EcoSask News, May 26, 2020

Upcoming Events (online)
Let’s Talk About Water Virtual Film Festival, May 21-June 26
The Let's Talk About Water Film Festival combines water science with film to promote active discussion about water issues and solutions and aims to connect researchers with students and the general public. Films by both professionals and amateurs will be available online from May 21-June 26.

Regina Climate Hub, May 27
People interested in volunteering to be part of the brand-new Regina Climate Hub are invited to participate in an online meeting from 7:30-9 pm, May 27.

SK Low Carbon Stories, June 3
Margret Asmuss will present low carbon stories at the 7:30 am, June 3, online meeting of the Saskatchewan Energy Management Task Force.

Tools to Protect Nature, June 4
Nature Canada is offering a webinar from 12-1 pm (SK time), June 4, on Canada’s new Impact Assessment Act and the tools available to local and provincial groups to participate in federal reviews of proposed industrial developments.

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

Local News
You’re invited to sign a petition calling for a moratorium on logging which is slated to begin as early as September in the Nesslin Lake recreational area.

Baltimore orioles have been spotted out of their normal range in La Ronge.

Meewasin Valley Authority is making changes to the trails around the Children’s Discovery Museum and the Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan site. You can review the proposals on the Meewasin website and provide feedback through an online survey (deadline June 30, 2020).

From Information to Action
“It frustrates me when I see farmers ditching their fields to drain wet areas. Yes, we get to farm a few more acres, but at what cost? How much flooding occurs downstream? . . . How much taxpayer money is spent on flood prevention and repair? How much topsoil is washed away from that land? How many riparian areas are destroyed?”

A third of people admit to throwing away furniture that they could have sold or donated. Does the cheap furniture boom have a heavy environmental price?

The biggest hurdle to energy-efficient retrofits is the upfront capital costs. Municipal Property Assessment Clean Energy policies can address this issue but require adequate consumer protection, targeted financing, and administration support for smaller municipalities.

Clear guidance for keeping both wolves and livestock owners happy.

Will Scotland have the first domestic hydrogen gas network?

Shooting the Rapids: Long Crisis Scenarios shows 4 potential futures and the strategies that will be needed to thrive in each.

We need to reframe the debate between global and local to incorporate transformation, connection, and agency.

Good News & Natural Wonders
When pollen is scarce, bumblebees bite plants to force them to flower earlier than expected.

Solar-powered passenger canoes reduce reliance on diesel in the Amazon and are supported by a grant from the Honnold Foundation.

Internet of Elephants designs digital games and online experiences to tell real conservation stories based on real data.

Dave Manning roots for the underdog and has spent years studying turkey vultures. “By showing people the intricacies of their daily lives, he’s given people an appreciation for the species”.

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

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

EcoSask News, May 28, 2019

Upcoming Events
Seed Exchange, May 31 (Jansen) 
Jansen Public Library is hosting a seed exchange from 4-8 pm, May 31.

Animal Sanctuary Tour, June 2 (Moose Jaw) 
Join Moose Jaw Nature Society for a tour of the Free to be Me Sanctuary from 1-2 pm, June 2.

Household Hazardous Waste, June 2 (Saskatoon) 
You can dispose of household hazardous waste in Saskatoon from 9 am-3:30 pm, June 2.

Water Conservation, June 4 (Regina) 
Learn about irrigation and water conservation in the garden at 12 noon, June 4, at Innovation Place Regina.

SK Communities and the Coal Phase-out, June 5 (Saskatoon) 
Hayley Carlson and Justin Fisher will discuss communities and the coal phase-out in Saskatchewan at the June 5 breakfast meeting of the Saskatoon Energy Management Task Force.

La Terre Vue du Coeur/ Earth: Scene from the Heart, June 6 (Saskatoon) 
La Terre Vue du Coeur, a documentary about threats to biodiversity, will be shown at the Frances Morrison Library at 6:30 pm, June 6.

