EcoSask News, January 11, 2021

Upcoming Events 

EMTF-SK is hosting an online presentation on developing Saskatchewan’s sustainable energy economy at 7:30 am, Jan. 12. 

The Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy is hosting a video conference on building an equitable Canadian science system from 12-1 pm, Jan. 13. 

Nature Regina is hosting an online presentation on Indigenous peoples’ rights and environmental protection at 7 pm, Jan. 17. 

Saskatoon Nature Society is hosting an online presentation on invertebrate diversity, distribution, and ecology at 7:30 pm, Jan. 20. 

Nature Saskatchewan is hosting an online nature trivia night at 7 pm, Feb. 9. 

Full details on all upcoming events are listed on the EcoFriendly Sask Calendar 

Consumer Choices 

“The most important thing consumers can do is to educate themselves about their purchases.” Vegan leather is a petroleum byproduct. Plant-based leather is a better option. [Inhabitat] 

The Alberta EcoTrust Foundation, with support from the Alberta Real Estate Foundation, is undertaking a pilot project to provide digital home energy labels for houses in Calgary and Edmonton. The label will show how much energy the home uses and compare it to other similar homes. [Alberta EcoTrust] This is in line with France’s plan to notify potential home owners of a property’s energy rating. [Cities in the Next Decade] 

“In the past decade alone, $40 trillion has been divested from fossil fuels ... Divestment is showing in real time that everyday people can take part in the fight against climate change, and it’s demonstrating to financial firms that climate change is no longer a worthy investment.” [Yes Magazine] 

French car ads will be required to discourage driving and promote alternate forms of transportation. [Yale Environment 360]

 

Industry & Mining 

A survey of participants in the Alberta Oilsands Monitoring Program finds monitoring to be ineffective with crucial questions being left unanswered. [La Ronge Now] 

Half of global passenger-vehicle sales are expected to be electric by 2035, indicating a shift from a fuel-intensive to a material-intensive system. This will entail two big challenges. “One is how to cut down on the metals in batteries that are scarce, expensive, or problematic because their mining carries harsh environmental and social costs. Another is to improve battery recycling, so that the valuable metals in spent car batteries can be efficiently reused.” [Nature] 

Pembina Institute has published a report on the Status of Boreal Woodland Caribou Conservation in Canada. It finds that “to help the species recover conservation efforts to protect the last remaining tracts of critical habitat must be prioritized. The habitats that caribou inhabit – boreal forests and peatlands – are among the most carbon-rich in the world. When caribou habitat is lost to activities such as oil and gas development and logging, significant amounts of greenhouse gases (GHGs) are released. On the other hand, when caribou habitat is conserved carbon remains in the ground.” [Pembina] 

The Province of Saskatchewan’s “weak response to the climate emergency amounts to an implicit denial … The provincial government is clinging to the wrong side of history by failing to meaningfully collaborate with people in Saskatchewan — both Indigenous and non-Indigenous — and take corrective action.” [The Narwhal] 

Protecting Biodiversity 

Fungal networks support much of life on earth. SPUN aims to accelerate efforts to protect underground ecosystems largely absent from conservation and climate agendas. [SPUN] 

Protecting roadless areas could go a long way in helping to reach conservation goals and slow extinctions – a point worth considering in Canada where we continue to add new roads. [The Revelator] 

Starting in 2023, farmers in England will be paid for nature restoration and creation on their land (creation of hedgerows and wildflower meadows, wetland restoration). [Edie] 

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).

Looking Ahead: Cities in the Next Decade

With over 80% of the Canadian population now living in urban areas, how we design, build, and live in our cities has a significant impact on the environment. Cities can lead the way in addressing climate change or lag behind. We’ve found a number of reports and examples of how cities can successfully address climate change. 

A Changing Climate 

“The climate determines almost everything about how we design, build, and live in our cities. The streets and sidewalks, businesses and homes, parking lots and public transit that we use every day have been created to suit our climate. Now, with our climate changing, we need to re-think important aspects of how we live our urban lives.” [Canadian Cities and Climate Change, Climate Atlas of Canada] 

The Prairie Climate Centre’s interdisciplinary team are climate change storytellers. They’ve developed Building a Climate-Resilient City, a set of 9 reports on how we can set about building climate-resilient cities. Specifically addressing the concerns of Calgary and Edmonton, the reports cover economics and finance, agriculture and food security, urban ecosystems, transformational adaptation, transportation infrastructure, water supply and sanitation systems, electricity and information and communication technology infrastructure, the built environment, and disaster preparedness and emergency management. In addition to providing an overview of the issues, the reports share ideas and approaches that can be implemented immediately to bring about meaningful climate action in the face of a changing climate. 

Nature-based Solutions 

The Green Communities Guide from Alberta’s Land Stewardship Centre is designed to help communities plan and implement nature-based solutions and strategies to conserve water, protect water quality, preserve agricultural land, and protect critical open spaces and wildlife habitat. Nature-based solutions are actions designed to protect, manage, and restore natural ecosystems in ways that benefit both humans and biodiversity as a whole. The online guide outlines the benefits of nature-based solutions for communities, businesses, and nature, providing case studies and tools to assist with financing, recommended practices, and other practical considerations. 

