Earth Day Challenge 2020

On April 28, students and family members from 6 Saskatoon Public School classes (Collective Voice, Ecoquest, iGen, Let’s Lead, Off the Grid, and Outdoor School) competed to see who could remove the most garbage from 30 of Saskatoon’s green and naturalized places. 130 people collected 172 large garbage bags of waste! The iGen class made the biggest contribution with 31 people picking up 42 bags of garbage.

The school initiative was supported by a $500 EcoFriendly Action Grant. The iGen students* chose to donate this money to The Lighthouse Supported Living.

Congratulations to everyone who participated. Thanks to you, Saskatoon is cleaner and greener for its wild and not-so-wild residents.

*The grade 6 students in the iGen program meet at the Sherbrooke Community Centre where they work with and learn from the Elders.

Wildlife Vet in the Making

Last year, Morgan Reschny made what she describes as a “terrifying career change.” She discontinued her studies in archaeology and history to follow her lifelong dream of becoming a veterinarian. To support this goal, she started volunteering and then working at Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation in Saskatoon. Here’s her account of her summer work experience.

Why did you choose to work/volunteer at Living Sky? 
I knew the more animal experience I had the better, and I had been following Living Sky on social media for years, daydreaming about having enough time to volunteer with them. I was drawn to working with wildlife because I have a deep respect for the natural world and I felt working with animals who were far from socialized and cooperative would be very good handling experience for me. Not even a month after deciding to pursue Vet. Med. I met Jan for my volunteer orientation and by the time April came around I was being interviewed for their summer student positions.

What were your first impressions of Living Sky?
Like most members of the public, I thought Living Sky was some sort of official establishment, like the Forestry Farm or the SPCA. When I realized that Living Sky doesn't get government funding and was simply the hobby of its founder, Jan Shadick, I was completely blown away at how much passion had been poured into that place. Here we have an entire house, with a huge yard full of aviaries and mammal pens, with an exam room stuffed with medical supplies and medicine, and it was entirely funded by Jan and whatever people happened to give us out of charity. It definitely felt weird seeing how hard Jan worked for free while I was getting paid from the student grants she received from the university.

We're hungry!

What were you asked to do? 
Oh boy, I won't be able to go into everything I did at Living Sky without writing several pages. My official job title was Assistant Wildlife Rehabilitator. While Jan ran around doing the more advanced tasks and answering calls, I, along with several other students, did everything from feeding babies, to washing wounds, to doing laundry and dishes.

Baby birds need to be fed every thirty to sixty minutes. In June this meant you were trapped in an endless cycle of feeding countless cheeping mouths as fast as possible. Baby mammals were fed every few hours, but they needed to be fed overnight too. There were a few times when I had to take a family of baby squirrels home to syringe feed through the night.

Probably the most challenging thing for me was doing intakes. This was when a new animal would come in and we'd have to assess it to determine its treatment. A lot of these animals were terrified and scared. Some of them were in pain and suffering, and a lot of them I had never experienced before so I wasn't confident in knowing what to look for. Over the summer I got much better, even with new birds. I felt more comfortable examining them and if I couldn't identify what exactly was wrong either Jan or one of the more experienced students were nearby to help me.

What has been your most memorable experience at Living Sky?
There are so many of those – it’s hard to pick. On my very first morning working at Living Sky Jan told us that she had a surprise for us later in the day. The only clue Jan gave us was that it was a mammal they had never had before, so we spent the morning guessing what cool new critter had come in. Those who had been at Living Sky for a long time immediately ruled out a bear, but lo and behold when Jan sat us down, made us promise to not even breathe too loudly, and unwrapped her bundle of blankets, there was a tiny little three-month-old black bear cub.

I think everyone in that room was surprised. I hadn't ever expected to be able to sit so close and watch such a small bear cub like that ever, let alone on my first day working at a rehab. facility. The cub only spent a few days with us before he was transported to a rehab. out in Meadow Lake that helps bears [Healing Haven Wildlife Rescue]. I don't think it would've been long before that fuzzy toddler outgrew our residential house and yard.

