“As long as a soil is covered with forest, its humus is maintained. The basic forest problem lies in its composition and regeneration. In the forest the process of decay and growth always balance one another. The vegetable wastes together with the by-products of the animal population form a mixture on the forest floor. As we examine this mixture from time to time we find it remains practically constant in depth, in spite of annual additions from leaf-fall that take place. This mixture is drawn upon at an even rate by earthworms, fungi and bacteria, and the resulting humus in turn is absorbed by the soil and provides the trees and under growth with the food materials they require. Thus the forest manures itself and with the help of the earthworms and other animal distributes this manure through the upper layers of the soil. Everything is done by Nature quietly and efficiently. No artificial fertilizers, no selective weed killers, no pesticides and no machinery are needed in the household of the natural forest.~Richard St. Barbe Baker My Life My Trees
Prairie Dog
Cold Weather Dress Warmly
“The great Empires of Assyria, Babylon, Carthage and Persia were destroyed by floods and deserts let loose in the wake of forest destruction. Erosion following forest destruction and soil depletion has been one of the most powerfully destructive forces in bringing about the downfall of civilizations and wiping out human existence from large tracts of the earths surface. Erosion does not march with a blast of trumpets or the beating of drums, but its tactics are more subtle, more sinister.” ~ Richard St. Barbe Baker- I Planted Trees – 1944
Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area and West Swale Wetlands in the fog
Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, south west sector, in the City of Saskatoon, SK, CA
Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area in the fog
“The worm is the best farm worker. Darwin told us all there was to know about the life history of the worm. But what he didn’t teach us is how to harness the worm. And this I’ve been trying to do for the past forty years. To teach people how to use the worm on their farms and in their gardens by helping them to increase the humus, aerate the soil. And on the fringe of the Sahara and in Israel where I started planting trees over fifty years ago, we put a stone or a couple of stones for every tree on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho in our plantations in the Judean hills. And if a goat knocked a stone off, the tree would die.
“The stone is there to water the tree; this is what we call stone mulching or top mulching. The stone draws down the heat and it draws up the heat from below and draws up the moisture and will protect the worm. The worm will come up and down, and enjoy a cool night under the stone in the moisture that is accumulated under the stone. And in the morning the worm goes down again.
“If you pick up that stone you’ll see two or three worms just underneath, all in the cool and damp. But what is not generally understood is that you can’t have superphosphate and worms. The worms don’t like the superphosphate or any of the chemicals or weed killers and things you put on the crops now, these selective killers. You have to make up your mind whether you’re going to harness the worm or you’re going to work for the chemical merchant.” Richard St. Barbe Baker
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
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!
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
“The more successfully a city mingles everyday diversity of uses and users in its everyday streets, the more successfully, casually (and economically) its people thereby enliven and support well-located parks that can thus give back grace and delight to their neighborhoods instead of vacuity. ” ~Jane Jacobs American-Canadian journalist on Urban Planning
Rabbit
Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area Forest
1960. A green belt for the city starts with Bert Wellman, Saskatoon Planning Department, who walked around Saskatoon’s perimeter choosing high spots of land for scenic beauty. Together with City Planner Bill Graham they worked on parkways and planted trees for the 1960 Circle Drive Parkway at these sites. Alfred Henry Browne “Man of the Trees” city Parks Superintendent – “The Man Who Made Saskatoon Beautiful” had a vision for Saskatoon – planting over 30,000 trees in the city. Wyndham Winkler Ashley local horticulturist and founder of the parks board advocated trees, and dispersed tree seedlings. They all envisioned a green city.
“The Richard St. Barb Baker Afforestation Area was established in 1960 to create a green belt around the city. Trees, which act as habitat for local wildlife, were planted in rows to generate a man-made forest.”(World Web.com) From Jeffery O’Brien at the City Archives, it has been determined that in 1960, the city purchased the land, parts of Sections 22 and 23 Township 36, Range 6 West of the third meridian, south of the CN Chappell yards.
1972. Planting in reserved lands purchased in 1960 for a tree belt begins in 1972. “A tree belt as a windbreak and to create a sense of enclosure is suggested along the edges of development for all areas which will not expand in the near future. Such a belt can already be considered along the northern boundary of Westview Heights. In conclusion it can be stated that a seemingly overwhelming demand lies ahead, however, through careful timing, programming and design there should be few difficulties. It should be remembered that the city forefathers reserved beautiful parks along the river, others have developed in Kiwanis Park, the University Grounds and numerous treed and landscaped streets. They did so under adverse conditions with a population of 20,000. They gave the city a reputation as the “City Beautiful” and today’s residents should be willing to uphold their tradition.” (Wellman. 1963. P 18)_At this time City Council passes an order in council that the afforestation is protected in perpetuity.