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, England, has introduced far-reaching plans to green his city. They include: 

• Rewilding parks and other green spaces through reintroducing lost species, rewiggling streams, creating pocket parks, and setting up nest boxes; 
• Rain gardens, trees, and a reduction of impermeable paving to reduce flash flooding; and 
• Living roofs and walls. 

An Urban Greening Factor will be part of all new developments. 

“The Urban Greening Factor (UGF) formula, inspired by the Swedish city of Malmö’s ‘green points’ system, scores each part of a development’s plan – including street-level areas, balconies and roofs – from 0 to 1, with trees, planters and green roofs earning high scores, while paving slabs and barren rooftops receive no score. Central government has also set out plans in the Environment Act 2021 to make developments deliver an uplift to biodiversity, which will require a 10% ‘biodiversity net gain’.”

In 2020 46.5% of Singapore’s land was covered in green space, with a tree canopy percentage of almost 30%. One of the greenest cities in the world, it has over 300 km of green corridors as part of the city state’s Park Connector Network. 

Tackling GHG Emissions 

As part of France’s massive Climat et Résilience bill, property owners are now expected to notify potential buyers of the home’s energy rating. Landlords will be unable to raise the rent on poorly insulated buildings and, by 2025, they will be unable to rent them out. 

Berlin-based activists are pushing hard to eliminate private vehicles in a 55-square mile area of the city centre. There are also plans to reintroduce the tram network and expand the subway system. Ghent’s city centre has been designated a low-emission zone, strictly limiting the number of cars driving through the downtown core. Oslo has removed all on-street parking from its city centre.

 

France plans to ban short-haul flights where a 2.5 hour train journey could be provided as an alternative. Both environmentalists and industry experts say it’s not enough. Too many train journeys are under 2.5 hours and the highest emissions come from long-haul flights. 

Working Together 

What may feel challenging or impossible on our own becomes doable when we band together. 

Transition Streets, a Transition Network program, brings neighbours together to implement simple household changes building community and addressing environmental issues. The 7-session handbook “empowers neighbors to improve household energy efficiency, reduce waste and water use, explore transportation options, and eat healthy, local food.” 

A network of cities, regions, and countries, have pledged to work towards producing everything they consume by 2054 as part of the Fab City Global Initiative. Canadian participants include Montreal and Bas-St.-Laurent. Local projects explore small batch design and production, open source data and technology, and novel materials, processes, and applications. 

“Addressing the regional environmental contamination and global ecological footprints associated with modern urbanisation is a historic challenge. On the positive side, it is in cities that dynamic, new ideas are often generated. In the face of the planetary emergency that is upon us, the challenge is to utilise this creativity to rethink cities as regenerative, environmentally beneficial systems, linking the wellbeing of individual urban citizens with humanity’s collective interest in the health of our home planet. Only by mainstreaming renewable energy resources and by protecting and continuously regenerating the ecosystems and soils from which they draw their sustenance can cities become a viable, long-term home for humanity.” [A New Age, Herbert Girardet, in a special issue of Resurgence & Ecologist dedicated to cities]

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, December 21, 2021

Ocean-dwelling Christmas tree worms use their festive crowns to catch dinner as it floats by. [Oceana]

Upcoming Events 

Participate in iNaturalist’s Winter Bug Project from now until March 1, 2022. Photograph any arthropod (insect, spider, sowbug, etc.) found active indoors or out – in Alberta or Saskatchewan – on land or in water (but not including pets or pet food) and post it online. Experts will help you identify it and it will be added to the count.

Gardening at USask is offering the following online classes, beginning at 7 pm: 

Jan. 3 – Winter Compost Tips 

Feb. 7 – Wasps 

Details about all upcoming events can be found on the EcoFriendly Sask Calendar 

Construction 

Climate Caucus, a group of locally-elected climate leaders, has asked the federal government to adopt an energy-efficient, zero-carbon, outcomes-based building code that will set a high standard for local governments. [LinkedIn] 

“If buildings are to make meaningful contributions to keeping global temperature rise to 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels, limiting emissions from building materials is crucial.” [The Conversation]

 

Transportation 

“Instead of funding new and wider roads, we should build places where people want to slow down and get out of their cars.” [Undark] 

A cartoon lampoons the growing size of trucks and SUVs – Share the road? No way! [The Nib via Planetizen] 

Toronto has amended its bylaws to allow pedal-assisted cargo e-bikes for personal and commercial delivery purposes, but “emerging issues regarding vehicle and pedestrian safety highlight a need to examine how best to regulate cargo e-bikes.” [Pembina Institute] 

Consumption 

The sale of peat to gardeners in England and Wales will be banned by 2024. The government hopes to end use of peat in the professional horticulture sector by 2028. [The Guardian] 

Le Printemps, an iconic Parisian department store, has transformed its top floor into an haute couture and vintage thrift store that also showcases sustainable brands. [Sortir à Paris] 

“The Day the World Stops Shopping offers a thought experiment: what if, overnight, we reduced shopping by 25%? What would happen? … What would it mean for fashion brands? What about the people who make those clothes in low income countries? How would it affect the advertising industry, or traffic rates? What would happen to the global economy, and to carbon emissions? Nature gets a look in too, with a chapter investigating the impact on wildlife.” [book review, The Earthbound Report] 