Twisty the Crow

What is the funniest thing you observed this summer? 
There were a lot of quirky characters that came in this summer; crows especially are very funny birds. However, there is one specific patient that comes to mind, a Canada goose that we called Gary. Gary was found hanging out by the University Bridge unable to fly and limping fairly badly, so we guessed he had gotten knocked by a car. Since he couldn't fly we let him roam around the backyard during the day, but he definitely let us know when it was time to put him to bed in his aviary.

As dusk came you would see him wander closer and closer to the back door of the house and by 8 pm, like clockwork, he would literally kick open the screen door and let himself inside. There were times I'd be feeding birds in one of our rooms and I'd suddenly hear a crash and a bang and see a Canada goose sprinting past the door frame. The sound of his webbed feet slapping the hardwood floor so fast is one that will always make me laugh. He'd hang out until one of us had a spare moment to tuck him in for the night.

Do you plan to continue volunteering with Living Sky? Why?
Absolutely. And I have been already despite it not even being a week since my last shift. Part of it is that I still want to continue learning more about wildlife for vet. school, but I have also become very emotionally invested in that place. You spend so much time and energy looking after these birds; you root for them and want them to get better. Even on my days off, when I wouldn't come in for two days, I'd be sitting at home worrying about them. Now that it's migration season there are still plenty of birds that need help and I feel both obligated and privileged to be able to give that to them. 

What would you like people to know about (injured) wildlife and Living Sky? 
If any of what I have said has seemed exciting or appealing to you, you can come and experience it for yourself. Living Sky runs entirely on charity and volunteers. The student grants only pay for me and a few others to be there for the summer. Every year we take on more animals, which means we need more resources. This includes interns and volunteers for next summer.

You don't need to be a nature hobbyist or know much about birds. I was a clueless archaeology kid when I started volunteering there last January. Now that I've come out on the other side with my work for this summer done, my perspective has expanded colossally. You really cannot learn about wildlife and the challenges they face until you have worked with them one on one.

Thanks to Living Sky and a whole lot of fish, Petra is heading south with her fellow pelicans.

Photo credit: Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation & Morgan Reschny

EcoFriendly Action Grants - May 2017

EcoFriendly Action Grants are intended to preserve and protect the natural environment. We offered financial support for 9 projects in May 2017 and were proud to increase our support for Saskatoon’s NatureCity Festival.

Natural Areas Clean-Up Grants 
Five organizations took advantage of our offer to raise funds for their organization by cleaning up a natural area in or around their community. A cheque for $500 was sent out once we received a photo of their clean-up crew and the garbage they collected.

Saskatoon Search and Rescue’s haul from Diefenbaker Park included two exercise bikes, furniture and car parts, several bags of food garbage, and other questionable items.

Grades 7-9 students at Ponteix School cleaned up the community park, playground, and campground.

Hudson Bay Park/Mayfair/Kelsey-Woodlawn Community Association brought together 81 people of all ages for a community clean-up.

South Nutana Park Community Association collected 3,140 kg of garbage.

Craik Sustainable Living Project is planning a clean-up; we look forward to receiving their report.

Action Grants 
In addition to the clean-up grants, we provided EcoFriendly Action Grants to the following groups:

Craik Communities in Bloom - $500 to plant a pollinator garden at the head of Craik’s main street

Ecology Camps for Kids - $1,000 to support their camps, which are designed to inspire a love of nature and teach children about the environment

Northeast Swale Watchers - $1,000 to support a Good Neighbours to the Swale community engagement campaign

Grade 5/6 class, Englefeld School - $500 to build birdhouses and set up bird feeders and benches for viewing birds

NatureCity Festival 
EcoFriendly Sask is an ongoing sponsor of Wild About Saskatoon’s NatureCity Festival.

This year, in addition to a $5,000 operational grant, we sponsored the EcoFriendly Sask NatureCity Awards and reception.

We also collaborated with Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation and Saskatoon Nature Society to sponsor a public talk and technical workshop on bird-friendly building design and a songbird window collision survey with Michael Mesure, FLAP Canada.

EcoFriendly Sask informs, encourages, and supports Saskatchewan environmental initiatives through an online publication and Action Grants. 

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

Distance Learning Students Go Winter Camping

EcoFriendly Sask was pleased to provide Sun West School Division’s Distance Learning Centre with an EcoFriendly Action Grant to help their Outdoor Education Club have a more sustainable winter camping trip. 

