Winter Explorations in Saskatchewan

We complain about winter, but there is lots to enjoy as well. Here are just a few ideas.

Let’s Get Active
Snowshoeing
Children ages 5-11 can try their hand at snowshoeing with the Saskatoon Young Naturalists (tentative January 5, 2014).

The Saskatoon Snowshoe Club plans a variety of tours and overnight trips. They also provide a list of local businesses that rent snowshoes.

Redberry Lake Biosphere Reserve hosts a range of winter family activities, including snowshoeing, as does Wanuskewin Heritage Park.

The Hawood Inn, Waskesiu, lends out snowshoes free of charge.

Skating 
The Cameco Meewasin Skating Rink next to the Hotel Bessborough normally opens in mid to late December, and you can borrow a pair of skates.

If you’re a skating enthusiast, check out the Clarence Downey Speed Skating Oval. There are different lanes for different speeds and lots of room for every skater.

Downhill Skiing
Gentle downhill skiing is available at Table Mountain Regional Park near Battleford. There are 11 runs, and they offer skiing services for people with special needs.

Additional downhill skiing opportunities are available near Big River, Fort Qu’Appelle, and Kamsack.

Cross-Country Skiing
The City of Saskatoon maintains cross-country ski trails along the river and in various different parks and golf courses.

The Saskatoon Nordic Ski Club offers ski lessons for children and adults, weekly ski touring, and groomed cross country ski trails.

Volunteers maintain trails in Prince Albert National Park. Skis, poles, and boots are available free of charge from the Hawood Inn.

Thirteen provincial parks have cross-country ski trails.

CanoeSki Discovery Company offers cross-country ski courses. They also organize a Boreal Forest Ski Mushing weekend, which combines dog sleds and skiing.

Dogsledding
Learn to run a dog team while exploring the southern edge of Canada’s boreal forest with Sundogs Sled Excursions.

Sleigh Rides & Horseback Riding
The Sturgeon River Ranch offers horseback riding and sleigh rides.

Winter Camping
The Saskatchewan Outdoor and Environmental Education Association offers a variety of winter activities, including winter camping.

Winter Cycling
Saskatoon Cycles  and Bike Regina offer a number of winter cycling events.

FatLanders FatTire Brigade in Saskatoon is the only known FatBike specific cycling club in Canada. Their members organize weekly rides throughout the winter and will be hosting several special events in conjunction with the Wintershines Festival in January.

Winter Birds
Pishing for Chickadees
Stand very still and make small, repetitive noises - pishing, and you may be lucky enough to attract the attention of a flock of chickadees who will be delighted to eat sunflower seeds straight from your hand.

Saskatoon Young Naturalists head out to Pike Lake to pish every winter (February 1, 2014). You can also join pishing parties at Beaver Creek Conservation Area.

Christmas Bird Count
Every year, thousands of people around the world head outdoors for the Christmas Bird Count. Join members of the Saskatoon Nature Society as they count birds in and around Saskatoon. The Society organizes frequent outings to view birds all year round. Everyone is welcome.

Winter Landscapes
Footprints in the Snow
How many different animal footprints can you identify? Children can check out basic animal tracks with the Saskatoon Young Naturalists (January 19, 2014), or you can teach yourself with a book or app.

Forestry Farm Park and Zoo 
The Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park and Zoo is open all winter long and admission is free from November 1 to March 31.

Winter Solstice
Why not celebrate the shortest day of the year with an evening walk along the riverbank?

Festivals
Wintershines
The PotashCorp Wintershines Festival at the end of January is an annual event, including ice climbing, ice sculptures, a children’s winter camp, and much, much more.

Ice Cycle
Ice Cycle (usually held in February) is the coldest bicycle parade on the planet. It features a winter cycling workshop, a cycling costume contest, and live music.

Curl Up with a Good Book
Youth 
Take a Winter Nature Walk, Jane Kirkland

Snow and Ice: Canadian Winter Weather, Nicole Mortillaro

Winter Nature Activities for Children, Brigitte Kutsch

Adults 
Wandering through Winter: A Naturalist’s Record of a 20,000-Mile Journey through the North American Winter, Edwin Way Teale

Winter World: The Ingenuity of Animal Survival, Bernd Heinrich

Life in the Cold: An Introduction to Winter Ecology, Peter J. Marchand

EcoSask News, November 5, 2013

Bird Feeder Workshops, November
Stop by the Meewasin Valley Centre from 1-4 pm on November 9 & 10, 16 & 17, 23 & 24 to make a bird feeder. For more information, call 306.665.6888. Program cost is by donation.