Water 

Proposed coal mining in southern Alberta could lead to contamination of the South Saskatchewan River from metals such as arsenic, selenium, and cadmium. “If you’re going to look at mining development of the headwaters, you have to look at the whole river basin, the whole watershed, and follow the impacts downstream … And that hasn’t been done.” [The StarPhoenix] 

Shifting Priorities 

“Genuinely sustainable investing could help shift trillions of dollars toward renewable energy and other clean technologies, but only with strong parameters. So far, however, there are no stringent requirements in Canada for climate disclosures, nor is there a single set of standards for what counts as a sustainable investment—regulatory gaps that can make it hard for climate-conscious investors to know how to make the right choices.” [The Walrus] 

Wishing you a very happy Christmas from Andrew and Penny at EcoFriendly Sask. We’ll be back next Tuesday with a Boxing Day Book Special and EcoSask News will resume on January 4. 

Snowshoe Hare snort when they’re annoyed. Find out more on EcoFriendly Sask’s free nature website/app for Canada’s 4 western provinces. [Nature Companion]

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, December 14, 2021

Song Sparrow make short, fluttering flights pumping their tail up and down. They prefer areas with low shrubs and bushes. [Nature Companion] 

Energy 

“Saskatchewan has a tremendous opportunity to use energy efficiency to achieve our climate commitments … every electron saved through energy efficiency results in fewer emissions from carbon-emitting coal and gas plants.” Martin Boucher outlines 5 effective options. [Martin Boucher, Regina Leader-Post] 

Calgary-based Canadian Premium Sand is shifting from providing fracking sand for the oil patch to producing solar panels. [CBC] 

Airports’ flat roofs, parking garages, and open spaces are an ideal location for solar panels. And, as many airports are connected to the municipal grid, they may even be able to feed energy back into the system. [Gizmodo] 

Making Choices 

Cities world-wide are beginning to employ sensor technology to monitor and minimize urban noise. [Bloomberg CityLab] 

I don’t want to leave children a future “full of cement, full of destruction”. The Austrian government halts 8 highway projects in an effort to slow climate change. [France 24]

Most coniferous trees keep their foliage all year round, adding a welcome touch of green to a snowy winter landscape [Conifers of Western Canada, EcoFriendly Sask] 

Maintaining Biodiversity 

Yellowknife to Yukon is an ambitious project designed to protect an interconnected series of wildlands. A research team has concluded that this is an effective conservation strategy. Compared to neighbouring areas that weren’t part of the project, the protected area gained more land, more grizzly bears, and more wildlife crossings. The project also received mention in popular media (Gray’s Anatomy) and scientific publications. [Anthropocene] 

Environmental DNA (fragments of aquatic creatures floating in the water) can provide an early warning of invasive species entering new regions or threatened species moving outside their expected range. eDNA “could shape policy for protected regions and help monitor population shifts on a rapidly changing planet, but it may ultimately prove only as revolutionary as it is widely available and usable across the globe.” [JSTOR Daily] 

Nature-based solutions “can be highly effective in building long-term resilience for nature and people. It is a valuable asset in our toolbox for linking biodiversity and climate and addressing these twin crises.” However, care must be taken to recognize the inherent value of nature, to avoid treating nature-based solutions as offsetting, and to include stakeholders in developing countries. [International Institute for Sustainable Development] 

That’s Amazing! 

“Migrating birds push their bodies to the physiological limit, which creates excess heat. Some species cope by ascending to cooler air during daytime.” Many species also have lighter-coloured feathers, another way to stay cooler. [Science News] 

Snow Geese eat grasses and can often be spotted grazing on leftover grain in farm fields. They root in the mud for food so their faces are often stained a rusty orange. [Nature Companion] 

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 30, 2021

Upcoming Events 

One School One Farm is planning an online talk on carbon sequestration in shelterbelt trees at 7 pm, Dec. 7. 

Gardening at USask is offering the following online classes. All classes begin at 7 pm. 

Dec. 9 – Birds in Winter 

Dec. 12 – Insects in Your Garden: An Introduction to Beetles 

There will be a presentation on Saskatchewan’s woodland caribou at the 7:30 pm, Dec. 9, online meeting of the Saskatoon Nature Society. 

Martensville families are invited to make lanterns and take a walk to light up the night with Wildernook Fresh Air Learning at 5, 6:30 & 8 pm, Dec. 12. 

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

Across the West

The “Trudeau government needs to clarify its competing objectives, with goals to reduce algae blooms while ramping up agricultural production, which will increase nutrient runoff … ‘Lake Winnipeg won’t wait and we need to get on with restoring (its) health.’” [Winnipeg Free Press] 

The Nature Conservancy of Canada has acquired 646 hectares of grasslands and wetlands located along the eastern shoreline of Chaplin Lake, the second-largest salt lake in Canada. During spring and fall migrations, thousands of shorebirds use Chaplin Lake and the surrounding grasslands to refuel or nest. [Toronto Star] 

“More than 70% of boreal woodland caribou herds in Canada are in decline, and recent analysis suggests that provincial exemptions allowing forestry and oil and gas activities in critical habitat have accelerated the trend.” [Pembina Institute] 

Farming the Future: Agriculture and climate change on the Canadian Prairies - a report on improving climate resilience while supporting local livelihoods. [International Institute for Sustainable Development] 