Spring Sunset Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area
Trembling Aspen grove Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, CA
Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
1976 On June 7, the Planning and Development Committee prepare the South Saskatchewan River Corridor Study: Towards a River Edge Authority. From this an autonomous agency arises upon which Saskatoon and Corman Park agree to implement the report.
1978 Moriyama’s Meewasin Valley Project 100-Year Conceptual Master Plan is submitted by Raymond Moriyama Architects and Planners. Moriyama’s report includes the river valley of the South Saskatchewan River and also rural lands adjacent to the natural drainage systems feeding into the South Saskatchewan River. The “West Swale” as described by Golder Associates is a low lying wetlands area which has its confluence at the South Saskatchewan River. The West Swale – its wetlands and surrounding environment does have a congruency with the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area. The core concept of Moriyama’s plan was that this is indeed a unique land with a unique people, the objective is balance. As the current plans for the South West Sector (now the Blairmore Sector) are to develop the area west of Sk Hwy 7 as a residential, and the P4G has plans to place rural commercial/industrial in the lands around George Genereux Urban Regional Park and in the long term these may well be the plans for the lands south of Chappell Marsh Conservation Area, and south of Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforesation Area alongside the Green Network Area Study it is even more imperative to address conservation practices and sustainable open space and parks preservation for future generations.
Additionally a sound neighbourhood or business park development needs to take into account the fundamental values of the Meewasin Valley Authority
1/ Nature conservancy.
2/ The improvement of water quality and a reduction of pollution
3/ The need for increased education and research opportunities
4/ An enhancement between rural and urban inter-relationships and users.
5/ An improvement of recreational opportunities
6/ The moving forward on cultural aspects in the area.
“Meewasin Valley Authority The Meewasin Valley Authority (Meewasin) was formed in 1979 to act as an agent of the City, the University, and the Province of Saskatchewan to ensure a healthy and vibrant river valley, with a balance between human use and conservation. The Meewasin Valley Authority Act (MVA Act) establishes the mandate of Meewasin, its powers, and its jurisdiction, and the Conservation Zone. Meewasin‘s mandate can be summarized into three mandate areas: conservation, development, and education. It is around this time residents of the RM of Corman Park petitioned to protect agricultural lands from the MVA conservation area, leaving the westerly portion of the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area [RSBBAA] and all lands within the afforestation area formerly known as George Genereux park without management from the MVA
By 1979, the afforestation is named in the honour of Dr. Richard St. Barbe Baker, L.L.D., O.B.E. – founder of the international group “Men of the Trees”
2013 South West Off Leash Dog Park becomes a small fenced off area within the afforestation area. During this year, Golder Associates conducted their natural screening of the southwest sector which included the “Wooded area” namely Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area. Maps show that the Blairmore sector afforestation areas are congruent with the wetlands area named the “West Swale”
2014. “Advantages of Incorporating Natural Wetlands as Features in Urban Planning Wetlands in landscape settings, whether urban or rural, provide open space, wildlife, aesthetic, recreation, ambient temperature, and educational benefits to local and regional residents in addition the direct stormwater flood management and water quality improvements….natural wetlands provide valuable ecological benefits such as groundwater recharge and improved water quality, storage and cycling of nutrients and sediments, carbon sequestration, and enhanced wildlife habitat and biodiversity. [1]”
2016 The Afforestation Area is one of the nature viewing sites in the updated version of the Saskatoon Nature Society’s latest book, Nature and Viewing Sites in and Around Saskatoon.
“While you are looking, you might as well also listen, linger and think about what you see.” Jane Jacobs American-Canadian journalist on Urban Planning
“The important thing to remember is that even if you seem like the only one in all of North American who uses more native [native plants] than aliens, wildlife will be better off for your efforts. The effects will be cumulative, and probably synergistic, as more and more people join you. And don’t forget that plants are long-lived. The [native tree] you plant tomorrow could easily live 300 years, servicing innumerable insects, birds, squirrels, mice, raccoons, and deer every year of its life. Yes, you can make a difference on a small plot of land. You can even make a difference if you own no land. If you live in an apartment, you may be able to influence the landscaping habits of your landlord, or the company you work for, or the township supervisors who control your city parks, or your sibling who does own property. If we humans are capable of turning hundreds of millions of acres of rainforest into depleted grasslands, and extirpating millions of buffalo from the plains, and billions of passenger pigeons from the skies and cod from the North Atlantic, we are also capable of returning natives to our gardens.” ~ Douglas Tallamy
2. Wellman, Hilbert E. and Henry F. Frolich. (1963) Community Planning Scheme 1963. Henry F. Frolich, Assistant City Planner, and Hilbert E. Wellman, City Planning and Building Director. Page 18.
