2016: heading out, speaking up, leading the way

Heading Out, Speaking Up, Taking Action

2016

EcoFriendly Sask informs, encourages, and supports Saskatchewan environmental initiatives:

Online publication Small grants to support local

environmental initiatives

EcoFriendly Sask donated $17,675 to 25 projects in 11 communities

across Saskatchewan in 2016

http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/p/action-grants.html



Heading Out

“Go forth, under the open sky, and list to Nature's teachings, while from all around Earth and her waters, and the depths of air – comes a still voice. . . .”(W. Bryant)

The Year for Trees"Let them grow, let them grow. But nobody listens too much, don't you know? I speak for the trees and I'll yell and I'll shout for the fine things on earth that are on their way out!” (Dr. Seuss)

Ituna Regional Park: Planted 100 small spruce trees to replace trees that had been drowned out in last year’s big rains

$500 EcoFriendly Action Grant

Melissa Squire, Alchemy, Ecobain : “When massive forest fires destroyed much of Saskatchewan's Northern forests, a group of us decided we wanted to do something to combat the environmental impact.”

9,000 trees planted in the Ness Creek/Big River area


Mary Sinclair, Poundmaker First Nation: “I have been looking into planting some trees on our reserve, also creating a story-telling nook by the river with some beautiful weeping willows.”


Langenburg & District Daycare Co-op: “Providing a long-term natural environment for our children” by planting trees in an outdoor playground area


John Paul II Key Club: 65 students planted 2,000 trees on May 13. They’ve now planted 20,000 trees over the past 10 years.


Hodgeville School: “I would like to teach the children from Kindergarten to Grade 12 about planting trees, landscape maintenance, and composting. If the school children become interested in composting and can see its benefits on their newly planted trees and shrubs, they will take this knowledge home to their parents and composting will expand in our area.”


Saskatoon’s Urban ForestWe may live in a city, but Saskatoon residents are also forest dwellers. There are 120,000 trees in our parks and boulevards. Add in trees on private property, and you can easily double that figure.

http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/2016/07/saskatoons-urban-forest.html

http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/2016/07/saskatoons-urban-forest.html

Outdoor Adventures“I will exchange a city for a sunset, the tramp of legions for a wind's wild cry, and all the braggard thrusts of steel triumphant, for one far summit blue against the sky.” (Monica Blake)

Marion Graham Outdoor Club


“The Winter Camping trip was a great success this year, with mild weather and lots of fun experiences. Our group was well equipped thanks to EcoFriendly Sask who donated some money for the club to purchase 2 new sets of skis, poles, and boots.”

Buffalo Narrows Ski Club “maintains a 13 km network of trails. A culvert bridge crossing has significantly improved the trail experience. As a result, we were able to host the first ever cross-country running race on the trails and the first in Buffalo Narrows in over a decade.”


Kenaston Distance Learning Centre: A brand-new Outdoor Education Club offers high school students who are home schooled a chance to participate in outdoor activities, such as a winter camping trip, to encourage a love of nature.


Respect"My heart found its home long ago in the beauty, mystery, order and disorder of the flowering earth.”(Lady Bird Johnson)

Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation AreaClean-Up: 70 volunteers turned out to help, some of them putting in a 13-hour day. The group removed 8,300 kg of litter. They filled 350 bags and used donated trucks and tractors to collect the garbage that wasn’t baggable.



Girl Guides Clean Up Saskatchewan: “1,300 Girl Guide members and their families assisted in the 10th year of an ongoing commitment to the environment to help reduce litter and keep our neighborhoods looking beautiful throughout Saskatchewan.”

Education“Let nature be your teacher.” (William Wordsworth)

Ecology Camp for Kids: Establishing a lifelong passion and reconnecting children to the great outdoors as well as encouraging an interest in science, nature, and conservation



Dundurn Elementary Outdoor Learning Space: “An octagon-shaped pergola will be located in the northwest corner of our playground. We also plan to bring in trees and shrubs to create pockets of wilderness for extended learning spaces and exploration.”

Speaking Up

“We come from nature and we have to understand what it is, because we are connected to it and we are part of it. And if we destroy nature we destroy ourselves.” (Edward Burtynsky)

Food Waste“Imagine walking out of a grocery store with four bags of groceries, dropping one in the parking lot, and just not bothering to pick it up.”(Dana Gunders, Just Eat It)


Food Waste Film Night: “We would like to spark a discussion in our community about how we can make sure healthy food is not going to waste and can get to those who can’t buy that food themselves.”

Federated Co-operatives’ Sustainable Business Practices: Waste Reduction

FCL has donated approximately 105,000 kg of fresh food that didn’t have enough shelf life to be sent to a store to the Saskatoon Food Bank & Learning Centre. They also offer the food bank some freezer space for storage.

Following the Food Waste Film Night, FCL contacted the Food Waste Coalition and asked to work with them on decreasing their food waste through reclamation.

http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/2016/04/federated-co-operatives-limited.html



Young Parent Program, Moose Jaw Family Services: Reusable plastic containers, cups, plates, and cutlery


Michelle Liota, Bokashi Ninja: Increasing awareness and demonstratng the practicality of bokashi for composting in a cold climate

CHEP Good Food Inc.’s Askîy Project composted 10 bathtubs full of garden waste using the bokashi method.