Narrative Approaches to Engaging with the Climate Crisis, June 7 (Saskatoon) 
Rachel Malena-Chan will discuss narrative approaches to engaging with the climate crisis at 12:30 pm, June 7, at SERI, College of Education, U of S.

Learn to Camp, June 8 (Saskatoon) 
Learn basic camping and outdoor living skills from 2-4 pm, June 8, at the Round Prairie Branch Library.

Looking Ahead
Beginner Bird Id, June 13 (Rosthern) 
The Saskatchewan Breeding Bird Atlas is offering a 2-hour beginner bird identification workshop in Rosthern from 7-9 pm, June 13.

Native Prairie Pasture Tour, June 22 (Regina) 
Join PCAP-SK for a guided tour of Caledonia-Elmsthorpe Community Pasture from 4-9 pm, June 22, with buses from Regina. Register by June 14.

Botanizing the Badlands, July 6 (Avonlea) 
Join the Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan in spotting wildflowers in the Avonlea Badlands on July 6.

Saskatoon Nature Society Field Trips
Golden Eagles 
June 6, 8 am – Chappell Marsh & St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area
June 13, 8 am – Turtles at Pike Lake
Retirees and partners who are interested in birds and the natural world are invited to participate.

Other Saskatoon Nature Society Field Trips 
June 12 & 19 – Invasive Plants Identification Workshop
Everyone is welcome. Check the Saskatoon Nature Society’s website for full details and updated information.

Birdwatching with Stan (Saskatoon)
Birdwatch with Stan Shadick at Wanuskewin Heritage Park from 7-8:30 am on June 26, July 28, Aug. 18, and Aug. 28. Birdwatch from 7-8:30 pm on June 5, July 14, and Aug. 7 ($20/person). Stan is also offering guided birding tours at Blackstrap and Beaver Creek as a fundraiser for Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation.

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

In the News
Saskatoon is the second Canadian city to join the Urban Wildlife Information Network. The goal is to learn how urbanization affects wildlife in order to preserve urban biodiversity and minimize human-wildlife conflict.

8-80 Cities conducted an active transportation survey in Saskatoon. They learned: people want to cycle but aren’t sure it’s reasonable; sharing the road with drivers and pedestrians is tricky; and fear of bike theft is a barrier for low-income residents.

Slovenia’s capital, Ljubjlana, has a comprehensive waste management program incorporating household repair workshops, zero-waste stores, and recycled toilet paper in municipal facilities.

They may not be cute, but earthworms provide us with fertile soil that retains rainwater. Unfortunately, their numbers are dropping rapidly.

We assume that streetlights make cities safer, but there is no research to back that up.

Textile waste consumes nearly 5% of all landfill space, and 20% of all freshwater pollution is a result of textile treatment and dyeing. Researchers are inventing new ways to turn old clothes into everything from new cotton to fake knees.

70-80 otters live in Singapore. 30,000 people follow their activities on Facebook [video].

If you're in the area, check out the trails at Cannington Lake Resort Hamlet, an EcoFriendlySask Action Grant recipient.

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

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

EcoSask News, May 21, 2019

Upcoming Events
Beginner Bird Id Workshop, May 21 (Prince Albert)
Nature Prince Albert is hosting a 2-hour basic bird identification workshop at 7 pm, May 21.

Moose Jaw Nature Society AGM, May 24 (Moose Jaw)
The Moose Jaw Nature Society will be holding its annual general meeting at 6:30 pm, May 24.

Global Strike for Future, May 24 (Regina)
Meet at 10 am at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum for a march to the rally at the Legislative Buildings at 11 am, May 24.

Trash Tag Challenge, May 25 (Regina)
WUQWATR is hosting a trash tag challenge at the Wascana Rowing Club from 1-3 pm, May 25.

Learn to Camp, May 25 (Saskatoon)
Learn basic camping and outdoor living skills from 2-4 pm, May 25, at the Alice Turner Branch Library.

Green New Deal Town Hall, May 28 (Regina)
Help shape a Green New Deal for Canada at 6:30 pm, May 28, Regina.

