Saskatchewan Environmental Society
220 20th Street West S7M 0W9 Saskatoon, SK, Canada

SES is seeking an Environmental Education Translator for an 8-week term position! The Environmental Education Translator will be tasked with reviewing our English environmental education lesson plans and appropriately translating them into French. Check out the job posting to read more about it and the application criteria. Deadline to apply is April 18, 2021. environmentalsociety.ca/get-involv/employment-opportunities #greenjob #bilingualjob

Join Jeff Olson, retired Watershed Planner and Conservation Officer, to learn about farmland drainage and its effects on the environment today at 1:30 PM. No registration required. Just scroll to the event on this page and join via Zoom or phone. https://sens.usask.ca//20/senssa-webinars-announcement.php

Join renowned author and conservationist Trevor Herriot as he talks about farmland drainage at noon today. https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/everyone-into-the-pool-farmland

Spring is here! Which means it’s mating season for one of the birds that lives at the Northeast Swale: the Sharp-Tailed Grouse. The males perform on an open area called a lek, where they stomp their furry feet, spread out their wings to look intimidating, make noise by rubbing their tail feathers together (emitting a sound like a Hoover vacuum), and puff up brilliant coloured air sacs in their throats to try and attract the mostly elusive females amongst throngs of eligible potential mates. Thanks to Jimmy MacDonald for this description and photos of our provincial bird’s mating ritual! #yxe #swaleSaturday #SaveTheSwales

Learn about plastic pollution and the efforts globally, nationally, and locally to identify solutions TONIGHT at 7pm. Find the Zoom link here: https://saskatoonlibrary.evanced.info/signup/EventDetails #SustainabilitySpeakersSeries

We are happy to see that the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled in favour of a decision that enables the federal and provincial governments to act cooperatively on reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. Remember: The Government of Saskatchewan chose to initiate this time-consuming, costly court case instead of crafting a carbon pricing policy that best fit this province’s needs. Evidence of the effectiveness of carbon pricing is extensive and was largely undisputed in this cou...rt case. Especially in a time of crisis, we cannot have governments preventing each other from protecting the environment and Canadians’ current and future rights to a healthy planet. All levels of government must be empowered to do what they can to deal with climate change, and this ruling has helped solidify that responsibility. #SKPoli #ClimateAction #CarbonPricing #SCC #LiveSustainableLives

Avocets love wetlands, which is why they can be spotted at the Northeast Swale! These large shorebirdsidentified by their cinnamon neck, bright blue legs, and striking black and white plumagefeed on small crustaceans, worms, and bottom-dwelling (benthic) animals in a unique way. They sweep their long, slender, upward-curving bills from side to side just above the muddy bottom of lakes and wetlands, stirring up their prey. Sadly, the avocet is undoubtedly vulnerable to the ...effects of climate change, water quality, and the drainage of prairie potholes. By preserving the wetlands at the Northeast Swale, the Avocet will continue to have somewhere to nest and breed! (Photo by Jimmy MacDonald) #yxe #SaveTheSwales #swaleSaturday

Join us for our annual business meeting and a series of 5-minute presentations on Powering the Transition: Outstanding Issues in Our Energy Future! Find the registration link, speaker bios, audited financials, and more at: environmentalsociety.ca/events/agm

The Alberta government has pledged to reinstate a ban on open-put coal mining in a large section of the Rocky Mountains and foothills. This is important to us because the South Saskatchewan River receives 80-90% of its water from runoff in the Rockies, and open-pit coal mining has a potential to cause selenium contamination of our water. The heavy metal can enter water systems through rock piles and tailings piles, and high concentrations can harm fish and impact drinking water.

Building Operator Training is now on-line! Two half-day webinars are suitable to whoever operates your building whether it is the Executive Director or a facility operator. Learn how to efficiently operate your lighting, electrical equipment, heating, ventilation and cooling, and reduce your water use. Register today: bit.ly/SES-BOT #BuildingOperatorTraining Sponsored by Affinity CU

The federal government is asking Canadians to provide input on what should be prioritized in the federal budget as we bounce back from COVID-19. This short questionnaire is an opportunity for you to signal your support for a green, renewable economy in Canada. https://letstalkbudget2021.ca/pre_budget_consultations

Join us a week from today on Feb. 16th at 7pm for a webinar about cultivating genetic diversity for food security with Dr. Axel Diederichsen & Cathy Holtslander. Find the Zoom link here: https://saskatoonlibrary.evanced.info/signup/EventDetails #SustainabilitySpeakersSeries

As we all cozy up in our homes this weekend as the polar vortex slides in, we may begin to ponder: what is it like for the abundance of prairie grasses and other flora at the Northeast Swale during these cold snaps? Luckily, much of the Swale’s flora becomes dormant, which means that they don’t grow new leaves, seeds or roots until spring comes with warmer temperatures and fresh rain. They can also happily live under a heavy layer of snow. On the flip side, these same plants are well adapted to our hot, dry summer weather. Here's the difference between winter and summer at the Swale. Amazing, isn’t it? #yxe #SaveTheSwales #swaleSaturday (Photos by Meghan Mickelson)

