EcoSask News, August 13, 2013

Vereco Home, Aug. 16
Everyone is invited to visit the newest Vereco home at 442 Saskatchewan Drive, Sarilia Country Estates, after 5:30 pm on August 16. The builder and some sub-contractors will be present to discuss the benefits and challenges of building smart green homes. Burgers and hot dogs (meat and veggie) will be provided.

Birding, Aug. 24-25
Join the Saskatoon Nature Society on one of their upcoming trips. Additional information is available on their website.
August 24 – Birding, St. Volodymyr Property at Brown’s Lake (8 am – 1 pm)
August 25 – Forestry Farm Bird Walk (8-11 am)

Speak to the Wild, Sept. 4-8
Four spots are now up for grabs by auction to Speak to the Wild, a multi-disciplinary gathering to discuss moving Canada’s constitution towards a formalized land ethic and strengthening our personal connection to wild places. The auction deadline is 4 pm, August 18.

Saskatoon Community Wind, Sept. 12
Saskatoon Community Wind is one year old. Come to the meeting at 6 pm, September 12, at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market to share news and plan the next steps.

Park(ing) Day, Sept. 20
Sign up now to participate in Park(ing) Day on 20th Street on September 20.

World Rivers Day, Sept. 29
Saskatchewan EcoNetwork is planning a full day of festivities in Friendship Park to celebrate World Rivers Day on September 29. There will be a river walk and clean-up, displays, art, speakers and entertainment. Contact SK Eco Network if you would like to participate (info@econet.sk.ca, 306.652.1275).

Small Win for Sage Grouse
The Federal Court of Appeal says Ottawa can’t use cabinet secrecy to hide decisions and debate about the endangered sage grouse.

Environmental groups requested that the Minister of the Environment issue an emergency protection act as the bird is in danger of immediate disappearance and its habitat requires protection from energy and industrial development. Ottawa claimed cabinet secrecy and refused to share its discussion or decision.

Parks & Climate Change
The Canadian Parks Council has published a report, Canadian Parks and Protected Areas: Helping Canada weather climate change. The report states that parks and protected areas can play an important role by conserving biodiversity and maintaining intact and functioning ecosystems. It goes on to recommend ways in which parks can strengthen their resilience and enhance their role in addressing climate change.

Comic Book Heroes & Villains
Mayah’s Lot, a comic book, brings environmental messages to young people living in a very urban setting.

Connect by Phone with Urban Nature
Check out EcoArtTech’s urban hiking iPhone app that transforms everyday landscapes into sites of bio-cultural diversity and wild happenings.

EcoSask News is a weekly round-up of local news and events. Email us if you have items you would like us to include. Additional upcoming events can be found on our Calendar.

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

EcoSask News, August 6, 2013

Film Night, Aug. 7
Is there too much plastic in your life? Join the Saskatchewan Eco Network and Plastic Smart Saskatoon for a screening of the movie Bag It and a panel discussion on Wednesday, August 7, at 7 pm, at the Frances Morrison Library.

Volunteer at the Fringe, Aug. 5-10
We Are Many Saskatoon is looking for volunteers for their Hydration Station from August 5 to 10 at the Fringe Festival.

Young Naturalists’ Grasslands Hike, Aug. 23
Join Saskatoon’s Young Naturalists for a hike around the Northeast Swale on August 23. Registration is limited, so sign up early.

Upcoming trips for 5-11 year olds include a Sandhill Crane field trip on September 28, a Northern Saw-whet Owl trip on October 4, and a Whooping Crane field trip on October 5.

Nature Saskatchewan Fall Meet, Sept. 20-21
Nature Saskatchewan will be holding its Fall Meet on September 20 and 21 in Meadow Lake. The event is hosted by the Meadow Lake branch of the Junior Forest Wardens.

Sustainable Gourmet, Sept. 21
We’re looking forward to attending the Sustainable Gourmet dinner hosted by the Saskatchewan Environmental Society on September 21. Local food prepared by local chefs – delicious!

Next Up Saskatchewan
Applications are now being accepted for Next Up Saskatchewan, a leadership program for young people committed to social and environmental justice. The application deadline is September 13. Application forms and more information can be found at http://www.nextup.ca/how-to-apply/

Feral, George Monbiot
Have you read Feral by George Monbiot? What do you think of his statement on CBC's Sunday Edition: “One of our tendencies,” Monbiot told Sunday Edition guest host Laura Lynch, “is to try to manage and control and see ourselves as stewards of the land, and to take an Old Testament view of dominion that we’re responsible for all the animals and plants. Well, nature did pretty well for the three billion years before we turned up, and it could do pretty well again if we learned to interfere less.”