A “Victoria-based photographer and activist has spent much of the past 15 years searching for and photographing some of Canada's biggest, oldest trees … Most of the trees that Watt finds are slated to be cut down.” [CBC]

 

Neighbourhood Planning 

“To create a circular and regenerative future, we should be looking at our neighbourhoods as fertile grounds of change, not merely as consumers of change decided elsewhere … Because the kind of transformative change needed doesn’t happen abstractly – out there – it happens here, in our houses, our offices, our streets, our river catchments, our institutions. And critically, change happens in our own ways of thinking and being … We need to be alert to context and not ask ‘what will work, generically?’ but ‘what will work and be right for this place and contribute to the bigger picture?’” [RSA] 

Durham Region’s green building practices are expected to “reduce greenhouse gas emissions, build infrastructure that is resilient to future climate change and create a healthier environment for residents.” [DurhamRegion.com] 

Choices 

“Economists recognize that congestion reflects underpricing: driving is so cheap that it becomes inevitable. You can have free roads or you can have free-flowing traffic but it is economically infeasible to have both.” [Planetizen] 

6 ways to make your flights greener and ecologically friendly. [Hand Luggage Only] 

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 subscribing by email (top right corner). 

EcoSask News, November 16, 2021

Upcoming Events 

CaféSci Saskatoon is hosting an online presentation on UNESCO Biosphere Reserves: Reconciling people and planet at 7:30 pm, Nov. 23. 

SK-PCAP is hosting a noon-hour webinar on prescribed fire as a conservation management tool on Nov. 30. 

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

Climate Solutions 

“Research suggests that there are significant health and learning benefits for students attending green schools: schools that are built to last and fill classrooms with natural light and freshly-circulated air.” Find out more in this 13-minute video. [Sustainable Building Manitoba] 

New Las Vegas golf courses won’t be able to access municipal water. Golf courses in southern Nevada annually consume over 1400 times as much water as a residential home. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] 

Passive solar heating systems could supply enough heat for a third of the residential space in the United States. Skylights, for example, are an untapped resource. [Futurity] 

Washington, DC’s wastewater treatment plant describes itself as a resource recovery facility. “When recycled properly, poop can power your home, cook your food, fuel your car, and even stave off algae blooms and floods.” [Nautilus] 

Is there a case for sucking carbon out of the air? A long, in-depth article explores the pros and cons of this visionary proposal. Is it crucial to our long-term survival or simply a boondoggle to keep big oil in operation? [Mother Jones]

 

We Can Do Better 

“Sharrows don’t make a road safer — there’s data that they are worse than doing nothing. Drivers don’t understand them. They extend no actual legal benefits to riders. Cities like to install them to seem like they’re doing something. In short, sharrows are bullshit.” [Peter Flax] 

“While governments play a role in certain policies, such as transit and urban planning, consumers can shop their way out of a warming climate … Just make everything last longer and buy less." [CBC]

 

Mushrooms are Magic 

“All mushrooms are magic … It’s time to say their name by acknowledging them all around - from the dinner table to international conservation policies - and including them in our conception of ecosystems that need to be cherished and protected. Say it with me: the world is inhabited by fauna, flora and funga.” [The Guardian] 

For more information about the all-important presence of fungi in our lives, check out the article we posted last December. [EcoFriendly Sask] 

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 9, 2021

Upcoming Events 

There will be a climate rally in Saskatoon in support of COP26 from 11:30 am-1 pm, Nov.12. 

Nature Regina is holding an online presentation on the Prussian Carp from 7:30-9 pm, Nov. 15. 

Saskatchewan Environmental Society/Saskatoon Public Library are hosting an online presentation from 7-8:30 pm, Nov. 16, on the future of climate action in Saskatchewan following the Supreme Court of Canada’s carbon pricing decision. 

Learn about stewardship initiatives in the North and South Saskatchewan River Watersheds online at 11 am, Nov. 17. 

Kai Chan, UBC, will be presenting an online lecture on confronting the climate and ecological crisis with intention: what path to genuine policy solutions? from 7-8:30 pm, Nov. 17. 

SK-PCAP is hosting a noon-hour webinar on a prairie grasslands initiative on Nov. 17. 

Dale Eisler will be presenting an online talk on addressing climate change and economic growth: are they compatible? from 12-12:55 pm, Nov. 18. 

Saskatoon Nature Society is hosting an online presentation on fungi, how and where they grow, what they offer mankind at 7:30 pm, Nov. 18. 

Partners FOR the Saskatchewan River Basin is hosting a webinar from 12-1 pm, Nov. 18, on the Bow River reservoir options. 

SaskOutdoors is offering a virtual Below Zero workshop from Nov. 22-29. 

Details about all upcoming events are available on the EcoSask Calendar

 

Local News 

The Citizens Environmental Alliance is a volunteer group addressing water drainage issues in Saskatchewan. Their current newsletter contains important information on the ongoing problems in the Quill Lakes Watershed, which could lead to problems in Last Mountain Lake. It also contains links to articles about the cumulative effects of farmland drainage, a First Nation study on toxicity levels in Pasqua Lake, and much more. [Citizens Environmental Alliance] 

A recent article assembles current Western scientific knowledge on what is known and not known about wetland drainage on the Prairies. [Canadian Water Resources Journal] 

Friends of Wascana Marsh are looking for volunteers for their board of directors. 

