biosphere – Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area. George Genereux Urban Regional Park.

Mankind as steward of the biosphere

“Man’s life, in sickness and in health, is bound up with the forces of nature, and that nature, so far from being opposed and conquered, must rather be treated as an ally and friend, whose ways must be understood, and whose counsel must be respected.” ~Lewis Mumford. Page vii

Bohemian Waxwing Bombycilla Garrulus Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada

Rabbit

Northern Leopard Frog

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

“In the selection of areas intrinsically suitable for conservation, the factors selected were: features of historic value, high quality forests and marshes, bay beaches, streams, water-associated wildlife habitats, intertidal wildlife habitats, unique geological and physiographic features, scenic land and water features, and scarce ecological associations. “Page 107

The Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area and “George Genereux” Urban Regional Park, both provide historic value, high quality forests, unique geological features, scenic land, and scarce ecological associations. Though, both are classified as wetlands, the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area features the permanent wetland of the Chappell Marsh with its water-associated wildlife habitats.

“The salient factors selected for determining recreation areas are:

Passive

Unique Physiographic Features
Scenic water features, streams
Features of historic value
High-quality forests
High-quality marshes
Scenic land features
Unique geologic features
Scarce ecological associations
Water-associated wildlife habitats
Field and forest wildlife habitats

Active

Bay beaches
Expanse of water for pleasure craft
Fresh water areas
Riparian lands
Flat land
Existing and potential recreation areas

Areas most suited for urbanization are determined separately for the two components of urbanization: residential and commercial-industrial developments.” Page 112

The Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area and “George Genereux” Urban Regional Park are both existing and potential recreation areas, are very much flat lands, feature field and forest wildlife habitats, comprise unique physiographic features, encompass high-quality forests, features of historic value, and unique geologic features. The West Swale is a unique Pleistocene event which is unique and separate from the North East Swale.

The most restrictive factors which are common to these developments are also identified:

Slopes
Forested areas
Poor surface drainage
Areas susceptible to erosion
Areas susceptible to flooding.” Page 113

The Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area and George Genereux Urban Regional Park are both areas susceptible to flooding, and both are amazing forested areas. Learn more as the City of Saskatoon, and surrounding area developed by the Partnership for Growth P4G partners moves forward to grow to 1/2 million. P4G is made up of a collaboration between the Cities of Saskatoon, Martensville and Warman, the Town of Osler and the RM of Corman Park #344. “After much consultation with the public and their own administration, the City of Saskatoon approved its official Growth Plan to Half a Million.”~Kelly Macsymic Commercial Real Estate News

City of Saskatoon future growth maps

P4G maps.

Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area Sunlight on the Colorado Blue Spruce (Picea pungens) saplings

Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area in the winter fog.

“We need nature as much in the city as in the countryside. In order to endure we must maintain the bounty of the great cornucopia which is our inheritance…It is not a choice of either the city or the countryside: both are essential, but today it is nature, beleaguered in the country, too scarce in the city which has become precious…Our eyes do not divide us from the world but unite us with it….Man is that uniquely conscious creature who can perceive and express. He must become the steward of the biosphere. To do this he must design with nature.” Page 5

“The simple act of planting a tree, which is in itself a practical deed, is also the symbol of a far reaching ideal, which is creative in the realm of the Spirit, and in turn reacts upon society, encouraging all to work for the future well being of humanity rather than for immediate gain.” Richard St. Barbe Baker

Bibliography:

McHarg, Ian L. Design with Nature. 25th Anniversary Edition John Wiley and Sons, Inc. Toronto, ON, ISBN 0-471-55797-8, ISBN 0-471-11460-X Pbk. 1992

For more information:

Blairmore Sector Plan Report; planning for the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, George Genereux Urban Regional Park and West Swale and areas around them inside of Saskatoon city limits

P4G Saskatoon North Partnership for Growth The P4G consists of the Cities of Saskatoon, Warman, and Martensville, the Town of Osler and the Rural Municipality of Corman Park; planning for areas around the afforestation area and West Swale outside of Saskatoon city limits

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

Pinterest richardstbarbeb

Facebook Group Page: Users of the George Genereux Urban Regional Park

Facebook: StBarbeBaker

Facebook group page : Users of the St Barbe Baker Afforestation Area

Facebook: South West OLRA

Twitter: StBarbeBaker

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

“It is not the land itself that constitutes the farmer’s wealth, but it is in the constituents of the soil, which serve for the nutrition of plants, that this wealth truly consists.”—Liebig.

Afforestation; City Honoured as Pioneer

It is wonderful to be part of the City of Saskatoon, a city that at once is a pioneer in the world afforestation efforts. Saskatoon, was way ahead of the times in 1972. The parks department showed incredible foresight by implementing this “Green Survival” programme as it was called in its inception.

SONY DSC

A bit of fog and hoar frost in the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Northern Leopard Frog

“We’ve got to realize we live in a biosphere. When the trees go, the people go. It’s a question of survival now. We’ve got to plant trees within the next 10 years to save our lives. We’ve been eating into our forest cover faster in the last 50 years than ever. If we want to enter the new century with forests, we will have to start planting trees for our lives now.” ~Richard St. Barbe Baker reported by Zeina Cleigh. Tribune Staff Writer.

‘Afforestation’ is the establishment of a forest or stand of trees (forestation) in an area where there was no previous tree cover.

‘Deforestation’ which means cutting of forests or trees.

‘Reforestation’ is the natural or intentional restocking of existing forests and woodlands (forestation) that have been depleted, usually through deforestation.

The Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area was planted by the City of Saskatoon parks department in 1972. The three afforestation areas, 660 acres, were preserved in perpetuity that same year by City Council.

Wayne Buckle, a tree planter in that year, says ” I have always enjoyed travelling over the train overpass on Highway 7 to watch my forest grow – that’s probably the best vantage point to view it” ~ Leslee Newman

Paul Hanley also wrote the best selling book Eleven speaking the time when the planet reaches Eleven billion people ~ echoing the following sentiments of Richard St. Barbe Baker. What are the choices facing this generation for the future survival of our planet?

A few of the many and several articles written about afforestation and the benefits to the planet are; Afforestation and Reforestation for Climate Change and Climate change mitigation through afforestation / reforestation These, of course, are just two of over 1,510,000 scientific articles on the importance and value of afforestation to mitigate climate change.

Will the human race fail, fizzle, give out, go out, peter out, run out, break, break down, collapse, conk (out), crash, cut out, die, expire, stall, stop, run down, wane?

It is up to you, personally, to help your grandchildren and all of humanity to hold out, hold up, keep up, last, prevail, bear up, carry on, cope, endure, fare, get along, get by, get on, go, hang in, make out, manage, persevere, abide, continue, draw out, hang on, hold on, linger, persist, remain, run on.

What can you do?

Plant a tree, nay plant ten trees a year as requested by St. Barbe.
Support afforestation efforts around the world.
Care for trees everywhere.
Do a good deed.
Read Eleven, and the need to become a Sylvan economy as requested by St. Barbe

Paul Hanley, a personal friend of St. Barbe, a freelance writer, and environmentalist, has written a biography on this internationally known forester, Richard St. Barbe Baker. Contact Paul Hanley for more information about this book in order to learn more about the afforestation area namesake, Richard St. Barbe Baker.

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