The Waste Reduction Council’s Master Composters hosted bokashi demonstration workshops across Saskatoon this summer.

Fruit for Thought, Regina, harvests unwanted and excess fruit. Additional apple-picking equipment and a compost bin will ensure a larger harvest and less waste.


Transition Café, Fishguard, Wales: Serving meals made with 850 kilos of surplus food provided monthly by local businesses.

http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/2016/04/reducing-carbon-emissions-and-building.html



Our Natural Resources“Nature is not a place to visit. It is home.” (Gary Snyder)

Saskatoon’s Northeast Swale: “a ribbon of wild prairie and natural wetlands, the conservation opportunity of a lifetime”

http://www.swalewatchers.org/

$1,000 EcoFriendly Action Grant



NatureCity Festival: Building broadly based community support for the conservation of biodiversity by bringing awareness and issues home to the urban landscape of Saskatoon

$5,000 EcoFriendly Action Grant

NatureCity Festival 2016: • Water Song for a River City, headlined by Maria Campbell, brought a capacity crowd to consider new perspectives on living in respectful relationship with the land.• Learning From the Land With Traditional Knowledge and Science, a full-day immersive experience of the North Swale for 100 elementary students• Traditional Water Ceremony to honour the South Saskatchewan River • Presentation by Wilfred Buck, expert on Cree knowledge of the stars• Fully subscribed school program• Launch of the Master Naturalists Program

A Sustainable Economy"Reducing our levels of consumption will not be a sacrifice but a bonus if we simply redefine the meaning of the word success.” (David Wann)

Teaching Sustainable Consumption: “A lot of people know that we are consuming more than the planet can sustain, at least at a basic level, but they don’t know what to do about it. If we want to see changes in behaviour, then that has to begin in the classroom.”

http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/2016/02/teaching-sustainable-consumption.html



Why Buy if You Can Borrow or Repair? Across Canada, groups are creating alternatives to the traditional consumer economy.

http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/2016/04/why-buy-if-you-can-borrow-or-repair.html

http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/2016/04/why-buy-if-you-can-borrow-or-repair.html

Leading the Way

“There is something bigger than fact: the underlying spirit, all it stands for, the mood, the vastness, the wilderness, the Western breath of go-to-the-devil-if-you-don't-like-it, the eternal big spaceness of it. Oh the West! I'm of it and I love it!” (Emily Carr)

Demonstrating the Options“If I had to choose, I would rather have birds than airplanes.” (Charles Lindbergh)

Icecycle 2016 with Tom Babin, author of Frostbike: Saskatoon Cycles: making cycling fun and safe in winter and promoting the benefits of cycling – better health, environmental sustainability, enhanced community connection



Saskatoon Teachers’ Association: 100 teachers – 100 bus passes; taking the bus to the annual convention and reducing the number of cars on the road

Saskatoon Pride Festival: Going Green in 2016

Bullfrog Power and BiofuelsReusable water bottles & water refill stationsWaste recycling stationsReusable bannersBike Valet


Collaboration and research into more sustainable methods of environmental remediation of fuel and fertilizer siteshttp://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/2016/04/federated-co-operatives-limited.html

Federated Co-operatives Limited




CompostingNo More IdlingLights Out CampaignNo More Plastic BagsPersonal Water BottlesWater Usage at Home & at SchoolNative & Endangered Plant Awareness

Grade 8 Inquiry Unit, St. George School: “The students took their projects very seriously and did amazing work. They went into the school and community of St. George to test and solve their hypotheses.”


Saskatoon Embarks on Energy Performance ContractImplementing broader-scale energy improvements on up to 20 civic buildings

http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/2016/11/saskatoon-embarks-on-energy-performance.html



The First Step“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”(Dr. Seuss, The Lorax)

Master Naturalists of Saskatchewan: Providing volunteers with the knowledge and tools they need to become stewards of our natural areashttp://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/2016/01/master-naturalists-volunteer-stewards.html

http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/2016/01/master-naturalists-volunteer-stewards.html

PowerShifting Saskatoon: An action-based, collaborative workshop to address climate justice and reconciliation in our community



Wildlife Rehabilitation Society of Saskatchewan: Helping to keep Saskatchewan wildlife wild

“Dissection of owl pellets is a fun and educational way to encourage people to take an interest in the outdoors and wildlife.”

Gone Wild for

Wildlife

Urban Bird Hazards: “The East Tower at River Landing is a hazard to birds due to the extent of glass planned for the exterior of the building,” says Jan Shadick, Executive Director, Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation.

http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/2016/12/saskatoon-river-landing-proposal-bird.html



“Being in the Central and Mississippi Flyways and being adjacent to the water, bird-friendly design must be considered,” says Richard Huziak, SK Light Pollution Abatement Committee.

http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/2016/12/further-concerns-about-east-tower-river.html

http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/2016/12/further-concerns-about-east-tower-river.html

Apply Now for an EcoFriendly Action Grant

“Be the change you want to see in the world.”

Mahatma Gandhi

EcoFriendly Sask provides small grants of approximately $500 to support local projects that will prevent or reduce damage to the environment.

Look around you. What can YOU do to protect the local environment?

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2016: heading out, speaking up, leading the way

Environment