Interesting Reading
Photos of beautiful and amazing spiders

5 tips for a more sustainable home

15 seed saving initiatives around the globe

Rising temperatures signal a coming food crisis – Gary Nabhan suggests solutions

Biofuel expansion in the US Midwest is destroying wildlife habitat

EcoSask News is a weekly round-up of local news and events. Email us if you have items you would like us to include. Additional upcoming events can be found on our Calendar.

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

EcoSask News, July 30, 2013

Butterflies, Shorebirds & Wildflowers
Join the Saskatoon Nature Society on their frequent field trips. Additional information is available on their website.
August 4 – Butterflies IV
August 5 – Lucky Lake Shorebirding (bring a lunch and rubber boots)
August 10 – Cranberry Flat Wildflowers

Food Preservation, August
CHEP Good Food Inc. is sponsoring canning workshops and demos on August 7, 14, and 21.

On August 10 and 24, from 10 am to 4 pm, the kitchen at Station 20 West will be available for 5 people who are experienced in food preservation.

Phone 306.655.4575 to register and for information about additional workshops that are in the planning stage.

The Better Good Yard & Home Walking Tour, Aug. 18
The Better Good is organizing a yard + home walking tour to look at ways of living green and providing for yourself in Saskatoon – backyard chickens, intensive gardens, solar homes, permaculture.

SWRC Fall Workshops, Sept. 24-26
The Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council is holding fall workshops in Yorkton, Melfort, and Swift Current on September 24, 25, 26. Topics will include multi-material recycling, hazardous waste, composting, and agricultural plastic.

Below Your Watershed, Oct. 21-23
Below Your Watershed: Your Connection to the River and Groundwater conference will be held in Medicine Hat from October 21-23. The conference will explore topics such as extreme weather, sustainable economic development, unregulated constituents and their impact on water quality.

New! Kids in Nature Grants
The Saskatoon Nature Society (SNS) has established a grant program called Kids in Nature to strengthen existing programs and encourage new ones that reconnect kids with nature. Each spring SNS will invite applications from existing or new programs and select one or more for financial support. More details about the grant process will be announced in the fall.

You’re invited to contribute to the program and help it grow.

Volunteers Wanted: Fruit Harvesting
Out Of Your Tree is looking for neighbourhood coordinators and volunteers to cooperatively harvest local fruit trees, putting the fruit to good use rather than leaving it to go to waste.

Environmental Education
Orion has added a new title to its Nature Literacy series of environmental education books. Place-Based Education emphasizes connections among schools, community, and the environment.

Interesting Reading
BC’s carbon tax is reducing fossil fuel use while the economy thrives

Can mining be sustainable - yes or no?

Is the future of conservation about managing change rather than stopping it?

Protecting Saskatoon’s urban forest - SNS position paper on clear cutting in Cosmopolitan Park

Top 10 iPhone apps to access on your nature walk

EcoSask News is a weekly round-up of local news and events. Email us if you have items you would like us to include. Additional upcoming events can be found on our Calendar.

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

Plastic Smart Saskatoon

What do you find when you clean up the river bank? Well, you find a lot of garbage – and most of it is plastic.

Over 25 people joined in a river bank clean-up organized by Plastic Smart Saskatoon* on May 26.

The volunteers collected over 700 pieces of trash and 85% of it was plastic. 22% of the plastic collected was Styrofoam chunks; 21% was food wrappers; 10% was cups and cutlery; and 12% was bags.

* Plastic Smart Saskatoon received an EcoFriendly Action Grant in April 2013.

Did you know?
Approximately 380 billion plastic bags are used in the United States every year. That’s more than 1,200 bags per US resident, per year.

Los Angeles is on the verge of becoming the biggest city in the United States to ban single-use plastic bags.

Over 100,000 marine mammals and one million seabirds die each year from ingesting or becoming entangled in plastic.

A 19-year-old student has developed plans for a tool that could remove over 7 million tons of plastic waste from the world’s oceans.

SPIN Farming Doing Well in Uganda

Francis Baita used his EcoFriendly Action Grant to establish a SPIN farming operation in Kasese, Uganda. He sent us an email this past week to let us know that his organic garden is doing well.

African Black Nightshade

Francis has started selling his vegetables. He puts together bundles and delivers the orders to his customers twice a week.

Francis has also started planting more vegetables.

Pok Choi

Cabbage

Key government officials visited the garden recently and appreciated the effort he has put into developing the project.

District Vice Chairperson with Francis Baita

Local Government Officials

SPIN Farming in Uganda: Getting Started
Discover Uganda, Share Gardening Expertise

Summer Volunteer Events with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (Saskatchewan)

Photo credit: Nature Conservancy of Saskatchewan

Do you enjoy being outdoors? Would you like to help protect some of Saskatchewan’s natural places? If so, why not participate in one of the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC) volunteer events this summer? 