Fixing SK’s Climate Change Plan, May 28 (Saskatoon)
Ann Coxworth and Peter Prebble will present the SK Environmental Society’s response to the Saskatchewan government’s climate plan at 7 pm, May 28, as part of the Sustainable Speaker Series.

Green New Deal Town Hall, May 29 (Saskatoon)
Help shape a Green New Deal for Canada at 7 pm, May 29, Saskatoon.

International Trails Day, June 1 (Saskatoon)
Meewasin Valley Authority is celebrating International Trails Day on June 1 with activities from 1-4 pm at Friendship Park.

Looking Ahead
Detour, July 22-25 (Saskatoon)
Youth ages 13-14 are invited to flex their creative problem-solving muscles on an urban sustainable design project from July 22-25 at Detour: Spark Ideas, Shift Gears, Activate Change.

ForestART, Aug. 6-9 (Ness Creek)
Unleash your creativity in Ness Creek’s boreal forest setting by participating in ForestART, Aug. 6-9. Workshops include willow basketry, painting, silversmithing, blacksmithing, and printmaking.

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

In the News
Medicine Hat is pulling the plug on a $13 million concentrated solar power project saying its small, unreliable contribution to the city’s power grid didn’t justify the cost of maintenance during snowy winters and dusty summers.

The Great Plains Air Zone website lists the current air quality at their Belle Plaine, East Regina, and Yorkton stations.

Lawson Heights Mall in Saskatoon has installed bee hotels and flowers on its roof and has a bee-friendly mural in the corridor between the mall and Safeway.

Rare Trees of Saskatoon has a Facebook group.

Vintage clothes and natural fabrics – green fashion in Saskatchewan.

Harbour Air, based in Vancouver, hopes to zero out its emissions with electric airplanes – and save money.

Ensuring healthy ecosystems and biodiversity can force us to make tough choices. It’s caribou vs. jobs and recreation in British Columbia.

Barn swallows eat up to 600 bugs a day so don’t disturb their nests.

A BC inter-city bus service will be fuelled by vegetable oil.

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, April 19, 2016

Upcoming Events
Co-existing with Beavers for Municipalities, Apr. 21 [webinar]
The Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals is offering a webinar on Apr. 21 to provide communities with practical tools they can use in creating non-lethal management plans for beavers.

SOS Elms AGM, Apr. 24
SOS Elms is holding their annual general meeting on Apr. 24 at 1:30 pm at the Marr Residence (326 11th Street East).

Beekeeping & Bees, Apr. 24
Dr. Barry Brown will discuss the joy and benefits of beekeeping at 1:30 pm, Apr. 24, at Wild Birds Unlimited.

Conservation Conundrums: Pintails & Swallows, Apr. 26
Dr. Bob Clark will discuss the travels and lifestyles of pintails and swallows and highlight how they serve as indicators of our environment and well-being at Tox on Tap, 6:30 pm, Apr. 26.

PermaSask AGM, Apr. 27
PermaSask will be holding their annual general meeting at 7 pm, Apr. 27, at The Stand.

Wildlife Rehab Orientation, Apr. 30 (Regina)
Wildlife Rehabilitation Society of Saskatchewan is holding a new member and volunteer orientation in Regina from 1-3 pm, Apr. 30.

Project WET & Growing Up WILD, May 6-8 (La Ronge)
SaskOutdoors is offering Project WET and Growing Up WILD workshops in La Ronge, May 6-8.

Elbow Trail Fundraiser, May 14 (Elbow)
Friends of the Elbow Trail are hosting a fundraiser on May 14 with live entertainment by Topher Mills.

Introductory Beekeeping Courses
Saskatoon – May 14-15, Lalonde Honey Farms
Regina – May 28-29, St. Joseph’s Honey, Balgonie

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

News
Where we live affects the environment more than what we own or choose to drive

University of Saskatchewan President Peter Stoicheff has announced his commitment to three key initiatives: sustainability, reconciliation, and examining the feasibility of the Emma Lake Kenderdine Campus

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).