Zero Garbage Baby, Nov. 19
Find out how Naomi of the Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council took on the ultimate personal challenge - getting her baby from zero to potty trained without a single disposable diaper, wipe, or pull up at 7 pm, November 19, at the Frances Morrison Library. This presentation is part of the Saskatchewan Environmental Society’s Library Speaker Series.

What Are Your Risks, Nov. 21 
KPMG and the United Way of Saskatoon and Area are hosting a seminar for non-profit organizations highlighting key financial and accounting risk areas that active board and audit committee members should focus on, including financial reporting, internal control, governance, and IT risks. Register online for this free event.

Lloydminster Waste Reduction Workshop, Nov. 27 
The Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council and the Recycling Council of Alberta are presenting a regional workshop in Lloydminster on November 27. Topics include demolition waste, plastics recycling, and composting.

Surface Rights Legislation Review, Nov. 30 
The Ministry of the Economy is seeking public comment on The Surface Rights Acquisition and Compensation Act. The Act is being reviewed to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of both landowners and industry stakeholders. A discussion paper and feedback options are available online. The tentative deadline for feedback is November 30.

Take Action: Apply for a Grant
It’s easy to become discouraged about climate change. It’s a lot harder to figure out ways in which we, as individuals or small groups, can make a difference. Here are some ideas. If you’re interested, be sure to apply for an EcoFriendly Action Grant.

Build an insect hotel

Sponsor a neighbourhood birds and windows campaign

Plan a lug-a-mug campaign for your office

Thumbs Up 
Brent Veitch of Rock Paper Sun says that solar power is now affordable for the average Saskatoon household.

The governors of California, Oregon, and Washington, along with BC Premier Christy Clark, signed the Pacific Coast Action Plan, making substantive commitments around carbon pricing, low-carbon transportation, energy-efficient buildings, and more.

Recycling and reusing demolition waste can help cities meet their environmental targets.

Thumbs Down 
Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions are trending up not down. Growth in the oilsands is the biggest barrier to getting Canada’s emissions on a downward track.

The increasing demand for palm oil is destroying forests and pushing orangutans to the brink of extinction. It’s time for consumers to stand up and say no.

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).

Watching Wildlife in Prince Albert National Park by J. David Henry

Browse in a bookstore and you will, more often than not, discover unexpected treasures. One of these is Watching Wildlife in Prince Albert National Park by J. David Henry, a must-read for anyone who loves animals and has spent happy holidays observing the elk, loons, and other wildlife in Prince Albert National Park.

J. David Henry is a retired wildlife ecologist, university professor, and conservation ecologist for Parks Canada. The book is self-published and describes seven wildlife species that visitors frequently encounter in the park – Whitetail Deer, Elk, Beaver, Red Fox, Red Squirrel, Common Loon, and Black Bear.

Reading this book is like holding a conversation with the author as he describes the animals that he loves so dearly and shares so many fascinating tidbits of information.

Whitetail Deer
Whitetail deer hide their newborns and go to great lengths to conceal them successfully: “After giving birth, the doe immediately eats the placenta and the umbilical cord, but she also grazes the ground vegetation where the birth took place. She consumes old leaves, herbs, grass and even soil – any object that has a detectable odor of the birthing of her fawn, removing any sign that might alert a predator that a young fawn is hiding in this area. If you are lucky and a good observer, during mid-May on a forest hike you might spot one of these birthing places. The sign to look for is a small patch of ground where the vegetation has been ‘mysteriously’ clipped close to the ground.”

Elk
Male elk are in their prime when they are 7-10 years old and will have a harem of 20 or more females. But it’s unclear who is in charge of the harem. The females may be the ones who lead the harem to a new location and they may choose to be included in the group in order to gain protection from other males.

Loon
Although loons mate for life, they do not migrate or spend the winter together. Henry has observed the birds’ springtime reunions and says, “I can tell you that the excitement and joy that the birds express upon seeing one another is deeply moving. Both birds greet and display to each other in a manner that can only be described as ebullient. There is much splashing and rushing towards each other. There is jumping and dancing on the surface of the water, but also quiet bill dipping together as well as gliding along side by side.”

Beaver
Beavers sharpen their teeth by grinding the top incisors against the bottom ones and vice versa. If a beaver is cutting down a large tree, it will stop every 10 to 15 minutes to rest and sharpen its teeth. You may even see flecks of tooth material shooting out the sides of its mouth.

Red Fox
Red fox, like cats, can see well in the dark thanks to a shiny membrane on the back of the eyeball. It acts like a mirror so light passes over the retina twice instead of just once.

Red Squirrel
Red squirrels will harvest up to 14,000 seed-bearing cones in preparation for winter. The cones are often stored in large underground middens with a network of tunnels. The middens are easy to identify thanks to the pile of cone scales that are discarded above ground.

