rattlesnake populations are declining, and that’s a problem because they’re “key players in grassland food chains, acting as mid-level predators that control rodent populations and serve as a food source for larger predators.”

Manitoba’s Boreal Wetlands Conservation Codes of Practice are designed to “provide guidance on how to avoid, minimize, and offset impacts to boreal wetlands that result from resource roads, access roads, and crossings.”

Austin, TX, is keeping racial equity front and centre in revising its community climate plan.

Conservation planning should ensure a network of protected areas that plants and animals can retreat to as their habitats are altered due to 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).

EcoSask News, November 12, 2019

Upcoming Events
Wild Pigs, Nov. 13 (Val Marie)
Ryan Brook will present his current research on wild boars at 7 pm, Nov. 13, in Val Marie.

Guardians of the Grasslands, Nov. 14/19 (Regina, Saskatoon)
Attend a free screening of Guardians of the Grasslands followed by a panel discussion at 7 pm, Nov. 14, in Regina and at 7 pm, Nov. 19, in Saskatoon.

Canada’s Bees, Nov. 18 (Regina)
Cory Sheffield will share how Canada’s diversity of bees prepares for winter at the 7:30 pm, Nov. 18, meeting of Nature Regina.

Municipalities & Climate Change, Nov. 18 (Saskatoon)
As part of a national event, students at the University of Saskatchewan will be participating in a research-a-thon on municipalities and climate change from 11 am-4 pm, Nov. 18.

Making Clothes Last, Nov. 19 (Saskatoon)
Wesley United Church, as part of its Green Parenting series, is offering a workshop entitled Beyond Fast Fashion: A hands-on workshop on making clothes last from 7:30-9 pm, Nov. 19.

Low-Carbon Stories, Nov. 19 (Saskatoon)
Margret Asmuss will discuss what we can learn from five Saskatchewan communities, businesses and farms that work to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions while benefitting their bottom line at 7 pm, Nov. 19.

Prairie Ponds, Nov. 21 (webinar)
There will be a noon-hour webinar on prairie pond abundance and the breeding success of tree swallows on Nov. 21.

Antarctic Icefish, Nov. 21 (Saskatoon)
Brian Eames will discuss his Antarctic icefish expedition at the 7:30 pm, Nov. 21, meeting of the Saskatoon Nature Society.

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

In the News
Mark Dallyn, Healing Haven Wildlife Rescue, questions why the provincial government has issued a moratorium on large animal rehabilitation.

The Citizens Environmental Alliance wants to make agricultural drainage more environmentally friendly.

Speed kills – and yet Saskatoon’s drivers and city councilors want to raise the speed limit on a road running through the ecologically-sensitive Northeast Swale.

Saskatoon’s Innovation Place is encouraging its tenants to compost organic waste.

Changing climate patterns are as important as habitat loss for birds on the Canadian Prairies, while aquatic insects are more sensitive to land use and water chemistry.

Is green housing really green when you take into consideration the cost of manufacturing and transporting construction materials and fixtures?

Five alternate economic models – from rewarding institutions that benefit the common good to reducing consumerism.

Oil industry lobbyists are developing close, long-term relationships with federal bureaucrats – and conducting 5 times more lobbying than environmental organizations.

Sweden is using storytelling to help the public understand what a sustainable future could look like.

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

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

EcoSask News, October 29, 2019

Upcoming Events
Place-Based Education, Nov. 1 (Saskatoon) 
Join Janet McVittie and Sonal Kavia to discuss place-based education: place, space, and mindfulness at 4:30 pm, Nov. 1, in the SERI Meeting Space, College of Education.

Household Hazardous Waste, Nov. 3 (Saskatoon) 
You can dispose of household hazardous waste at City of Saskatoon’s Civic Operations Centre from 9 am – 3:30 pm, Nov. 3.

Climate Youth Voice, Nov. 6 (Saskatoon) 
Saskatoon Enviro Collective is hosting a panel discussion and group conversation for adults to hear from youth about climate change from 7-8:30 pm, Nov. 6, at Station 20 West.

National Energy Code, Nov. 6 (Saskatoon) 
Kelly Winder will provide an overview of the National Energy Code for Buildings at the Nov. 6 breakfast meeting of the SK Energy Management Task Force.

The Pollinators, Nov. 11 (Regina, Saskatoon) 
Sign up now if you would like to attend a special screening of The Pollinators in Regina or Saskatoon.

Looking Ahead
Native Prairie Restoration/Reclamation and Transboundary Grasslands Workshop, Feb. 25-27 (Regina)
In 2020, SK PCAP is combining two workshops: the 7th Native Prairie Restoration and Reclamation Workshop and the 5th Transboundary Grassland Workshop, February 25-27 in Regina.

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

In the News
Urine diverting vermicomposting toilets are being installed along the Churchill River.

Positive media coverage of repair cafés in Regina and Swift Current this past weekend.

Citizens of all ages urge rethink of Saskatoon Freeway.

City of Victoria plans to protect any tree that is a foot thick or more.

SUVs have contributed more to the increase in global CO2 emissions than airlines, trucks, or heavy industry. And they’re far more likely than smaller vehicles to kill pedestrians and other drivers.

Kids raised in walkable communities earn more money as adults.

Small adjustments to wind turbines can reduce impacts on birds.

A visual depiction of the impact of the proposed Trans Mountain Pipeline on Vancouver’s harbor, Boundary Pass, and Juan de Fuca Strait.

Wilderness areas act as a buffer against species loss and could reduce extinction risks by more than half.

In an urban wilderness, “invasive” species may have a role to play.

David Attenborough, storyteller, and Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia, share their approaches to saving the planet.

Bat noises aren’t random. They’re complaining about food, position, unwanted sexual advances, and pushy neighbours.

Blueprint for Revolution: How to use rice pudding, Lego men, and other non-violent techniques to galvanise communities, overthrow dictators, or simply change the world [book review].

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).