This is your chance to explore unique habitats, observe rare species, and experience conservation firsthand.

Edenwold Up Close, July 13
When: 8 am – 4 pm, Saturday, July 13, 2013

Meeting Location: Bus leaves from Victoria Park, Regina, at 8 am (on location at 8:30)

Task: Help identify plant and animal species on the Edenwold 1 and 2 properties while experiencing native grasslands, woodlands, wetlands, and viewing many wildlife species.

Caring for Reed Lake, July 20
When: 8 am – 4 pm, Saturday, July 20, 2013

Meeting Location: Details will be provided prior to event

Task: Identify common and rare species, control invasive plants, and remove garbage at Reed Lake, an Important Bird Area and a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network Site. The native rangelands and saline lake are ideal stopovers for migratory shorebirds and waterfowl. You may even catch a glimpse of the endangered piping plover.

Photo credit: Adam Crosby

A World of Grasslands at Old Man on His Back 
When: 8 am – 4 pm, Saturday, August 17, 2013

Meeting Location: Details will be provided prior to event

Task: Help count bison calves, identify and manage significant weed infestations, repair infrastructure, and map wildlife corridors at Old Man on His Back Prairie and Heritage Conservation Area, a 13,000 acre ranch in southwestern Saskatchewan that is home to a domestic bison herd and numerous wildlife species, including pronghorn antelope.

You will be working around livestock and open grassland, so expect to encounter mosquitoes and deer flies.

Photo credit: Karol & Don Dabbs

Walk the Wild Side, Thursday, August 22
When: 10 am – 4 pm, Thursday, August 22, 2013

Meeting Location: Details will be provided prior to event

Task: Moderately skilled birders and botanists who are in good physical condition are invited to help NCC create an inventory of plants and animals as you hike through grasslands, aspen stands, and along the sandy river bank.

You’ll be helping to create a long-term management plant to protect Maymont 5 nature reserve in the West Parklands Natural Area, NCC Saskatchewan’s newest protected area along the North Saskatchewan River.

Additional Information for All Events
RSVP: To attend an event, RSVP online at www.conservationvolunteers.ca or contact Sara Burns at sara.burns@natureconservancy.ca or 306.347.0447.

Transportation: Transportation will be provided from the nearest large urban centre in order to encourage more people to participate. Anyone who wants to drive their own vehicle can request a map of the area.

You Need to Know: You may be hiking considerable distances, so be sure to wear good hiking boots and a hat. Eat a hearty breakfast, and bring a bottle of drinking water. NCC will provide lunch and additional water.

What to Bring: You’re encouraged to bring reference books, binoculars, or other field equipment for data collection. GPS units would also be helpful and appreciated. Tools and gloves will be provided.

Acknowledgements: The information for this article was provided by Sara Burns, Nature Conservancy of Canada (Saskatchewan). Financial support for the Conservation Volunteers events has been provided by the Imperial Oil Foundation and the Community Initiatives Fund.

Additional upcoming events are listed on EcoFriendly Sask's Calendar.

EcoSask News, July 2, 2013

Radiance Cohousing BBQ/Potluck, July 6
Radiance Cohousing is holding a BBQ/Potluck at 5 pm on July 6 to share their progress in building a green community. RSVP so they know how many burgers to make.

Summer Star Party, Aug. 8-11
Join the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Saskatoon branch, for their annual summer star party at Cypress Hills Provincial Park from August 8 to 11.

Environmental Education Conference, Oct. 4
Land, Place, and Environment: Advanced Learning and Practice Toward a Sustainable Future is a full-day conference on October 4 to share knowledge and best practices in environmental education.

The conference is hosted by the Sustainability Education Research Institute in partnership with the Saskatchewan Outdoor Environmental Education Association. It will be held at the College of Education in Saskatoon and will offer three concurrent workshop strands focusing on Early Childhood to Grade 12 Education, Post-Secondary Education, and Community-Based Education.

Interesting Reading
Will Calgary’s flood be a climate change wake-up call for Alberta and Canada?

Prairie Pastures – listening to stories of native grass, wildlife, birds and ranchers

Steps towards sustainable fashion and recycling textiles

Climate change is a wicked problem - it requires us to change how we live

Living differently with water – reimagining urban infrastructure

Business innovators tackle environmental and social challenges

High-tech eco designs promote neighbourhood safety (e.g. living walls to deter graffiti)

Summer Break
Penny is heading for the Kootenays for a couple of weeks, so we’re taking a break from our weekly postings. EcoSask News will be back again on July 30.

EcoSask News is a weekly round-up of local news and events. Email us if you have items you would like us to include. Additional upcoming events can be found on our Calendar.

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