Black Bear
If a mother bear spots danger, she signals to her cubs and they immediately climb a tree. Then they promptly fall asleep until their mother calls to let them know the danger is past and they can come down again.

Plains Bison
A small herd of plains bison roams freely in the southwest corner of Prince Albert National Park (Stewardship: A Critical Role for Landowners). The story of how they came to be there is an interesting one and well documented in the book. Unlike black bears, bison calves are born in a well-developed state. By the time they are three hours old, they are able to run and keep up with the herd and will start nibbling grasses immediately, although most of their nutrition will come from the mother’s milk during the first six months of life.

Watching Wildlife in Prince Albert National Park by J. David Henry is available for purchase at McNally Robinson Booksellers in Saskatoon. It is available at the Saskatoon Public Library.

EcoSask News, October 29, 2013

SK Citizens’ Hearings on Climate Change, Nov. 1 & 2
The Saskatchewan Citizens’ Hearings on Climate Change will be held at The Refinery from 9:30 am – 9:30 pm on November 1 and 2.

Keynote speakers (via internet A/V links) include Dr. Kathleen Dean Moore, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy and author of Moral Ground: Ethical Action for a Planet in Peril and Dr. Kirsten Zickfeld, Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Victoria, School of Earth and Ocean Sciences.

Four Commissioners (Maria Campbell, Harry Lafond, Marcia McKenzie, Willard Metzger) will listen to the presentations and draft a report summarizing the testimony.

Future of Meewasin, Nov. 7 
Meewasin Valley Authority is holding a Public Open House from 3-7 pm on November 7 at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market. The public is invited to provide input on Meewasin’s future work, from conservation efforts and river valley development to recreation and education programs. There will be program information, displays for visitors to vote on ideas, and questionnaires.

Important Saskatchewan Issues
Energy 
Fracking could permanently damage our province’s water supply, says Josh Fox, director of Gasland and Gasland II

The oil boom is laying waste to North Dakota’s air and ground

A new material could cut solar energy costs by three quarters

Grasslands 
More voices – from across the political spectrum – speak out in favour of protecting our Prairie grasslands

The North American grasslands stretch from southern Saskatchewan to northern Mexico. A new report by over 70 grasslands experts outlines strategies for all those who share the ecoregion

Oil & Mining Industries
New federal environmental review rules have obvious gaps – for example, oil sands and potash mines

Transportation 
4300 South Koreans went car-less for a month. What if Saskatoon held a car-free week – for starters?

Waste 
Saskatoon tosses more waste than most Canadian cities. Residential garbage could be reduced by more than 40% if the City began a serious composting program

Water
Water conservation and recycling are cheap ways to meet the growing demand for water

British supermarkets strive to reduce their water footprint – can we follow their lead?

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, October 22, 2013

Home Composting, Oct. 24
Don’t miss the Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council's Home Composting workshop at 7 pm, October 24, in the auditorium of Cliff Wright Library.

Less Waste
It’s Waste Reduction Week from October 21-27. Here are some good resources on zero-waste event planning and waste-free lunches.

Kids Gone Wild for Wildlife, Oct. 26
Be sure to take your kids to Kids Gone Wild for Wildlife at Prairieland Park on October 26. There will be family portraits with live wild animals; a wild animal costume contest; face painting; displays about nature, animals, and the environment; and presentations.

Seeds of Diversity AGM, Nov. 9
Seeds of Diversity is holding their annual general meeting at Station 20 West on November 9 from 3-8:30 pm. The event will include a seed exchange, a seed-saving workshop, and a gala dinner.

Better Bike Lanes
Be sure to sign the petition in support of separated cycling lanes in downtown Saskatoon.

Agricultural Drainage Consultation
The Water Security Agency is developing a new agricultural drainage policy in order to address issues such as licensing requirements, the effectiveness of drainage projects and mitigation of risks (downstream flooding, damage complaints, environmental impacts).

You’re invited to join an online community forum to discuss and make suggestions as well as complete periodic surveys.

Environmental Education Journal
The Saskatchewan Outdoor and Environmental Education Association (SOEEA), the U of S Sustainability Education Research Institute, and the Faculty of Education, University of Regina, plan to publish a community journal on place, land, and learning.

Of Land and Living Skies will merge theory and practice with a focus on research, policy, community practices, and inspiring action. Copies will be distributed by mail to members of SOEEA.

EcoFriendly Action Grants
EcoFriendly Action Grants are designed to support small, concrete environmental projects in Saskatchewan. Take a look at what these groups did with their grants and think about what you could do. We're always looking for good projects to support.

