Thank you to City of Saskatoon and Mosaic for their support
Sat Sept 17 at 2:00 iNaturalist Biodiversity Challenge and Sun Sept 18 at 6:00 Easy as 1-2-3 Find It, Snap It, Share It, on the free iNaturalist app
Sun Sept 18 Wildwoods of Saskatoon Film Remai Modern at 2:00 Register Now! Seating is limited.
Commemorate #NationalForestWeek with a theme in 2022 “Canada’s Forests: Solutions for a Changing Climate.”
2022 is the 30th anniversary of “Maple Leaf Day” or National Tree Day in Canada
😃🍁🍄🥀🌼🌞🌷🌾🎋🌳🌲🐾🐀🐿🐁🐇🐇🕷🐛🦋🐞🐜🐌🐛🕷🦗🐢🐍🦇🐦🦉🦅🦆🐥🐣🐦🦇🐌🦋🦋🦄
National Forest Week brings attention to our forests and trees from coast to coast across Canada. Maple Leaf Day (or National Forest Day) takes place the third Wednesday of September, which in 2022 is September 21. National Forest Week are the days around Maple Leaf Day.
Richard St. Barbe Baker said it this way, “If a person loses one third of his or her skin, the person will die; if a tree loses a third of its bark, the tree will die, and if the world loses a third of its trees, the world will die.
We live less that five minutes without air and the trees give us air we breathe. We live less than five days without water, and trees are absolutely essential in the water cycle. We live less than five weeks without food, and without the trees we could not grow food.” (Filson, Bruce K. October 7, 1982, Western People, p. 5)
Celebrate #nationalForestWeek Sept 18-24! Special events and incredible opportunities await you! Visit http://www.friendsareas.ca to get involved today. 😄👍👨👩👧👩👩👦👦🌳🌲🌲🌳🌳🌲👨👨👧👦👩👩👦👦🙂😃👍
#NationalForestWeek commences Sept 18, 2022. Join us for a week of festivities as we discover trees, culture and explore the biodiversity forests around us support. Save the date to explore nature around you. www.friendsareas.ca @friendsareas 😄👍👨👩👧👩👩👦👦🌳🌲🌲🌳🌳🌲👨👨👧👦👩👩👦👦🙂😃👍
Do you have a great forest trail, a unique and special tree friend, a beautiful spot to meditate amidst the rustling of leaves in the forest? Post a selfie with a story telling everyone about your tree or forest space with the hashtag #NationalForestWeek. 😄👍👨👩👧👩👩👦👦🌳🌲🌲🌳🌳🌲👨👨👧👦👩👩👦👦🙂😃👍
Wildwoods of Saskatoon launches #NationalForestWeek at the Remai Modern Film Sept 18 at 2:00 ushering in a cavalcade of virtual and in-person events Take part in the photo extravaganza. Plant a tree, sing with a chickadee, protect a tree and support biodiversity. www.friendsareas.ca @friendsareas 😄👍👨👩👧👩👩👦👦🌳🌲🌲🌳🌳🌲👨👨👧👦👩👩👦👦🙂😃👍
Find your forest and share the story about your tree friend
In the days leading up to #NationalForestWeek
Let people know about a forest you like to visit
Share the location of a unique tree
Tell a story about your favourite native tree
Create a post on social media letting everyone know what event you have to offer about your favourite tree or forest
Get together with other environmental groups to promote your forest or tree places by a networking event
There is no mood or passion that the forest cannot give us, and those of us who have discovered her secret can settle beforehand what our experiences are going to be. We can choose our day and select our hour. And lo! the dawn finds us in the obscure wood. Together witnessing the film expose the afforestation secrets, we pass through into the realm of legend. With pity or with joy, the secrets revealed, behold the stories and tales of another world, another time. Let us at least suppose so for the moment—that at the film -we settle down to discovering the real intention and the stories of the afforestation areas. Those stories which etch and mould the form of the afforestation areas.