A 2-megawatt solar farm project in Saskatoon “would power roughly 330 homes and reduce greenhouse gases by an average of 450 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent each year.” [CBC]

 

Spotlight on Manitoba 

Winnipeg-based Bison, one of Canada’s largest trucking companies, is making an effort to go green. It’s currently testing two of only 40 pre-production battery electric Freightliner tractors in North America. "For a trucking company to jump on to a new technology that has different performance capacity, like shorter range and maybe the ability to hold less freight… the economies of the entire industry need to be adjusted. And the economics is not dependant on the individual corporate budget. It is dependant on the expectations of the entire supply chain." [Winnipeg Free Press] 

Great signage from Climate Change Connection – Winnipeg 

Local climate activists say change is too slow in Winnipeg – “We do need political champions at city hall.” [CBC] 

In Other News

The Netherlands has had a near-total dependence on natural gas heating. Natural gas-free districts are piloting alternative low-carbon technologies. Heat pumps, bio gas, solar-powered hydrogen electrolysers, and geothermal are some of the ideas municipalities are investigating. [BBC] 

“Making democracy work better for the climate doesn’t just mean hearing more from people. It means hearing less from those economic interests, such as oil majors and airlines, that have a stake in the high-carbon status quo … What is necessary, then, is not to dispense with democracy, but to double down on it. Seeing climate change not as something that can be solved by experts, nor through individual sacrifices – but by the negotiation of a new sort of social contract between people and the state.” [The Guardian] 

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).

Wildlife Protection on Urban Roads and Highways

Roads are inherently dangerous places for wildlife, whether it’s a female turtle heading to its nesting ground, a fox out hunting, or a mule deer trying to reach the river for a drink of water. 

Threats to Wildlife from Transportation Networks 

Transportation networks create 4 main risks for wildlife: 

1. Loss of life 

2. Loss of habitat, including habitat degradation and fragmentation 

3. Loss of access to critical resources (e.g. nesting sites, water, migratory routes) 

4. Loss of population integrity as herds are sub-divided into smaller groups, increasing the risk of local extinction 

In addition, roads create a new and dangerous habitat where snakes choose to bask in the sun, predators feed on roadkill, and turtles nest in the gravel roadsides. Roads also increase human access to wildlife habitat, raising the risk of poaching, dumping, and other illegal activities. 

Determining Risk and the Need for Wildlife Road Mitigation 

There are a number of factors that need to be considered when planning a road or seeking to mitigate roadkill in a specific area. First and foremost, is the road necessary? Extra roads do not reduce traffic congestion. To effectively address climate change, the focus must be on moving away from a reliance on cars. If the road is absolutely essential, it should be carefully planned, keeping in mind the needs of non-human and human animals. 

1. What is the conservation value of the surrounding habitat? Is the area of particular natural importance (e.g. patch of remnant prairie, wetlands)? 

2. Does the surrounding area shelter threatened or endangered species (e.g. badgers or a sharp-tailed grouse lek)? 

3. How many wildlife live in the surrounding area? Is it home to large herds of deer, a significant breeding ground for frogs, or a rest spot for migrating birds? 

4. Will the road impact wildlife corridors and habitat connectivity? For example, will the road inhibit animals heading to a river for water? Will it cut across traditional migratory routes? 

5. What is the current or potential mortality rate? For existing roads, this can be estimated from roadkill and accident reports. For proposed roads, studies of current wildlife population sizes and movement patterns will provide valuable information. 

6. What are the costs entailed in providing or not providing wildlife road mitigation? An underpass or wildlife bridge may appear prohibitively expensive until it is compared to the expenses and human deaths incurred due to wildlife road collisions.

 

Urban Road Considerations 

Roads through or in the vicinity of urban areas involve high traffic volumes and require special consideration even if they do not appear to be ecologically important areas. A study of highway mortalities in southern Alberta showed that road sections close to urban centres were at greatest risk of animal vehicle collisions due to “high traffic volume and abundant deer populations.” 

The risk of collisions can vary significantly for different species. One British study of roadkill along an urban-rural spectrum speculated that “the variation in road kill risk might be attributed to animals developing avoidance behaviours.” However, in urban settings, these adaptations may be offset by “other behavioural changes that are common in urban populations, for example, increased boldness and habituation, including longer response times to threats, such as oncoming vehicles, which could increase roadkill risk.” 

The British study also looked at the significance of urban green spaces but found it difficult to determine their impact. On the one hand, parks may increase the urban wildlife population and encourage species that wouldn’t normally be found in an urban setting. On the other hand, they may provide urban wildlife which have limited home ranges with a low-risk habitat where they can move around without needing to navigate roads. 

Minimizing the Risk of Collisions 

The Wildlife Roadsharing Resource Centre provides an overview of steps that can be taken to avoid animal-vehicle collisions and assesses their effectiveness. 

1. Physically separate animals from the roadway 

Wildlife crossings, combined with exclusion fencing, are the most effective means of reducing wildlife collisions. Fencing in isolation is a barrier to wildlife movement and, unless the fencing is extensive, can lead to clusters of collisions at either end of the fencing. 