EcoFriendly Sask Action Grants from EcoFriendly Sask

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, October 15, 2013

Prince Albert Climate Change Series
Renewable Power – the Intelligent Choice & the John M. Cuelenaere Public Library are hosting a three-part series on climate change and sustainability in Saskatchewan. All three events will be held in the auditorium at the John M. Cuelenaere Public Library in Prince Albert on October 15, October 29, and November 12.

Waste Reduction Week 
Join the Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council in promoting Waste Reduction Week from October 21-27. The Ease My Load Campaign invites you to take simple actions to reduce waste – from greening your school’s purchasing policy to enjoying a waste-free lunch.

World’s Largest Garbage Dump, Oct. 23
As part of Waste Reduction Week, the Saskatchewan Eco Network and the Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council are showing the film Wasteland at 7 pm on October 23 at Frances Morrison Library. Wasteland profiles pickers of recycled materials on the world’s largest garbage dump on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro.

Gasland & Gasland II, Oct. 24
Join Academy Award-nominated director Josh Fox for a special screening of his films Gasland and Gasland II at 7 pm on October 24. The screening is sponsored by the Council of Canadians’ Groundswell conference.

Nature by Design: The Northeast Swale, Oct. 24
There will be a panel discussion about the Northeast Swale at 7 pm, October 24, in the Neatby-Timlin Theatre, Arts Building, U of S, as part of a Design Week discussion on the impacts of landscape architecture.

Birding 
Join the Saskatoon Nature Society on their frequent field trips. Additional information is available on their website.
Oct. 26 – Identify and discuss the use of fall fruits and berries
Oct. 27 – Blackstrap Birding & Dundurn Fall Supper
Nov. 16 – Pike Lake Birding

SK Citizens’ Hearings on Climate Change, Nov. 1 & 2 
The Saskatchewan Citizens’ Hearings on Climate Change are inviting individuals with a perspective on how climate change is impacting our province or themselves personally to speak at their hearings on November 1 and 2. Email your presentation ideas and outlines, as well as any questions you may have, to Karen Rooney at skclimatehearings@gmail.com.

South SK Regional Plan 
Conservation groups are expressing concerns about the newly-released draft of the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan, which they believe does not do enough to protect the Castle region and ensure water flow and clean water.

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, October, 8, 2013

Owls & Cemeteries, October
Join the Saskatoon Nature Society on one of their upcoming outings. Additional information is available on their website.
October – Saw-whet owl migration banding
Oct. 14 – Woodlawn Cemetery and Weir

Water Contamination in Northern SK, Oct. 15
Peter Prebble, SES Director of Environmental Policy, and Ann Coxworth, SES Board Member, will discuss the contamination of five important watersheds in the Uranium City area of northern Saskatchewan at 7 pm on October 15 at the Frances Morrison Library. This presentation is part of the Saskatchewan Environmental Society’s Library Speaker Series.

Wetlands Policy, Oct. 16
Join the Swale Watchers on October 16 from 3:00-4:30 4:00-5:30 pm in room 1026, College of Education, U of S, for a discussion on the City’s proposed wetlands policy.

Water Harvesting, Oct. 17 
Join members of the Permaculture Research Institute of Saskatchewan for a potluck supper and meeting on October 17 (supper at 6, presentation at 7:30). Kirby McInnis will lead a discussion on urban water harvesting as well as larger-scale harvesting projects.

Wood Frogs, Oct. 17
David Donald will report on the well-being on wood frogs in Saskatchewan amidst world-wide concern for the status of amphibians at the Saskatoon Nature Society’s monthly meeting at 7:30 pm, October 17, in Room 106 of the Biology Building, U of S.

SK Uranium Mines
Sierra Club Canada is demanding an explanation for why Cameco has been allowed to exceed the limits for the release of radioactive uranium and heavy metals, including mercury, into the air and water. Government and company records contain reports of releases of radioactive uranium over 1000% of the allowable limits, cadmium levels over 5000% and radium increases of 3000%. There are examples where no limits exist at all such as limits to uranium levels in groundwater and where there are standards, but no testing is done at all such as mercury releases to air.

Innovation Place Supports Cycling
Innovation Place now has a public bike service stand – making it easier than ever to cycle to work.

Free Block Heater Timers
Pick up a free block heater timer from any CAA Saskatchewan location between October 1 and February 28. and save up to $25 a day on your power bill.

Cartoonist’s Vision of a Car-Free Future
Maybe Andy Singer’s graphic book depicting the history of automobiles in North America will help convince Mayor Atchison that it’s time to invest in walking, cycling and public transit.

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).