"At the Sun West Distance Learning Centre, we started up an Outdoor Ed Club for the first time ever. The first event we planned was a Winter Camping Trip that took place March 14-15 at Elk Ridge Resort. The purpose for this trip was to allow our Distance Ed students the chance to connect and build relationships with other DLC students and their teachers while also letting them discover a variety of outdoor activities that promote a healthy lifestyle. The weather for outdoor activities could not have been better!

"Our students arrived via their own transportation and we spent two days outside participating in winter hiking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, nature photography, curling, ice skating, a scavenger hunt, tobogganing, and roasting our lunch over the fire. We also had two presenters from Sundogs come up and give a presentation on dog sledding! They even brought one of their sled dogs, Aster, and their dog sled for us to try out. At the end of the day we took advantage of the waterslide, hot tub, and pool inside at the Elk Ridge Resort to relax before hitting the sack.

"We had many activities planned and had a hard time getting students to move onto the next activity because they were so engaged. We all tried something new during the trip! We shared many laughs together especially over our attempts at curling on the pond, falling down while cross-country skiing on the trails, and tobogganing down the hill in tractor tire tubes.

"When we needed a break from the outdoor elements we came inside the cabin and baked bannock, made jam, and whipped butter ourselves. We also did a relaxing ‘soap stone carving’ activity where we warmed up and carved our soaps into little figurines. All activities were intended to celebrate outdoor education and bond together as a group.

"With the grant money that was provided to us by EcoFriendly Sask we were able to buy reusable camping equipment to completely eliminate the need for paper cups, plates, and utensils. This was an investment that we will use year to year as we plan to do more winter camping excursions and plan a spring canoe trip as well. We also purchased a few outdoor-related clothing from a local thrift shop as some students were not able to bring the clothing they needed to be outdoors. This has helped us to make a sustainable club for years and years to come.

"Thank you so much for providing us with this grant money. The students and teachers had a phenomenal experience and we are already counting down the days to our next big adventure together!"

Nicole Freeden, SunWest Distance Learning Centre

EcoSask News, January 31, 2017

Upcoming Events
25 Acts of Energy Conservation, Feb. 8 (webcast) 
The Saskatchewan Science Centre and the Saskatchewan Environmental Society are hosting a webcast on Feb. 8 to raise awareness among students of the 25 Acts of Energy Conservation contest.

Pet a Porcupine, Feb. 11 (Saskatoon) 
Meet Georgia, a friendly North American porcupine, on Feb. 11 at Wild Birds Unlimited.

Looking Ahead
Plant Id Workshop, Feb. 23 (Saskatoon)
The Saskatoon Nature Society is organizing a Plant Id Workshop from 7-9 pm, Feb. 23. Renny Grilz will use photos and samples to point out key identification features of some common native wildflowers, grasses, and shrubs.

Saskatoon Nature Society Field Trips
Feb. 12, 1:30-3:30 pm – Forestry Farm Birding
Check the Saskatoon Nature Society’s website for full details and updated information.

Nature Regina Field Trips
Feb. 11, 10 am – Wascana Winter Birds and Wildlife
Check Nature Regina’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
The Meewasin Valley Authority is fighting for its survival. Is the provincial government review of Wascana Centre and MVA equitable?

Is it time we banned cars from our national parks?

Two Alberta homes illustrate the benefits of straw-bale construction.

Pembina Institute sets out its vision for a modernized National Energy Board in an era of low carbon.

San Francisco’s Business Council on Climate Change is bringing businesses together to support municipal policy.

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).

Education for Sustainability: A Conversation with Janet McVittie

“Most of our thinking is centred around the immediate – today and tomorrow. We need to be thinking seven generations out,” says Janet McVittie, Assistant Professor, College of Education, University of Saskatchewan. “That’s hard to do when you’re young, but I’m hopeful that starting environmental education at a younger age will have an effect.”

Purpose and Parameters
There are several different forms of education around environmental issues.

Environmental education focuses on teaching ecological concepts and principles, such as the definition of an ecosystem or the balance between predator and prey. “They teach students about the environment, but the programs are not necessarily action-oriented or experiential, nor do they necessarily challenge the status quo,” explains Janet.

