Simplify your Life Week => First week of August
August 6-12, 2017
To me, as a lover of Nature, the waving of a tree conveys thoughts which are never conveyed to me except by seeing a tree wave. Stephen Leacock
“This increasing feeling culminated in the resolve which becomes the subject of this narrative. The thought came to me suddenly one night. I woke from my sleep with a plan fully matured in my mind. It was this: I would, …cast off all the travail and cares of civilized life and become again the wild man of the woods that Nature made me. … To a trained woodsman and crawler like myself the thing was simplicity itself. For food I knew that I could rely on berries, roots, shoots, mosses, mushrooms, fungi, bungi—in fact the whole of Nature’s ample storehouse; for my drink, the running brook and the quiet pool; and for my companions the twittering chipmunk, the chickadee, the chocktaw, the choo-choo, the chow-chow, and the hundred and one inhabitants of the forgotten glade and the tangled thicket.” ~Stephen Leacock
Is this simplicity to you? Try a visit to the afforestation areas in Saskatoon.
“To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter… to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird’s nest or a wildflower in spring — these are some of the rewards of the simple life.”
― John Burroughs, Leaf and Tendril
For directions as to how to drive to “George Genereux” Urban Regional Park
For directions on how to drive to Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area
For more information:
Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area is located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada north of Cedar Villa Road, within city limits, in the furthest south west area of the city. 52° 06′ 106° 45′
Addresses:
Part SE 23-36-6 – Afforestation Area – 241 Township Road 362-A
Part SW 23-36-6 – SW Off-Leash Recreation Area (Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area ) – 355 Township Road 362-A
S ½ 22-36-6 Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area (West of SW OLRA) – 467 Township Road 362-A
NE 21-36-6 “George Genereux” Afforestation Area – 133 Range Road 3063
Wikimapia Map: type in Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area
Google Maps South West Off Leash area location pin at parking lot
Web page: https://stbarbebaker.wordpress.com
Where is the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area? with map
Where is the George Genereux Urban Regional Park (Afforestation Area)? with map
Facebook Group Page: Users of the George Genereux Urban Regional Park
Facebook group page : Users of the St Barbe Baker Afforestation Area
Please help protect / enhance /commemorate your afforestation areas, please contact the Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas Inc. (e-mail)
Support the afforestation areas with your donation or membership ($20.00/year). Please donate by paypal using the e-mail friendsafforestation AT gmail.com, or by using e-transfers Please and thank you! Your donation and membership is greatly appreciated. Members e-mail your contact information to be kept up to date!
| Payment Options |
| Membership : $20.00 CAD – yearly Membership with donation : $50.00 CAD Membership with donation : $100.00 CAD |
1./ Learn.2./ Experience
3./ Do Something: ***
“St. Barbe’s unique capacity to pass on his enthusiasm to others. . . Many foresters all over the world found their vocations as a result of hearing ‘The Man of the Trees’ speak. I certainly did, but his impact has been much wider than that. Through his global lecture tours, St. Barbe has made millions of people aware of the importance of trees and forests to our planet.” Allan Grainger
“We forget that we owe our existence to the presence of Trees. As far as forest cover goes, we have never been in such a vulnerable position as we are today. The only answer is to plant more Trees – to Plant Trees for Our Lives.” ~ Richard St. Barbe Baker
“Act. Don’t react. See a need, fix it first. Worry about the details later. If you wait until you are asked you have just missed a golden opportunity. They are fleeting and rare.” Philip Wollen founder of Winsome Kindness Trust
Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area. George Genereux Urban Regional Park. 
I think it’s ironic that a lot of our modern conveniences were designed to simplify our lives — and they do — but no one counted on the complex effort we’d need to spend maintaining them. I lived a much “simpler” life in China in the early 80’s but things like laundry, refrigeration and even bathing were vastly complicated by the “simplicity.” It was easy enough to adjust to it, though, and strangely more difficult to readjust to our materialistic conveniences when I returned home. I think it’s kind of sad that each generation forgets knowledge that the previous generation took for granted — I could no more hook a couple of horses to a wagon than I could fly, but my mom could.
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This is so true. Sometimes the more updates and upgrades to household appliances, the more specific they work, and soon they cannot do the general task at hand, and yet another specialized appliance is needed. Thanks for your comment
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I have to agree with Martha on that. My mother grew up on a farm, life was harsh on occasion though they were far better off than many that lived through the depression, offering and bartering milk, butter, cheese and eggs. They rode horses, and in wagons, lived off the land. The closest I ever came was planting a massive garden and maintaining it and canning the garden’s offerings. Later I took my kids camping, the closest to nature I could get or honestly wanted to get. But the contrast was amazing, few utensils, a small variety of food, sleeping on the ground surrounded by nature with all it’s aromas, freshness and brilliant night time skies. Times change and we change with it, but deep in many hearts, the desire for the simple, uncomplicated, whatever that may be.
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Your comment is intriguing as we sit here watching the evacuations in British Columbia, Canada from the forest fires, or hear about power outages. What does one save for an evacuation, how does one survive a power outage of more than a few hours. Sometimes grounding in garden or camping activities helps to prepare one to live without the conveniences of civilization, indeed. Thanks for visiting, and taking time to comment.
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You are most welcome. I really enjoy your writing and the information you provide. Yes, We have a firebug that started 2 fires within 2 blocks of us yesterday. There’s an 85 hectare fire near where I lived before(and having been through that, it’s scary) especially the inability to breath and open windows for fresh air. Unfortunately the fire got going during the night, my windows were open and by morning my throat was so sore. ATM we have family that was evacuated (fortunately including their horses and livestock) near Clinton. They returned home with the fires still burning and now they are evacuating Clinton. I remember growing up with forest fires in the Okanagan. This is the worst year ever in BC and there’s a smoke and haze over us from Vancouver and it’s not fun, breathing and being outside. Thank you for the comments and stopping by. My Jetpack is broken and I’m unable to share or if I am, only a few can see me at this point. I hope we can get it fixed soon. I miss you all.
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