2. Influence Driver Behaviour 

Public education can be useful to remind drivers of peak collision times and the optimal way to respond to a potential collision, but it must be accurate and evidence-based. Setting lower speed limits has not proven to be effective, but road designs that encourage a reduction in speed appear to work, although there are mixed results depending on the type of traffic calming measures used. It’s not yet clear whether different animals are attracted to or withdraw from roadway lighting. 

3. Reduce wildlife population size 

To be effective, more than 50% of a population needs to be culled. The public looks more favourably on relocation, but there is a low survival rate for animals that have been relocated and, if not relocated far enough away, the animals will return to their original home. Sterilization is not always effective and can be expensive. It is not permitted along Canadian highways. 

4. Influence animal behaviour 

None of these methods appeared to be effective.

 

Improving Road Design 

Studies of existing roadway mitigation initiatives provide helpful advice for future projects. 

1.Build roads near the edges of habitat as opposed to directly through them to reduce fragmentation and the need for crossings 

2. Modify infrastructure and roadside borders to avoid trapping animals or hindering movement 

3. Map light-sensitive areas (e.g. wetlands with breeding amphibians) to inform the installation (or non-installation) of lighting 

4.Install noise barriers to minimize disturbance of neighbouring natural areas 

5. Improve the surface of underpasses and shorten the length of culverts to make it easier for animals to use them 

6. Plan ahead for the long-term maintenance of fencing and eco-passages and ensure that they will not interfere with snow clearing and other road maintenance activities 

7. Consult experts with prior experience 

Importance of Wildlife Advocates 

Public education plays an important role in mitigating wildlife fatalities. Miistakis Institute held workshops with members of the public about wildlife-vehicle collisions and found that participants emphasized human safety over wildlife connectivity. “However, roads may have a significant impact on wildlife via direct mortality or avoidance behavior by species sensitive to road disturbance. Thus, ensuring safe passage of wildlife across roads is an important strategy for maintaining biodiversity and protecting species at risk. Public education and science-policy translation regarding the need for investments in mitigation in support of biodiversity and species-at-risk recovery planning is urgently needed.” 

Collaboration and information sharing across specialties can prove valuable. “Improving the way wildlife/road interactions are managed in Ontario has been championed by the Ontario Road Ecology Group (OREG), a not-for-profit organization that protects biodiversity from the threats of roads by facilitating partnerships among government and non-government agencies dedicated to resolving road ecology issues through research, policy, and stewardship.”

 

If you are concerned about road construction in Saskatoon, be sure to join forces with the Northeast Swale Watchers.

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, October 19, 2021

Upcoming Events 

City of Regina residents can dispose of household hazardous waste from 9 am-4 pm, Saturday, Oct. 23. 

Meewasin is looking for volunteers to wrap trees to protect them from beavers from 1-3 pm, Oct. 23, and from 4-6 pm, Oct. 25. 

Families are invited to enjoy guided and self-guided nature activities in Little Red River Park, Prince Albert, the afternoon of Oct. 24. Sign up for a time slot. 

Cinema Politica will be showing Surplus: Terrorized Into Being Consumers at 7 pm, Oct. 27, in Regina. 

SK-PCAP is hosting a presentation on the biology and ecology of snakes in southwest Saskatchewan at 7 pm, Oct. 28, in Val Marie. 

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

Local News 

Peatlands play a significant role in managing floods and wildfires, in storing water and carbon, and in supporting insects, plants, and animals. But they’re still under attack in Canada. [The Conversation] 

Youth in Fort Belknap, Montana, are collecting and planting seeds to help restore degraded grasslands. The program offers the youth self-empowerment, cultural knowledge, and a new appreciation for the land around them. [High Country News] 

Photographers from BC, Manitoba, and Quebec are among the award winners in this year's Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards. [CBC]

 

Energy Choices 

“When people hold on to their vehicles for longer, the reduced emissions from manufacturing more than cancel out the increased emissions from driving a slightly less fuel efficient older car.” [Anthropocene] 

In an electrical grid based on renewables, consumers will have an active role to play in balancing supply and demand by shifting heating and cooling usage to times of day when there is peak availability (e.g., based on the availability of solar energy during the day but not at night). [Undark] 

Women currently face significant challenges in obtaining employment in the energy field. A recent report “documents the biggest barriers to women’s participation and opportunities for change to ensure the clean energy economy is more equitable and inclusive.” [Pembina Institute] 

Sharing the Earth 

“The loss of wildlife connectivity is the result of fragmentation by a thousand cuts. In a world that is rapidly changing through habitat loss and climate change, we need to develop and implement a vision of wildlife connectivity across our country.” [Wildlife Conservation Society Canada via Nature Conservancy of Canada] 

“Only humans own their homes. What if other species could own theirs as well?” In Wildlife as Property Owners, Karen Bradshaw argues that “wild animals should be integrated into our system of property law to prevent further habitat destruction — the leading cause of species extinction.” In Bradshaw’s view “an interspecies property system would be more flexible and pluralistic than the anthropocentric concept of property. Not only would it need to take account of how multiple nonhuman species use a space, but also how those uses intersect with human ones.” [The Revelator] 

Have you ever spotted a large flock of vultures and wondered what had died? Maybe nothing. Vultures swoop and circle even when migrating from southern Canada to their wintering area in Central or South America. [Cool Green Science] 

For more information about vultures, take a look at EcoFriendly Sask’s Nature Companion. 

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, October 12, 2021

Upcoming Events 

There will be a virtual Wild Ecol Seminar Series presentation on pronghorn and mountain goat population monitoring at 3:30 pm, Oct. 15. 

Ryan Fisher will describe a day in the life of the curator of vertebrate zoology at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum at Nature Regina’s meeting at 7:30 pm, Oct. 18. 

The Saskatchewan Environmental Society and the Saskatoon Public Library are offering an online presentation from 7-8:30 pm, Oct. 19, on uranium: premises, promises & predicaments. 

There will be an online presentation on eagle research and conservation in the intermountain west at the Saskatoon Nature Society meeting at 7:30 pm, Oct. 21. 

Looking Ahead 

The Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council is hosting a fall workshop from 9-11:45 am, Nov. 4. 

SaskOutdoors is offering a remote first aid course in Lumsden Nov. 12-14. 

Full event details are available on the EcoFriendly Sask Calendar 

Local News 

The Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park and Zoo has won an industry excellence award for the prairie dog exhibit and the Saskatoon Zoo Society for its virtual environmental education programs for children in K-8 that incorporate real-time animal interactions. [City of Saskatoon] 

The Saskatoon Freeway project has released its preferred route following public consultation. In addition, Partners for Growth has released a planning district zoning bylaw.

 

Peaceful Coexistence 

“When negative encounters arise between wildlife and humans, it isn’t a sign that coexistence is failing; it’s a sign that it’s time for those efforts to begin in earnest. Coexistence is a daily intention. A thoughtful and regular pursuit of behaviours and philosophy that humans and wild animals can adapt to living in the same spaces.” [The Fur-Bearers] 

The West is a “wiry place, containing enough fencing to circle the equator 25 times. Sage grouse, peregrine falcons, and other birds collide with fences, and ungulates must navigate an endless obstacle course.” Fences trap, injure, and kill large animals; separate mothers from calves; and exclude herds from prime habitat. The research done by fence ecologists will be important in identifying solutions. [Undark] 

Energy Gains & Losses 

Interprovincial connections between electricity grids are an essential element in delivering the clean electricity that is the key to decarbonizing Canada’s economy. [Pembina Institute] 

The environmental impact of using a ride-hailing app (Uber or Lyft) is 30-35% greater than using a personal vehicle, even if the entire app-based fleet is electric. Any potential benefits are lost when an Uber or Lyft driver travels from one drop-off to the next pickup, or simply drives around waiting for their next fare to be assigned. “Taxes and other public policy approaches could help hold down the external costs of app-based travel, the researchers suggest, for example by encouraging ride-pooling through Uber and Lyft, encouraging app-based travel to destinations where parking is in especially short supply, and discouraging it on routes that are already well served by public transit.” [Anthropocene]

 

Not in my Back Yard? 

“Why do insects have to be either beneficial or pests?” Every insect species is an essential “part of a complex web of interacting communities and ecosystems. Every (native) species plays an integral role that would be missed if it were gone … If you lean into the idea that you’re creating [garden] habitat for as many species as you can, success comes easily. Instead of worrying about what’s eating your plants, you’ll start to notice which plants attract the most caterpillars or grasshoppers. Then, you’ll notice where the crab spiders or assassin bugs like to hang out, trying to take advantage of that abundance of prey. Birds will appear too, catching those insects to feed their families or fuel their migration flights. A complex mass of dynamic interactions will be taking place literally in your back yard – and you’ll have a front row seat.” [The Prairie Ecologist] 

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 subscribing by email (top right corner).

EcoSask News, September 21, 2021

Upcoming Events 

There will be a School Strike for Climate from 11 am-1 pm, Sept. 24, in Regina. A similar event in Saskatoon has been postponed.

City of Regina residents can dispose of household hazardous waste from 9 am-4 pm, Saturday, Sept. 25. 

There will be an electric vehicle expo in Regina from 9 am-6 pm, Sept. 25 and in Saskatoon from 10 am-5 pm, Sept. 26. 

Looking Ahead 

SaskOutdoors is offering the following virtual workshops:

Growing Up Wild from 7-9 pm, Oct. 14

Flying Wild on Oct. 18 and 25 from 7-8:30 pm 

Getting Little Feet Wet from 7-9 pm, Oct. 28

Project Wet from Nov. 1-8. 

Full details for all events are found on the EcoFriendly Sask Calendar

SES Wants to Depave Saskatoon 

Saskatoon storm water flows into the South Saskatchewan River without being treated; most of this runs right off roads and sidewalks, picking up road salt, pet waste, litter, and other pollutants along the way. In an effort to help slow down, soak up, and clean storm water while also creating habitats and benefitting our community, the Saskatchewan Environmental Society will be holding a “Depave” event in Saskatoon in May 2022. Depave, a project of Green Communities Canada, aims to improve rain flow in urban centres by “depaving” (removing the asphalt) in a small area (~100 m2) and cultivating the site by planting native plants and trees. If you have an area in your school, or church yard, or at your business where SES can hold a Depave event and build a beautiful greenspace, email them at depave@environmentalsociety.ca or call the SES office at 306.665.1915.

 

Personal Choices 

Is your toilet paper sustainable? Several major brands are still relying on virgin forests for their products’ fibres. [NRDC] 

Community Initiatives 

ECOWATER, a SK startup company providing eco-friendly approaches for the removal of contaminants of emerging concern from water and wastewater, won third prize and $10,000 in seed funding in Water Canada’s Aqua Hacking Challenge, Western Canada. [AquaHacking 2021 Challenge] 

Gabriola Island Recycling Organization receives over 45,000 kg of donated clothing every year. Half of that goes into their thrift store. They plan to sell upcycled products to avoid sending the other half to the landfill. [CBC British Columbia] 

Policy Decisions 

Getting people to drive less is difficult because North American cities are designed for cars, but there are solutions. 1) Make streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists, 2) End single-family zoning to encourage mixed-use development, and 3) Make drivers pay the cost of driving. [Vox] 

“Connecting provincial grids is essential to make the best use of the clean electricity resources available in each province, allowing renewable energy to be developed in areas with the best conditions and distributed elsewhere.” [ report prepared by Pembina Institute] 

Public Awareness 

Species awareness days (e.g. Bat Appreciation Day, World Rhino Day) boost fundraising and media coverage, especially for lesser-known species. It pays to include specific calls to action (e.g. go to this webpage or share this information). [The Revelator] 

Using quilting to tell a story is “bringing in new audiences to engage and talk about science”. [Smithsonian Magazine]

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 subscribing by email (top right corner).

EcoSask News, September 14, 2021

Upcoming Events 

The Saskatoon Nature Society is hosting an online presentation on amphibians at 7:30 pm, Sept. 16. 

Library of Things, Saskatoon, will be open for pick-ups by reservation from the back door in the alley from 1-4 pm, Sept. 18. 

Nature Regina is hosting a presentation on the Treaty Land Sharing Network at 7:30 pm, Sept. 20, at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum. 

The Saskatoon Nature Society is inviting the public to attend a Sandhill Crane viewing from 6-8 pm, Sept. 20. 

The Saskatchewan Environmental Society and the Saskatoon Public Library are offering an online presentation on Electricity in Saskatchewan: Current Status, Future Prospects from 7-8:30 pm, Sept. 21. 

The Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy is hosting a video conference on nuclear development, communicating risk, and public engagement at noon, Sept. 23. 

There will be a global climate strike at noon, Sept. 24, in Saskatoon. 

 

Full event details can be found on the EcoFriendly Sask Calendar

Local News 

William Hale has opened a used electric vehicle dealership in Saskatoon. William says he’s driven an electric vehicle (EV), winter and summer, for 3 years and loves it. “The electrification of transportation is one of the principal pathways to a low carbon economy and I want to help with this transition in Saskatchewan,” he explains. The dealership offers a lower-priced entry into the EV market and an opportunity to ask questions and test drive the vehicles. They also sell and install EV chargers for home use. 

Green Shift Automotive in Regina sells a range of electric vehicles from bikes, scooters, and skateboards to hybrid and electric cars. 

Alberta Lake Management Society is offering a fall webinar series with applicability across Canada. 

Transportation 

Exposure to traffic noise is associated with a range of health problems, including dementia, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. [The Guardian] 

The six problems aviation must fix to hit net zero: 1. fuel; 2. non-CO2 impacts, such as nitrogen oxides and contrail clouds; 3. frequent flyers; 4. policy development; 5. the new middle class; and 6. supersonic planes. [The Guardian]

Wildlife 

Wildlife rescuers are the first to provide medical care for injured or sick animals and could provide an early-warning system for illnesses that also affect humans. [The Revelator] 

“Mountain and boreal caribou are on a long-term slide to extinction; not because of what wolves and other predators are doing but because of what humans have already done.” [Raincoast Conservation Foundation] 

“Rebugging is looking at the ways, small and large, to nurture complex communities of these tiny, vital players in almost all the natural and not-so-natural places on earth. It means conserving them where they are managing to hang on, and restoring them where they are needed as part of a rewilding movement. And it means putting bugs back into our everyday lives, our homes and where we play and work.” [The Revelator, an excerpt from Rebugging the Planet: The Remarkable Things that Insects (and Other Invertebrates) Do – And Why We Need to Love Them More by Vicki Hird) 

When they’re not looking for a mate, some female hummingbirds are adopting the same brightly coloured ornamentation as males as it “helps them avoid aggressive male behaviors during feeding, such as pecking and body slamming.” [Science Daily] 

Energy 

“Air conditioning is the most obvious immediate response to the dangerous warming of the planet. It’s also making it worse. … People are going to keep buying air conditioners … so we need to offer them better, safer, cleaner devices … We’re doing a disservice to our citizenry when we let them buy something that is so expensive to operate, and so polluting that cooling is actually adding to the warming of the planet.” [The Guardian] 

Coal-fired plants made up 40% of global energy output in 2010. Here’s a breakdown of consumption on a country- by-country basis as well as a look at steps that could be taken to end coal use. [Climate Solutions] 

Despite what oil and gas companies would have you believe, blue hydrogen isn’t clean or economically viable. [DeSmog] 

Did you know? Wood Frog hibernate under logs or leaf litter and can tolerate below-zero temperatures by increasing the amount of glucose in their blood, which lowers the freezing point and stops ice crystals from forming. [Nature Companion] 

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).