Outdoor education encompasses educational programs that take place out of doors. Most Saskatoon programs fit into this category. Outdoor education programs teach students to observe and to learn by doing. “It’s not enough to simply spend time outdoors,” Janet says. “Teachers can help students to view their surroundings critically. For example, one teacher took his students to the same spot in each of the four seasons, and he asked them questions: Where does the water in the creek go? How does it affect the areas downstream?”

“Outdoor education teaches about the environment in the environment. It’s experiential,” Janet explains. “However, unless the teacher provokes critique and action, it does not necessarily teach for the environment.”

Janet stresses the importance of discussing issues from a local perspective. “Issues such as poverty are complex. It’s easy to think we’ve solved the problem by sending money to Guatemala. By starting at the local level and moving to the global level, children appreciate that these are complex issues,” she explains. “Social and ecological justice issues are intertwined. One cannot heal the environment without resolving issues of inequity.”

Programs in Saskatoon
Saskatchewan has only one formal environmental education program. Other than in that program, environmentally committed teachers are responsible for taking the courses they teach and working them around environmental topics.

“It’s an advantage to not have an environmental education curriculum as it allows teachers to take a critical, action-oriented approach,” Janet says. “But teachers are also at a disadvantage as they have to fit the environmental courses around the existing curriculum.”

There are some Saskatoon programs that teach students about the environment while in the environment. These include programs at the Brightwater Science and Environmental Centre, the Blackstrap Outdoor/Environmental Center, the Ed and May Scissons Environmental Centre at Eagle Creek, and the nature-based programs offered by the Saskatoon Zoo Society, the Meewasin Valley Authority, and Wanuskewin. Transportation costs and the small size of the programs limit how many students can participate.

The Province of Saskatchewan recently introduced a new science curriculum for grade 11 students. The Environmental Science 20 course description states that, “Students will learn how to examine local and global environmental issues from a systems perspective while considering the effects of human actions and a growing global population on the climate and environment, as well as the effects of the environment on human health.”

“The new program expects teachers to take their students outdoors,” Janet says, “but it’s hard to get outside in the regular 60-minute class. You need places close to the school, such as a community garden or a native plant garden.”

Moving Forward
A term that is coming into use is education for sustainability. It recognizes the connections between the environment, social justice, and the economy. For example, why do we place toxic waste dumps in northern Saskatchewan or locate garbage dumps next to poor neighbourhoods? How do we measure the cost of mitigating the environmental damage caused by extracting natural resources? Why are resources inequitably distributed?

Janet has met environmental educators from other provinces and believes that we see environmental education differently in Saskatchewan. “In Saskatchewan, we connect environmental and social justice issues and we support both formal (intentional, evaluated) and non-formal (workshops, tours) approaches,” she explains. “We take an action-oriented approach. We want to make children aware of the political process so that they can become involved.”

The new Bachelor of Education program at the University of Saskatchewan supports this approach. It focuses on helping beginning teachers to build the curriculum around the important issues of the day.

All teacher candidates now take a course called Pedagogies of Place which helps them find learning resources in their communities. Also addressed in the course are experiential, inquiry-based instructional methods and assessment for learning processes to support students developing competency in their inquiries. They also take a course called Ethical Beginnings which addresses social justice. Addressed in the course are critical approaches to teaching and learning, for examining and challenging the status quo.

Why It Matters
In an age dominated by technological advances, it’s increasingly important for all of us to balance our online time with outdoor time. Environmental education programs are crucial for ensuring that children spend time outdoors and learn to appreciate nature.

Additional Resources
SaskOutdoors
EcoJustice, Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools 
Outdoor School, Saskatoon Public Schools 
EcoQuest, Saskatoon Public Schools
Let’s Lead Nikanetan

Photo Credit: Alyssa Wiebe, College of Education, University of Saskatchewan

University of Saskatchewan Sustainability Initiatives

Students from the School of Environment and Sustainability educating other students about bottled water issues

The University of Saskatchewan resembles a city within a city. It is responsible for constructing roads and buildings, supplying heat and water, food, accommodation, and waste disposal. In the past, not much thought was given to the long-term costs to the environment, but that is changing.

In 2008, the University of Saskatchewan included sustainability in its Integrated Plan, the university’s core strategic planning document. A Sustainability Commitment Working Group was established with student, staff, and faculty representatives. A key element of their work was to involve the campus community in their discussions and to reach consensus.

