Dear Participants and Nature Enthusiasts,We hope you are still brimming with the enthusiasm and wonder that marked our recent event, Saskatoon's Biodiversity Discovery: A Journey into the Wild. We want to express our deepest gratitude for your active participation, insightful questions, and for joining us on this adventure during Canada's Forests Supporting Biological Biodiversity, part of National Forest Week. We were fortunate that the weather cooperated with us, ensuring that our day in nature was warm and rain-free. Your presence made the day even brighter, and we appreciate your dedication to exploring and protecting Saskatoon's natural treasures. Now, we're excited to share with you the URLs and websites that were discussed during the event: Blairmore Sector Plan Amendment - Feedback Survey Ecological Assessment by Environmental Dynamics EDI iNaturalist - Learn about the rich biodiversity in the afforestation areas, home to approximately 50 species at risk. Contribute to citizen science efforts by sharing your observations on iNaturalist:
iNaturalist, eBird, and EDI = Unveiling Nature’s Secrets: Harnessing Digital Tools to Explore Afforestation Biodiversity - Explore this article to discover three fantastic sites for learning more about biodiversity in the afforestation areas and contributing to their preservation: Read the Article.
European Buckthorn Eradication - Help eradicate the highly invasive European Buckthorn by reporting its locations by using iNaturalist - it is as easy as taking a picture! Your assistance is vital in preserving our natural environment. Learn more at Invasive Species Centre.
Legacy of Saskatoon's Secret Forest - Delve into the rich history and ecological importance of Saskatoon's forests through the film "Legacy of Saskatoon's Secret Forest" and the companion "Richard St. Barbe Baker Stories" in French and English: Legacy of Saskatoon's Secret Forest.
Wildwoods of Saskatoon Documentary - Watch the "Wildwoods of Saskatoon" documentary and explore the accompanying educational series Exploring the Wildwoods of Saskatoon: "The Ecology of a Planted Forest Place-Based Activity" Workbook Project in English, and recently translated into French which should soon be online: Wildwoods of Saskatoon.
Natural Area Management Plan Information Sessions - Join us in shaping the future of Saskatoon's natural areas by participating in the Natural Area Management Plan Information Sessions. Email us friendsafforestation@gmail.com, if you're interested in the upcoming "Tell Us What You Think" virtual session on September 21 by the for the Richard St. Barbe Baker Pilot Master plan put on by WSP and City of Saskatoon and we will send to you the virtual session link to join in.
YouTube Sessions for Observations and Identifications - If you enjoyed capturing biodiversity with your smartphone on iNaturalist, expand your knowledge for observations and identifications by checking out our YouTube sessions: YouTube Sessions. A great way to discover more biodiversity is at sunrise or sunset, or for nocturnal animals at night.
Linden Tree Mystery - Solve it for the $50 prize! - So where is it? Where is the Linden Tree? Can you explore the west side of Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area to locate the Linden Tree planted in 1979 by the Richard St. Barbe Baker Foundation? $50 cash is offered to whomever finds the Linden Tree, and sends in their observation on the free iNaturalist app which will record the GPS coordinates to friendsafforestation@gmail.com for confirmation!
Join Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas - If you are interested in becoming a part of our environmental non-profit charity, Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas, we meet virtually over Zoom every second Thursday of the month. We would love to hear from you friendsafforestation@gmail.com and have you as a valuable member of our community to help plan events, and be a voice for the trees, forests, wetlands and biodiversity.
We're immensely grateful for your engagement and feedback. Some of you expressed interest in a foraging session, and we're actively exploring ways to provide an exciting and informative experience regarding fungi, plants, and their potential uses as medicinal or food sources perhaps in our spring sessions coming up. We are also looking into winter events in our current meetings as well! It was a pleasure to meet each one of you and share in the collective wonder of our natural world. Your dedication to preserving and appreciating our natural heritage is inspiring. We look forward to seeing you in the forest again. And we hope you enjoy the upcoming National Forest Week events! Warm regards, Julia Adamson 306.380.5368 friendsafforestation@gmail.com |
