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

Katie and Aaron Suek wanted to raise their three kids in a rural setting and were looking for an acreage close to Saskatoon. They were looking for 10-15 acres, but plots that size were “crazy expensive,” Katie said. They looked at some Ducks Unlimited properties with conservation easements, but they were too far from the city. Then they found an 80-acre plot just 10 minutes from Saskatoon at half the price of smaller acreages. The land close to the road was a former crop field and full of weeds, but there was a really lovely wetland further into the property. The site had originally been crop and hayland but massive flooding had cut the land in half, severing access to the back 40 acres. 

The land was purchased and Katie and Aaron knew they wanted to use a few acres for a yard site. But what could they do with the rest of the land? They waited for inspiration and it appeared one day in the form of a whooping crane. “We started to see rare species on our land,” Katie says. “There are loggerhead shrike, badgers, common nighthawk, tiger salamander, Canadian toad, Cooper’s hawk, bald eagles, porcupine, deer, and coyote. Just the number of species and individuals is really impressive.” It was an easy decision to not farm the land. They decided to allocate 9 acres to their yard site and the remaining 71 acres to the Restoring 71 Project. 

With no formal training in the natural sciences, Katie and Aaron took their lead from the land which began to rejuvenate itself. There was a small patch of native prairie in a corner that couldn’t be reached by large agricultural equipment. They are slowly mowing and disturbing the hay field near it to encourage the native grasses and plants to re-emerge. The Sueks are applying strategic mowing in key areas, adding in organic matter, and planting native grasses, trees, and flowers in an effort to encourage restoration, but in general they are letting the land look after itself. 

The Sueks joined Nature Saskatchewan’s Stewards of Saskatchewan program after identifying endangered species such as loggerhead shrike on their land. It’s proved valuable as they’ve received resource materials and have someone they can phone whenever they have a question. Unfortunately, they’re not eligible for any financial assistance from organizations such as Nature Saskatchewan as the grants are reserved for large-scale agricultural operations or for projects designed to restore very specific habitat features for key species at risk that have been observed on the land. 

Katie and Aaron strongly believe that acreages are a missed opportunity as they have so much potential for positioning the protection and restoration of natural areas as a convenience rather than an added effort. “People want a large enough property to feel rural, but then they believe they have to create manicured, pristine, evenly-mowed yard,” Katie says. “It’s so much less work and you’ll see so much more wildlife if you let it go wild.” The Sueks encourage people to preserve what’s already there and support regrowth of native species that used to thrive there. They are happy to help people find resources. 

There have been some challenges. The wetland crosses one of their property lines and a neighbour chose to plough it without the proper permits and approvals (any wetland that crosses property lines is considered provincial property). It’s hugely disappointing as, although most of the wetland is on the Suek’s land, the deepest portion was on the neighbour’s land where frogs are known to overwinter and breed so it is likely that frog populations have been significantly impacted. The Sueks believe that removing the wetland will lead to generalized flooding, which they hope will eventually restore the original wetland. They have been in talks with the province to determine an appropriate path forward for protecting the wetland. 

Katie, Aaron, and their kids really enjoy getting out on the land. “In the spring, it’s almost an obsession,” Katie says. “We want to get out there and see what new species we can spot.” In October 2018, they decided to share their pleasure with the general public. They set up a Facebook page to share Aaron’s photographs and invited the public to come visit. At first, there was limited interest, but then Covid hit, playgrounds and conservation areas were closed, and people longed to be outdoors while staying safe. A booking system means that you can have the trails to yourself and you don’t have to worry about ensuring social distancing with kids and dogs. There is no charge. “It’s a niche opportunity for people who need a mental health break,” Katie says, one taken advantage of by 450 people by the end of 2020. Aaron maintains 4 km of mowed trails and they have installed some interpretive signage. When Covid permits, Katie offers guided tours, and they provide an orientation for new visitors to help ensure their safety while exploring the trails. 

Katie says that keeping the trails open has helped her get through the pandemic as she is able to socialize briefly with visitors while social distancing across the parking lot. The number of visitors is monitored and adjusted weekly depending on Covid restrictions, nesting or fledgling seasons, weather and trail conditions, and family or work priorities. 

This past fall, Katie and Aaron set up an outdoor classroom as they were hearing so much talk around outdoor education and home schooling. “We felt we were close enough to the city and flexible enough to provide a space and wait and see if it was used,” Katie said. Initially there was a lot of interest from teachers, but then they learned that field trips were unlikely to occur due to Covid. 

The Sueks are also working with students from Montgomery School through the One School One Farm program. Students will be planting plugs of native seeds donated to the project by the Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan. Hopefully the students will be able to come out to the site this spring to plant their seeds. If not, Katie will plant them and send photographs to the students. 

Katie says the message they really want to get across is that you don’t have to own 71 acres to restore it or use environmentally friendly practices. “Look for opportunities where you can,” she says, “whether it’s a small backyard or an apartment balcony. You can do it in small pieces and you don’t need a lot of resources.” 