Join us for a webinar tonight (Nov. 24) at 7pm! "Action for Climate: Supporting Natural Ecosystems" Nature-based systems such as forests, wetlands and grasslands support biodiversity and can offer effective, large-scale solutions to the challenges brought on by a changing climate. Branimir Gjetvaj offers insights into ways to increase resilience of natural ecosystems to climate change, and how human-altered landscapes can be better managed for carbon emission mitigation, bio...diversity conservation, and sustainable resource use. Find the link to watch here: environmentalsociety.ca/events/sustainable-speakers-series/ #SustainabilitySpeakerSeries

#ThrowbackSaturday! (Is that a thing?) Either way, check out this interview that dark sky enthusiasts Colin Chatfield and Tara Magee did with Global News last year. Colin and Tara share their concerns about the proposed Saskatoon Freeway, which is slated to be built right through the Northeast Swale. They say construction and light pollution would devastate the area. This is important because so many of the plants and animals that live at the Swale rely on the dark. Learn more about the challenges and solutions associated with the proposed Saskatoon Freeway from the Northeast Swale Watchers here: https://swalewatchers.org/ #yxe #SaveTheSwales #swaleSaturday

Before the snow hit, these sheep were out grazing at the Northeast Swale. Why, you ask? Well, the Northeast Swale is home to hundreds of species of native plants and controlled grazing helps reinvigorate these native species and increase biodiversity, while reducing the occurrence of invasive species. This is important because less than 5% of the native grassland in this area still exists. Pretty cool, right? Learn more about controlled grazing from Meewasin here: bit.ly/MVAGrazing #yxe #savetheswales #swaleSaturday

Now that Regina's mayor and city council have been chosen, you can take a closer look at the answers they provided to EnviroCollective in their recent Renewable City survey. Check it out here: http://www.envirocollective.ca//council-candidate-survey-r #yqr #yqrvotes

"Environment and Climate Change Minister Jonathan Wilkinson tabled new legislation that would force current and future federal governments to set binding climate targets to get Canada to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The bill, if passed, would require the federal government to set five-year interim emissions reduction targets over the next 30 years to ensure progress toward that ambitious goal."

Wow! This is such a beautiful video of Saskatoon’s Northeast Swale, which is a 26km long ribbon of native prairie and wetlands located on Treaty 6 land. Candace Savage, Joseph Naytowhow and Pervaiz Iqbal describe why the NE Swale is such a special place. For starters, it is home to hundreds of different kinds of animals and plants, many considered endangered or at-risk. Of course, it also has a deep history of cultural significance for the Cree and other Indigenous peoples wh...o once settled or camped there, and it remains an area full of medicine. The NE Swale also reminds us where we come from, by providing an area for contemplation and relaxation. As Pervaiz says in the video, exploring the NE Swale is a true Saskatchewan experience. Check out the video! Video courtesy of SaskTel and Wild About Saskatoon: NatureCity Festival #yxe #savetheswales #swaleSaturday

If you missed the #LiveableYXE mayoral forum that took place last week, you can watch the recording here: https://www.liveableyxe.ca/mayoral-forum/ or you can read candidate report card responses here: https://www.liveableyxe.ca/report-card/ #yxe #yxevotes

The 2020 Canadian Energy Efficiency Policy Scorecard was just announced today. Saskatchewan slipped to last place in this year’s Scorecard, earning only 17 out of 100 points. Learn more here: https://www.scorecard.efficiencycanada.org/2020 #EEScorecard2020

In advance of Regina's municipal election, EnviroCollective sent out a short survey to all candidates for council and mayor. The questions concerned the City’s commitment to become a 100% Renewable City by 2050. See responses here. #yqr #yqrvotes

Saskatoon’s upcoming municipal election is just over a week away, with advance polls now open. If you haven’t already decided who you are voting for, here are some questions about protecting the Northeast Swale that you can ask candidates seeking your vote. Find all the information you need, including contact information for those running for Councillor and Mayor, here: saskatoon.ca/election2020 City council has taken action to ensure that lighting along city roads and pat...hways is Dark Sky compliant. Do you agree that the City should amend its bylaws to require commercial and residential properties adjacent to the Swales to meet these same standards, thereby reducing light spill into this area? Do you agree that the City should ensure the long-term protection of the Northeast and Small Swales? For example: as part of the planning for the University Heights 3 development, would you support reserving land to provide a buffer of green space to protect the Swales from excessive disturbance? Do you agree that safe crossings for wildlife and humans are critical for overall safety on the roads through the Swales? Would you support reducing speed limits to help reduce traffic noise and collisions? Thanks to the Swale Watchers (www.swalewatchers.org/take-action) for these great questions and Meghan Mickelson for the photo of the beautiful native prairie and wetlands that we are all so passionate about protecting for generations to come! #yxe #savetheswales #swaleSaturday