Discover the Wildwoods of Saskatoon Sunday September 18 at 2:00 pm at the Remai Modern. Register Now
50th anniversary of World Environment Day, 50th Birthday for Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area and George Genereux Urban Regional Park in Saskatoon
Richard St. Barbe Baker said it this way, “If a person loses one third of his or her skin, the person will die; if a tree loses a third of its bark, the tree will die, and if the world loses a third of its trees, the world will die. We live less that five minutes without air and the trees give us air we breathe. We live less than five days without water, and trees are absolutely essential in the water cycle. We live less than five weeks without food, and without the trees we could not grow food.” (Filson, Bruce K. October 7, 1982, Western People, p. 5)
Saskatoon, pincherry, chokecherry to name a few are pollinated bushes in the afforestation areas which rely on our bees and pollinator species. According to John Mola et al in The Importance of Forests in Bumble Bee Biology and Conservation writes, “forests and woody edges provide food resources during phenologically distinct periods, are often preferred nesting and overwintering habitats, and can offer favorable abiotic conditions in a changing climate.” Wildlife Preservation goes on to say, “forests provide lots of nooks and crannies for bumble bee queens to start their new colonies. Not only that, but the trees and shrubs in forests help slow down harsh winds, protect bees from the rain, and keep temperatures down during the heat of the summer by providing shade from the sun.” From the American Forest Foundation; “Mature stands [of forests] are also well suited for bees. Especially stands that include a variety of species, as well as openings or gaps. Mature forests can provide shade and protection from extreme weather for hives.”
What can you do?
Destroy your bug-zapper! Bug zappers kill all bugs and don’t pick and choose the bugs you don’t like. So all beneficial pollinator species bugs are also eliminated, and all the bird food on wings goes away, so the food web for the declining bird population is also gone.
Write a letter to your local, provincial and federal politician asking for a ban on pesticides and herbicides.
Buy organic food only in the supermarket or farmer’s market – or grow your own food.
There are light-free zones for star gazers to enjoy our milky way galaxy which is splendid! Why are there not Electro-magnetic Field EMF-free zones also? Environmental Health Trust EHT Executive Director Theodora Scarato writes, and says on YouTube; 5G and Small Cell Environmental Effects: Birds, Bees Trees and Climate. Take action now! Dana Dovey from Newsweek, says; “Technology is quite literally destroying nature, with a new report further confirming that electromagnetic radiation from power lines and cell towers can disorientate birds and insects and destroy plant health.” BeeHeroic says “Bees Plea, Stop 5G “Due to several factors – including body size, the magnetite that all animals have in their bodies and more – pollinating insects and animals are highly susceptible to 5G. In addition, the fact that mmWaves make plants toxic – to animals and humans – creates a combination that is forcing accelerated extinction of nearly all life on Earth.”
Plant trees and forests.
Our native biodiversity needs wild spaces, food and homes such as trees and forests provide in which to thrive. Forests, tree planting, and forest conservation initiatives are nature-based solutions towards climate action. Pollution, pesticides, herbicides are escalating the extinction events. Creating safe, organic forest spaces is a large step to halt and slow down the silent sixth mass extinction event of invertebrates, the planet’s bird food on wings. Ornithologists and botanists have noticed that the songbird, and raptor populations have declined by a staggering 48%. The monitored wildlife populations are reduced by a catastrophic 68%. A loss of forests and habitats have caused over 2/3 of our animal populations to totally disappear.
Richard St. Barbe Baker said it this way, “If a person loses one third of his or her skin, the person will die; if a tree loses a third of its bark, the tree will die, and if the world loses a third of its trees, the world will die.
We live less that five minutes without air and the trees give us air we breathe. We live less than five days without water, and trees are absolutely essential in the water cycle. We live less than five weeks without food, and without the trees we could not grow food.” (Filson, Bruce K. October 7, 1982, Western People, p. 5)
In addition to these two divisions, there is additionally the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan which have set up provincial projects as well. So this means that you can actually use iNaturalist anywhere in the province and still be counted in. Here is a handy link to the Saskatoon and Area BioDiverCity Challenge
There is no doubt about it, the people who took part did take action towards global conservation efforts. It was Great to Be the Reason Nature Believes in Humanity. Thank you one and all for taking part for Saskatoon and Area!