Resource Materials

Resources for Stewards, Nature Saskatchewan 

Acreage Living, Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan 

Restoration/Revegetation Resources, Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan 

Wildlife Friendly Gardening Guide & Certification Program, Canadian Wildlife Federation Landscaping with Native Plants (Saskatchewan) Facebook group

Photo credit: Aaron Suek, Restoring 71 Project Facebook page

The Transition to Renewable Energy in Saskatchewan

The University of Saskatchewan, in collaboration with World Wildlife Fund Canada, hosted two renewable energy panel discussions on May 28, 2018. The following article summarizes some of the key points raised by presenters.

Meeting Saskatchewan’s Long-term Energy Needs
Douglas Opseth, Director of Generation Asset Management and Resource Planning at SaskPower, started off the morning’s discussion by outlining the challenges the company faces in meeting Saskatchewan’s long-term energy needs. There is a growing demand for electricity; however, Saskatchewan’s coal and natural gas plants and wind farms are aging and SaskPower is spending a lot on maintenance and building new facilities. The company plans to reduce emissions by 40% by 2030 with 50% renewables (30% wind, 15% hydro, 5% solar and biomass), but the other half of the mix is more uncertain. SaskPower would like to continue using coal, which is available in province. It’s still unclear whether this will be allowed under federal regulations. Natural gas is a good fit with renewables as it’s flexible; however, there are concerns about a sufficient supply if everyone switches to natural gas and/or if there is increased concern about fracking.

Guy Lonechild, CEO, First Nations Power Authority, pointed out that many First Nations communities have no reliable source of power and continue to use diesel. Opseth explained that the northern transmission line is completely separate and is only connected to the south through Manitoba. It is a long line over rough terrain and experiences a great many lightning strikes. In addition, northern residents are more vulnerable to power outages as the majority heat their homes with electricity.

Lonechild would like to see the Small Producers program expanded to 1 megawatt as this could help relieve power fluctuations in many communities. He sees lots of opportunity for geothermal, which is expensive but could also supply heat and be used in conjunction with greenhouses. Lonechild views partnerships on renewable energy projects as a valuable opportunity for First Nations people to obtain education, training, and jobs. He pointed to SIGA’s success, identifying renewable energy as a new opportunity for Saskatchewan’s Indigenous people to be involved in the provincial economy. Lonechild also raised the possibility of increased self-government that would include environmental assessments and monitoring, wildlife management, and community energy. In closing, Lonechild emphasized bold thinking as we look to 2050 and beyond. He stated that Saskatchewan was a pioneer in carbon capture: why not look at battery storage?

Lonechild’s interest in community energy planning was shared by Ray Orb, President, Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities. Orb stated that rural residents recognize the climate is changing but are strongly opposed to wind farms. People on acreages moved to the country to enjoy the wide-open prairie view and don’t want to live across from a wind farm. There is more support for solar farms on wasteland and SARM has identified an opportunity for rural municipalities, such as Corman Park, to provide power to nearby cities. Orb also suggested looking at new hydro projects with their spin-off benefits of irrigation, drinking water, recreation, and flood mitigation.

Opseth explained that renewables present new challenges. SaskPower currently has full control over power generation. They’ll lose that control as they introduce variable energy sources such as wind and solar. This is particularly challenging in Saskatchewan which has a very flat load demand as most electricity is sold to commercial customers that operate 24/7 (as opposed to a more residential region where there are peaks at different times of the day). SaskPower was set up to be the province’s sole energy provider. Individuals and groups are now introducing self-generation; however, they all want SaskPower as a backup.

A member of the audience emphasized the need for increased efficiency and energy conservation. Opseth noted that Saskatchewan has more transmission lines than anywhere else in North America. SaskPower is looking at ways to reduce losses that are inherent in moving energy over large distances to a dispersed population. One option is greater regional production. The company is also doing more work with industrial customers to enhance efficiency and energy conservation.

Habitat-Friendly Renewable Energy
The goal of World Wildlife Fund Canada is to work with key partners in all sectors to advance science-based, solutions-oriented approaches to conservation problems. The organization recognizes that a large-scale transition to renewable energy will require new uses of landscapes and seascapes and have started developing a tool that maps both sustainable energy potential and areas with significant conservation value. The tool isn’t intended to bypass the regulatory process but is instead a broad brushstrokes approach to identifying potential sites, saving time and money by avoiding conflict with community and wildlife interests and enabling developers, governments, and communities to make better and faster decisions.

The tool was initially developed for New Brunswick and the Bay of Fundy and is now being rolled out to Alberta and Saskatchewan. Using a high conservation value framework (previously used by the Forest Stewardship Council), the tool maps species diversity, ecosystems, threatened habitats, ecosystem services, community and cultural values. It combines regulated (Saskatchewan’s wind directive, Alberta’s solar directive, historic sites) and non-regulated elements (important bird areas, endangered species, intact forests, potential for agriculture) with additional factors such as wind speed, hours of sunlight, distance from transmission lines. The focus in Alberta and Saskatchewan is on identifying opportunities for large-scale wind and solar farms.

The World Wildlife Fund is looking for partners, such as the University of Saskatchewan, to help them enhance the tool. For example, the community and cultural values need to be strengthened and they see potential for enhancing the tool’s predictive value based on past projects and shifting land use.

Photos: Esmeralda, Nevada, Solar Reserve; Columbia River Wind Farm