West side RSBBAA

Beginning with the bad news.  The west side of Richard St. Barbe Baker fence was cut.  To date no trash has been seen, whom, and why the wire is cut is a mystery.  A temporary repair was made. 

Last weekend, a survey was made of George Genereux Urban Regional Park, and it seems to be intact.

RCE-SK Education for Sustainable Development Recognition Award

The Adjudication Committee has determined that your project "Exploring the Wildwoods of Saskatoon: The Ecology of a Plant Forest" has fulfilled the criteria for an RCE-SK Education for Sustainable Development Recognition Award.  We are to provide the following information by midnight on Thursday, April 27:

1. Confirmation of whether you will be attending the event.  You are entitled to have two representatives attend the event at no cost.  Please let me know if you wish to send more than two people.  Does anyone wish to attend this event?  Please email friendsafforestation@gmail.com
2. 4 to 5 PowerPoint slides on your project for a presentation of about 2.5 minutes.  

• Do not include any animations.  
• These slides must be provided in advance.   We cannot accommodate slides brought on the day of the event. For those of you who are not able to provide slides, we will create a slide with the name of your project and recipient name(s).
• If you are attending the event, you will be invited to briefly present on your project (2.5 minutes) before you receive your certificate.
• If you are not attending the event, we would appreciate a short script (2.5 minutes max) to accompany your slides which we will present on your behalf.  Your certificate will be mailed to you after the event.
• To assist you with your PowerPoint slides, you are welcomed to consider the following format:
• Slide One: Project Title and Name(s) of Applicants
• Slide Two: What was the problem/issue that underlies your project.
• Slide Three: What you did.
• Slide Four: What you learned.
• Slide Five: Which Sustainable Development Goals does your project support. 

3. One photograph related to your project which we can share on social media.

The May 3 awards ceremony at the E.A. Rawlinson Centre in Prince Albert will be livestreamed.  The link will be sent out closer to the event.

The registration desk will open at 8:30 a.m. and the awards ceremony will start at 9:30 a.m.  There will be a coffee break and lunch break which will provide opportunities to network with representatives of the other projects.  After the wrap-up of the formal part of the program at about 1:45 p.m., our co-host, the Prince Albert Historical Society, will provide a short walking tour (about 30 minutes) of Prince Albert’s historical downtown, ending at Historical Museum, to visit the Kistapinanihk/ Omanicye Makoca/ Tl'ogh tele The Gathering Place exhibit which features Prince Albert's Indigenous history from 10,000 years ago to 1905.

Upcoming Events.

I am reaching out to you on behalf of Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas Inc., to seek your support for our upcoming events. As a non profit environmental charity, Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas, we are excited to host various events throughout the year, and we are seeking volunteers and supporters like you to help us make these events a success.

We have several exciting events coming up, in the planning stages; Doors Open in June, Historic Places Days in July, and National Forest Week in September, among others. The City Nature Challenge is taking place April 28-May 1.  Using iNaturalist to document biodiversity is acclaimed by the City of Saskatoon in the creation of the master plan, and assists in ecological assessment.  This is followed by Jane's Walk on May 6 and May 7.  Thank you to Madeline Berezowski who has kindly offered to host tours this year during Arbor Week, this is greatly appreciated! In previous years, we acknowledge the help at various tours and events by Diane Anderson, Robert White, and Paul Hanley at events hosted by Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas, and the many people who helped out virtually in the creation of the heritage documentaries - Legacy of Saskatoon's Secret Forest and Wildwoods of Saskatoon!   (now on YouTube)  We also acknowledge and appreciated the support from the many dignitaries who took part in the last year's ceremonial tree planting at the U of S during the 50th anniversary of World Environment Day and the 40th anniversary of the last tree planted by Richard St. Barbe Baker. 

We also think it is fantastic that we have so many folks dedicated to the environment who continue to come out time and time again at the volunteer Clean Green Community Scene trash clean ups to create safe green spaces!  Thanks so much for your commitment to park spaces, and supporting biodiversity, species at risk and keeping the greenspaces safe.  Perhaps there should be plans for a Saturday morning parking area clean up planned soon for the afforestation areas for the four parking areas of Richard St. Barbe Baker Park, and the one at George Genereux Park.  Email with what you think!

As you may know, these hidden gems in Saskatoon have the potential to be appreciated and enjoyed by many members of the public all year long. However, there is a risk that these greenspaces may not receive the attention they deserve and may be lost due to their current zoning and ownership status. The George Genereux Urban Regional Park, spanning 60 hectares (148 acres), is zoned rural industrial/park and owned by the land branch of the City of Saskatoon, while the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, spanning 132 hectares (326 acres), is zoned residential/park and also owned by the land branch of the City of Saskatoon - the department in charge of buying and selling land.  We look forward to the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area pilot master plan being drafted by YXE Green Infrastructure Strategy / Sustainability as such was approved by city council December 2022.

The Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas Inc. is working hard to change this situation and ensure that these greenspaces are preserved for future generations. We believe in the vision of Richard St. Barbe Baker, who advocated for "TWAHAMWE," which is Swahili for "all together" or "pull together."

In 1972 660 acres were preserved in perpetuity by City Council, and only 474 acres remain.  So, if the forests remain as Saskatoon's best kept secrets it does not bode well as it is unknown where the lost 186 acres are today and how they have been re-purposed as something other than forest.  Events, education and awareness are one means of community development as "a process where community members come together to take collective action and generate solutions to common problems."  A meeting of 2017 did hear from a mix of stakeholders who expressed their appreciation for the parks and their great potential in connecting with nature should there be a way to mitigate trash dumping, which has seen the first step with park identification signs, and the installation of fencing.

These events are still in the planning stages, and we are looking for enthusiastic individuals who can contribute their time, skills, and resources to help us make these events memorable and impactful.

We are specifically seeking support in the following areas:

1. Citizen Scientists: We need volunteers who can assist us in conducting research, data collection, and analysis during our events. If you have a background in science, environmental studies, or related fields, we would greatly appreciate your expertise.

2. Guides: We are looking for knowledgeable and passionate individuals who can serve as guides for our events. If you have expertise in local history, heritage, or environmental conservation, we would love to have you as part of our team.

3. Social Media Promoters: We need volunteers who can help us spread the word about our events on social media platforms. If you are active on social media and can help us create buzz and generate interest, we would greatly appreciate your support.

4. Greeters: We need friendly and welcoming individuals who can serve as greeters at our events, ensuring that our attendees feel welcomed and informed. If you have excellent interpersonal skills and enjoy meeting new people, we would love to have you as part of our team.

We believe that your involvement in our events would greatly contribute to their success. Your support would help us create meaningful experiences for our attendees and raise awareness about our cause. We value your expertise and commitment, and we are confident that your involvement would have a significant positive impact on our events.

If you are interested in supporting us, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at friends afforestation@gmail.com. We would be happy to provide you with more information about our events and discuss how you can contribute! We are also open to any other ideas or suggestions you may have.

Thank you for considering our request for support. We look forward to your positive response and your valuable contribution to our events.