The Saskatoon Nature Society came on board, and really pulled through! The City of Saskatoon entomologist, Sydney Worthy, was host at an insect workshop which helped the CNC and this workshop is still having ripple effects through the school system. The Saskatchewan Mycological Working Group were host to a Fungi and Lichen Workshop which likewise is having amazing spin-offs! Appreciation is extended to the Prairie Conservation Action Plan for hosting a City Nature Challenge presentation for the Native Prairie Speakers Series. For these and other City Nature Challenge virtual webinars and workshops, see YouTube. Thanks to the University of Saskatchewan environment and sustainability classes for their contributions. The classrooms of students from the Saskatoon Public School Board and the Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools were wonderful to see the student enthusiasm at both Brightwater at the afforestation areas, and around Saskatoon. Thanks to the Meewasin staff at Beaver Creek for helping out! Thank you to the Canadian Wildlife Federation WILD group for their assistance. Appreciations and rounds of applause to @lysandra, @MaryKrieger, @sarasims, Jacey Bell, Donovan Thiessen, andall the iNaturalist Observers and Identifiers. Thanks to the City of Saskatoon, Saskatoon Nature Society, SaskTel, SaskPower, SaskEnergy, Mosaic, EcoFriendly West were super to help with the logistics for the planning this event. Thanks to everyone in the area around Saskatoon. Check out “explore” on iNat or go to BioSmart. Hats off to Wild About Saskatoon, Cpaws and Nature Conservancy of Canada for helping to make the event happen, indeed. We wish to say thank you kindly to the Saskatoon Media Group for their radio announcements also, that was wonderful to get the word out! Thanks to everyone who shared the social media assets as well. It was wonderful to meet the organizing crew of the Canadian Wildlife Federation, California Academy of Sciences, Natural History Museum Los Angeles County. In the words of Richard St. Barbe Baker, Twihamwe or pull together echoes the Province of Saskatchewan Motto, Multis e gentibus vires (From Many Peoples Strength). This pulling together happened during the first ever Saskatoon City Nature Challenge and our statistics show we had the second highest results for the prairie provinces in Canada – imagine that! What a show of support for wildlife and conservation! If we have inadvertently missed any group or contributing organization, please email, and we apologize most humbly – it has been a most busy week. And, of course, thank you to all the individuals who are passionate about nature and who helped out just because they like to be out in nature, and taking observations, or helping with identifications, it was an amazing four day bio-blitz cram session.
The Global City Nature Challenge Statistics show an amazing result: 1,570,392 Observations worldwide. 50,270 Total Species were observed Globally. 64,238 People around the World took part.
In Saskatoon and area, in this very early springtime, there were 14 species at risk sighted.
Thank you to everyone who went outside in Nature between April 29 – May 2 for the #CNC2022! This was a great undertaking to join the International initiative to collect information about the wildlife flourishing in Saskatoon and area. It was the very first year for the City Nature Challenge Saskatoon and Area.
Send in your cool/unusual/rare sightings!
New finds! Species that haven’t been recorded in particular areas before. Important finds of rare/endangered/threatened species. Observations that have a great story that go along with them. Really cool photos. Fun finds!
Send your photos of yourself, your friends or your family taking images in nature with iNaturalist! friendsafforestation@gmail.com
Of course, one can always use the iNaturalist app, or eBird to document nature and help conservation efforts even now that the City Nature Challenge is over.
Researchers, school groups, citizens and wildlife enthusiasts across the world did indeed tak part in this race against the clock to put nature on the map, submitting photos and observations of wildlife in their neighbourhoods and greenspaces through the free, easy to use iNaturalist smart phone app.
By observing local nature, everyone can support vital conservation research while connecting with nature and enjoying the outdoors.
Whether you are an expert, a seasoned #BioBlitz participant or getting involved for the first time, it couldn’t be easier to join in.
Simply download the iNaturalist app, take a photograph of nature in your local area – whether that’s a tree, plant or insect or animal – and upload. You don’t even have to know anything about the species you are observing. Teams of experts will be reviewing and updating the information that’s submitted, so you can log back in later and learn more about what you’ve spotted.
Help put the City of Saskatoon on the world nature scene! Using iNaturalist take photos of plants, animals, insects and mushrooms between April 29 – May 2, 2022! Saskatoon will compete for the title of the most Biodiverse City. We need your help.
Saskatoon and area will compete for the title of the most Biodiverse City. We need your help. The goals are to engage the public in the collection of biodiversity data, with three awards each year for the cities and areas that 1/ makes the most observations, 2/ find the most species, and 3/ engage the most people. We’re so excited to have this fun friendly competition with a chance to place Saskatoon and Area on the World Stage for the City Nature Challenge 2022! #CNCYXE
Get all your observations uploaded and work on identifying: May 3 – 8 • Results announced: May 9
This is the first year Saskatoon and Area has taken part in the City Nature Challenge Worldwide event. We need your help!
Regina City Nature Challenge 2022 – if you are around Saskatoon document nature here, if you are around Regina and area, document nature there! Maybe more cities in SK will join in next year
What is the difference? Well BioSmart shows the addition of both iNaturalist and eBird observations! In two days this is how Saskatoon and area has fared on BioSmart;
598 Observations
419 Identifications
217 Species
38 People
So that is pretty sweet! Hats off to everyone.
The ever beautiful Crocus Pulsatilla nuttalliana has been recorded today as an observation!
There has been an observation of a “Puccinia monoica (Rust Fungus) that infects prairie plants in early spring, usually species of Rock Cress (Boechera/Arabis)” (the description given by Glen Lee)
There are no more white rabbit sightings, only brown White-tailed Jackrabbits *whew*.
Some very beautiful Wintergreens are making a carpet of green which is ever wonderful to see.
If you have never seen a wondrous Spring Avens, well they are in bud now, so that is pretty cool!
But besides saying what is recorded, we should mention what is NOT recorded. There are NO pelican sightings recorded yet! And yet we know they arrived April 21! NO beaver nor muskrat sightings. So now the race is on, to see who can get the first pelican, beaver and muskrat sighting! Can you do it? Check on eBird Saskatoon for end of April usual bird sightings, and then it will be discovered what there may be to look for still 😉
Out of all the potential birds of prey around and about Saskatoon which may be sighted such as hawks, owls, vultures, only two have been registered to date = a Turkey Vulture, and a Merlin.
You know what is a rather unique and interesting happenstance of the City Nature Challenge? iNat user svetlana-bogdanovich out of Ukraine has made the most observations! So in the middle of war-torn Ukraine, svetlana has made 505 observations in 2 days! That is pretty incredible.
User eduardoramirez-anapri from Madrid Spain has made 444 observations in the first 2 days.
Pelican PreeningAmerican Pelican Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, Saskatoon, SK, CAPelican PreeningMuskrat (Ondatra zibethicus), wetlands mammal enjoys the emergent vegetation around Chappell Marsh such as cattailsiNaturalist Observation with smart phone connecting with nature, supporting vital conservation research worldwide.
Celebrate 50 years! Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area and George Genereux Urban Regional park were planted to trees in 1972, 50 years ago. Come out and say Happy Birthday!
In Saskatoon and area we are taking part in #CNC2022! Join us between April 29 – May 2 as we take part in this International initiative to collect information about the wildlife flourishing in Saskatoon and area.
Researchers, school groups, citizens and wildlife enthusiasts across the world will be taking part in this race against the clock to put nature on the map, submitting photos and observations of wildlife in their neighbourhoods and greenspaces through the free, easy to use iNaturalist smart phone app.
New finds! Species that haven’t been recorded in particular areas before. Important finds of rare/endangered/threatened species. Observations that have a great story that go along with them. Really cool photos. Fun finds!
Send your photos of yourself, your friends or your family taking images in nature with iNaturalist! friendsafforestation@gmail.com
Researchers, school groups, citizens and wildlife enthusiasts across the world will be taking part in this race against the clock to put nature on the map, submitting photos and observations of wildlife in their neighbourhoods and greenspaces through the free, easy to use iNaturalist smart phone app.
Taking a photo of mushrooms (fungi) with iNat on a smart phoneCity Nature Challenge CNCYXE Saskatoon area versus YQRCNC Regina and area in a mini SK challengeiNaturalist Observation with smart phone connecting with nature, supporting vital conservation research worldwide.CNC Nature Challenge April 29 to May 2
Celebrate 50 years! Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area and George Genereux Urban Regional park were planted to trees in 1972, 50 years ago. Come out and say Happy Birthday! We have some cool events planned coming up!
What is it? Help to convert the unknown observations! With an insect specialist – entomologist – to answer questions
About this event
Help discover the answer to “what is it?”
About this event
Get together virtually – in attendance will be an insect specialist by the name of Sydney Worthy Entomologist from the City of Saskatoon City of Saskatoon to help with I.D.s on insects which is fantastic!
Join together to make identifications on iNaturalist for the Saskatoon and Area City Nature Challenge.
EVERYONE is welcome to join, you absolutely DO NOT need to be an expert to help with IDs! And it is a great time to learn more about insects, and our insects in Saskatoon and get any insect questions answered as well.
We’ll start off with an introduction on how to identify and will go through some observations together, so join in if you’d like to learn more about how to help with IDs! After that, folks can jump off if they’d like to work on IDs on their own, but we’ll stick around if people would like to share some of the observations they’re coming across or just want to chat more about the City Nature Challenge or insects in general.
We would concentrate on the observations that “require ID” depending on how many people are online.
People can identify something, or ask some questions on various id’s.
Ask for others to confirm an id so that it can be listed as a “Research Grade”
also to help correct false ID’s.
Need assistance identifying your observations or eager to learn how to identify?
Pre-requisites: You will need a computer, laptop, tablet signed into your user name on iNaturalist to take part! or…If you want just to help by watching the zoom screen with your shout outs and questions that is fine also!
It may be easier if you have done some iNaturalist observations on your smartphone ahead of time, but as an someone with questions about insects, as an iNaturalist observer, a beginner, or an experienced specialist scientist all are welcome!
iNaturalist Connect with nature for the City Nature Challenge Saskatoon and Area Défi nature urbaine hosted by the Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas Inc.Goldenrod Gall Fly Eurosta solidaginis Conservation Status: imperiled (S2S4) in Saskatchewan, CA (NatureServe)Ranked S2 by SCDC
Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoidesRed-blue Checkered Beetle Trichodes nuttalli on a Missouri Goldenrod
Solidago missouriensis at the afforestation area
Celebrate 50 years! Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area and George Genereux Urban Regional park were planted to trees in 1972, 50 years ago. Come out and say Happy Birthday!
“Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in.”
~Author Unknown
iNaturalist does have staff who keep the programming running on iNaturalist, and deal with the coding of the computer vision artificial intelligence. However the soul, the heart and blood of iNaturalist runs on volunteers who have a love for nature and biodiversity.
In love with Saskatoon and area’s incredible nature? You can help map & protect it by joining this year’s #CityNatureChallenge, April 29–May 2! All you need to join is a smartphone and the free @inaturalist app.
iNaturalist volunteers are Citizen Scientist or naturalists! They are members of the general public who collect data in the form of photographs and sound recordings of organisms by using the iNaturalist app. The volunteers may be identifiers who analyze these observations and the collected data relating to biodiversity. Specialist or professional scientists also have a love of biodiversity who are involved in both the observation and identification stages of inaturalist.
Become a citizen scientist or naturalist volunteer by helping us observe and identify wild organisms in Saskatoon and Area using the free iNaturalist app on your smart phone: https://www.inaturalist.org/. iNaturalist combines the magic of artificial intelligence image recognition technology with crowdsourced postings from around the globe. Your participation does help scientists know and understand where and when organisms occur. You may also take pictures using any kind of digital camera then upload the images to inaturalist via your desktop computer.
Planet Earth, the World, Biodiversity is in our HandsVolunteer together for biodiversity Environmental guardianship and stewardsPhoto of Richard St. Barbe Baker
Courtesy: University of Saskatchewan,
University Archives & Special Collections,iNaturalist Observation with smart phone connecting with nature, supporting vital conservation research worldwide.
Celebrate 50 years! Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area and George Genereux Urban Regional park were planted to trees in 1972, 50 years ago. Come out and say Happy Birthday!
Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area. George Genereux Urban Regional Park. 