“American author Henry David Thoreau once described cities as places where millions of people are lonely together. In a healthy city, this is not the case….Neighborhoods with parks, trees, cafes, shops and leisure facilities make city life healthy and enjoyable.”~ Lomberg, Michelle. Healthy Cities: improving urban lie. ISBN-1-58340-359-0. Smart Apple Media. Minnesota. 1980.
The Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area and the George Genereux Urban Regional Park are both part of City of Saskatoon land bank, and are not a part of municipal reserve, natural space reserve, nor parks. However both The Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area and the George Genereux Urban Regional Park are “preserved in perpetuity” as of the 1972 City Council approval for this request.
“When conserving wildlife habitat and water quality and protecting aquifer recharge areas are of greater concern, a forest protection strategy is advisable.” Arendt, Randall. Envisioning Better Communities. Seeing more options, making wiser choices. ISBN 978-1-932364-82-8 ISBN 978-1-932364-81-1. American Planning Association. Planners Press. Chicago 2010.
The West Swale waters flow from the North Saskatchewan River into the South Saskatchewan River, with its confluence at Yorath Island. The Afforestation Areas benefit the drinking water extracted from the South Saskatchewan River. The forests filter sediments, and pollutants, increasing water quality.
Forests are the most effective land cover for maintenance of water quality. They serve as natural sponges, collecting and filtering rainfall and releasing it slowly into streams. Forest cover has been directly linked to drinking water treatment costs – the more forest in a source water watershed, the lower the treatment costs. With an increase of urbanization, a forest serves to filter trap road contaminants, impervious pavement run off, dissolved solids, pollution, and increases in sediment.
“Conserving Ephemeral Wetlands -Vernal Pools. Vernal pools occur on land that ponds during the later winter and spring; they dry up by midsummer and remain dry for half the year. The fact that these ponds do not remain wet year-round makes them environmentally very special, because they do not support fish populations, which would otherwise devour the egg masses(…with tadpoles emerging) that have been deposited in vernal pools by woodland amphibians such as salamanders, frogs and some toads. It is important to protect not only these sanctuary pools but also the surrounding woodlands constituting the terrestrial habitat of species that begin their life cycles in these shallow water….Experts with trained eyes should be engaged to identify pool locations and estimate biological activity levels.”Arendt, Randall. Envisioning Better Communities. Seeing more options, making wiser choices. ISBN 978-1-932364-82-8 ISBN 978-1-932364-81-1. American Planning Association. Planners Press. Chicago 2010.
The Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area and the George Genereux Urban Regional Park are both considered wetlands by biologists. In both areas, it is great to detect and determine where the vernal pools are located, as well as the permanent wetland areas.
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 SE 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 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!
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“I believed that God has lent us the Earth. It belongs as much to those who come after us as to us, and it ill behooves us by anything we do or neglect, to deprive them of benefits which are in our power to bequeath.” Richard St. Barbe Baker
Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area. George Genereux Urban Regional Park. 