The Working Group developed a draft Campus Sustainability Plan, which was recently officially adopted by the President’s Executive Committee. The draft plan addresses all areas of campus life: education, research, operations, governance, and community engagement.

“The University has turned a corner,” says Margret Asmuss, Sustainability Coordinator, Office of Sustainability. “Five years down the road things will look a lot different.”

Office of Sustainability
A small group of employees are responsible for initiating and coordinating the University’s sustainability initiatives through the Office for Sustainability. Margret Asmuss facilitates initiatives to help integrate sustainability into education and research. Kathryn Theede is responsible for energy and water conservation initiatives, while Heather Trueman liaises with campus units (e.g. Culinary Services) to assess and improve existing practices.

Repurposing bicycles that have been abandoned on campus

Pilot Projects
The first stages of the University’s sustainability efforts have involved a wide range of pilot projects, laying the groundwork for more comprehensive initiatives. Here are just a few examples.

Water Conservation: The toilets in the Education Building have been replaced with dual-flush, low-flow toilets, and the urinals have been retrofitted with a sensor system designed by Gord Poole, one of the university’s electricians. The changes have reduced water use in the building by 48%, saving 18.5 million litres of water a year and should pay for themselves in about three years.

Green Road Project: The North Road was reconstructed using salvaged materials (construction rubble, crushed concrete, glass). The asphalt in one section was applied using a less energy-intensive cold process, while permeable pavement was applied to another section. The road performance will be monitored and it is hoped that these techniques will lower emissions, improve road performance, and make use of waste that would otherwise be discarded.

Landscaping: The College of Education has established a Prairie Habitat garden, while the College of Agriculture and Bioresources marked its 100th anniversary by planting a garden of domestic fruit crops to demonstrate the potential for landscaping with fruit trees to support sustainable local food production. The Horticulture Club and the Seager Wheeler Residence have community gardens, and the Grounds division is experimenting with drought-tolerant plants and different turf grass mixtures to conserve water.

Green Buildings: There are a total of five completed LEED buildings on campus and one currently under construction. The College of Law addition received LEED Gold certification in 2008 and has a living roof. The additions to the Academic Health Sciences Building have various green features, including heat reclamation, a pond to manage storm water runoff, solar collectors, and sensors to control lighting and ventilation.

Photovoltaic panels at the 14^th Street Horticulture Greenhouses

Major Initiatives
Three major initiatives will have a significant impact on the campus as a whole in the years to come.

Campus Sustainability Revolving Fund: Energy and water efficiency measures save money in the long run, but there is often an up-front cost that is difficult to absorb. The University has approved a two million dollar sustainability revolving fund to provide assistance. Colleges and other units will be able to apply for funding to cover the up-front costs and then pay it back from the savings.

Sustainability Living Lab: The Office of Sustainability provides students with course projects based on campus sustainability challenges. For example, fourth year mechanical engineering students investigated an air cooling problem in the Education Building and came up with a solution, while students in Pharmacy and Nutrition developed a database of local food sources that could be used on campus.

Using the campus as a living lab for teaching and research, students, staff, and faculty work collaboratively on projects that address campus sustainability issues and challenges – environmental, economic, and social. Students benefit by gaining real-life experience in project management and research and deepen their understanding of sustainability.

Work Green Program: In order to engage individual departments and workplaces in the campus’ sustainability initiatives, the Office of Sustainability plans to establish a network of workplace champions who will encourage their colleagues to implement more sustainable workplace practices. Workplaces will be measured against a checklist of desirable “green” practices in seven categories (energy, waste, outreach, purchasing, water, transportation, and innovation) and will be certified as Member, Bronze, Silver, or Gold, depending on how many of these measures they adopt.

Three workplaces are currently participating in the Work Green program on a pilot basis. The Office of Sustainability intends to launch the campus-wide program in fall 2014.

Students from a Sustainability Learning Community constructed a tree from hundreds of discarded paper coffee cups to raise awareness about their use

Student Involvement
Campus sustainability is a many-faceted activity with many different players. The Office of Sustainability works closely with the USSU and provides support for student groups. They also hire student interns to assist them.

Tour
The Diefenbaker Centre offers a one-hour tour of some of the University’s sustainability initiatives on an occasional basis.

Photo credit: Office of Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan