EcoSask News, August 18, 2020

Upcoming Events
Bird Tours, Aug./Sept. (Saskatoon) 
Stan Shadick is offering physically distanced bird tours with proceeds to Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation:
Shorebird driving tour - Aug. 1-Sept. 15
Pelican driving tour - Aug. 15-Sept. 15
Warbler walking tour - Aug. 20-Sept. 15

Let’s Talk Outdoors, Aug. 20 (online)
SaskOutdoors is launching a podcast on Aug. 20 – Let’s Talk Outdoors: Environmental Enjoyment and Education – with new episodes every third Thursday.

Climate Strike, Aug. 21 & ongoing (online) 
The YXE Youth Climate Committee is hosting a digital Fridays for Future Climate Strike on Fridays from 12-1 pm starting Aug. 21.

Flight of the Monarch, Aug. 22 (online)
Join Nature Saskatchewan in celebrating Flight of the Monarch Day on Aug. 22.

Mini Outdoor School Conference, Aug. 24 (online) 
The Early Childhood Education Council is offering a virtual mini outdoor school conference for its members from 1-2 pm, Aug. 24. Register by emailing saskecec@gmail.com.

SOS Trees Coalition AGM, Aug. 27 (Saskatoon) 
SOS Trees Coalition will hold their annual general meeting outdoors in Victoria Park close to the pagoda at 6:30 pm, Aug. 27.

Backyard Bioblitz, Aug. 24-30 (Saskatchewan) 
Nature Conservancy of Canada is inviting the public to contribute to online community science by searching for plants, animals, and insects in your backyard or local green space and tracking your observations with iNaturalist.

Looking Ahead 
Project WILD, Sept. 16, 23, 30 (online) 
SaskOutdoors is hosting a Project WILD training online from 7-9 pm, Sept. 16, 23, and 30.

George Genereux Park Clean-Up, Sept. 19 (Saskatoon) 
Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas are inviting volunteers to join them in removing garbage in George Genereux Urban Regional Park from 9 am-5 pm, Sept. 19. Volunteers with trucks, wheelbarrows, etc. are encouraged to bring it with them. Disposal bins will be on site in August and September if you want to help out at a different time.

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

Local News
Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas will deliver your recyclables to SARCAN and provide you with a charitable receipt. Call 306-380-5368 to arrange a pick-up.

The Wildlife Rehabilitation Society of Saskatchewan has responded to over 3000 calls to their wildlife hotline this year. Your donations can help support the work of WRSOS and wildlife rehabilitators throughout Saskatchewan (Living Sky in Saskatoon, Salthaven West in Regina, Silverwood in southeast Saskatchewan to name just a few).

Meewasin Valley Authority’s functional study to help minimize the environmental impacts of the proposed Saskatoon Freeway recommends shifting the route by 200-300 metres to the north and a causeway to reduce impact on wetlands. Recent focus groups also expressed concerns and recommendations regarding environmental issues.

Parks Canada has installed EV charging stations in Prince Albert National Park, Batoche and Motherwell Homestead National Historic Sites. Grasslands National Park will have one soon.

From Information to Action
The UK is testing the viability of noise cameras to cut down on noise pollution.

Lower speed limits – on the highway and in town – reduce greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.

Having an impact: how to practice science that influences environmental policy and management.

Volunteers are plugging abandoned oil wells in Montana and returning the land to its pre-drilling condition.

The environmental footprint of paper vs electronic books – it depends how much you read.

Efforts to protect the nests of Western Painted Turtles have resulted in almost 200 hatchlings at Elizabeth Lake near Cranbrook.

A 22,000 sq. m. green roof on a university campus in Thailand mimics local rice terrace landscapes, collects rainwater, and grows up to 135,000 rice meals and vegetables each year.

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

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

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

EcoSask News, 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, October 23, 2018

Upcoming Events
Take Me Outside Day, Oct. 24
Teachers are encouraged to take their students outside for at least an hour on Oct. 24, Take Me Outside Day.

Art & Science in Wildlife Management, Oct. 26 (Saskatoon)
The WildEcol seminar series is held at 3:30 pm, every other Friday, on the U of S campus:
Oct. 26 – Bridging the gap between art and science in wildlife management

Anthropocene, Oct. 26 (Saskatoon)
Anthropocene, a cinematic overview of humanity’s reengineering of the planet, is being screened at the Roxy Theatre on Oct. 26. Check for the book, with photographs by Edward Burtynsky, in your local library or bookstore.

Travels South of the Equator, Oct. 27 (Fort Qu’Appelle)
Jean and Peter Ascroft will share their travels south of the equator on two continents at the 7 pm, Oct. 27, meeting of the Fort Qu’Appelle Nature Society (at the Fort Qu’Appelle Train Station).

NE Swale: More than an Urban Park, Oct. 30 (Saskatoon)
Join the Northeast Swale Watchers from 7-9 pm, Oct. 30, to learn about the Northeast Swale, progress to date, and ongoing challenges.

There will be 5 short presentations: Renny Grilz, Meewasin, What's in the Swale: The Unique Wildlife and Plants of the Northeast Swale; Dr. Ryan Brook, University of Saskatchewan, Monitoring and Mitigating the Impacts of Roads on Wildlife; Rick Huziak, Sask Light Pollution Abatement Group, Reducing Night Lighting for a Healthy Swale; Brenda Wallace, City of Saskatoon, Protecting What Matters - Policy Perspectives; Candace Savage, The Last Refuge: Why Protecting the Swale Matters.

Household Hazardous Waste Day, Oct. 28 (Saskatoon)
You can dispose of household hazardous waste in Saskatoon from 8 am-2:30 pm, Oct. 28.

Lakeridge Park Field Trip, Nov. 3 (Regina)
Join Nature Regina from 10 am to noon, Nov. 3, on a birding field trip at Lakeridge Park.

Library of Things Volunteer Orientation, Nov. 3 (Saskatoon)
Saskatoon’s Library of Things is hosting a volunteer orientation from 12-1 pm, Nov. 3.

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

In the News
Two articles raise serious concerns for Saskatchewan residents:
     Air quality readings are off the chart in southeast Saskatchewan
     The government needs to allow regulators to enforce the regulations

Turtles survived the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs, but will they survive the Anthropocene? Where have all the turtles gone and why does it matter?

Coyotes can help build back biodiversity in rural and urban areas

5 ways cities could dramatically cut carbon emissions

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).