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
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!
“The future of the planet concerns all of us, and all of us should do what we can to protect it. ” Wangari Maathai.
“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
“Trees worked for millions of years to make it possible for man to come on this planet. Yet man, who owns his presence on this Earth to trees, has been cutting, burning, greedily and recklessly.” Richard St. Barbe Baker
“Education is improving the lives of others and for leaving your community
and world better than you found it.” Marian Wright Edelman
Given a teacher with a love of out-of-door life, with observant eyes and ears, and the spirit that sympathizes with children’s curiosity and stimulates inquiry, Nature Study will be a joy and an inspiration to pupils.
Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, West Swale Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
West Swale Wetlands (Chappel Marsh) Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, Saskatoon, SK, CA
“Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher.” William Wordsworth
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
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!
“I believe in the Oneness of Mankind and all living things and the interdependence of each and all.” Richard St. Barbe Baker
Nature is man’s teacher.
She unfolds her treasure to his search,
unseals his eye, illumes his mind,
and purifies his heart;
an influence breathes from all the sights and sounds
of her existence. Alfred Billings Street
Nature is man’s teacher.
She unfolds her treasure to his search,
unseals his eye, illumes his mind,
and purifies his heart;
an influence breathes from all the sights and sounds
of her existence. Alfred Billings Street
“…if it feels like a true magic might be possible; it is truly a Blue Moon experience….” ― Isabella Koldras, Blue Moon Magic.
White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
Zero Waste
“To achieve true sustainability, we must reduce our ‘garbage index” – that which we permanently throw away into the environment that will not be naturally recycled for reuse – to near zero. Productive activities must be organized as closed systems. Minerals and other nonbiodegradable resources, once taken from the ground, must become a part of society’s permanent capital stock and be recycled in perpetuity. Organic materials may be disposed into the natural ecosystems, but only in ways that assure that they are absorbed back into the natural production system.”
David Korten
“Waste is an urgent global issue. Per capita waste generation has risen markedly in 50 years and Canadians produce the most garbage per capita when compared to 16 other OECD [Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ] nations ~ a whopping 777 kilograms [1713 pounds] per person per year.NZWC” Zero waste means the elimination of waste at the source of waste generation, rather than managing waste, and searching for methods of managing waste created to minimize environmental management. “Zero Waste means designing and managing products and processes to systematically avoid and eliminate the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, conserve and recover all resources, and not burn or bury them.Eco-cycle“
The vision of moving away from a “Take – Make – Dispose” paradigm, and shifting towards a circular economy without waste. Can you imagine it ~ a home without a garbage can, as everything is made with an aim of recycling, re-manufacturing, -refurbishing, repair and maintenance for long lasting use. Emissions, and energy leakages are reduced, and resources needed for supply are minimized. The vision is bold, “in a truly circular economy, where waste becomes nutrients and energy is renewable, economic growth would be decoupled from environmental restraints.Greenbiz”
As Professor Cristina Trois summarizes, “A green economy places importance on moving towards a resource efficient and zero waste society. Zero waste is a long – term vision that ultimately envisages a thriving society that exists within nature’s resource constraints and its ability to assimilate waste. Zero waste policy and resource ~ efficiency measures are intrinsically linked in a mutually beneficial way. By improving resource efficiency and moving towards zero waste, countries can tackle local environmental problems, address climate change, ensure energy security, preserve natural capital, improve economic competitiveness, and pursue social benefits, ultimately contributing to the promotion of a green economy.Programme”
Also disappearing along with the trash are:
misuse,
decay,
desolation,
destruction,
devastation,
dilapidation,
dissipation,
disuse,
exhaustion,
expenditure,
extravagance,
fritter,
improvidence,
lavishness,
loss,
misapplication,
overdoing,
prodigality,
ravage,
ruin,
squander,
squandering,
wastage,
wastefulness,
lost opportunity,
unthriftiness
Heart health forest walking
In a symbol there is concealment and yet revelation: here therefore, by silence and by speech acting together, comes a double significance. In the symbol proper, what we can call a symbol, there is ever, more or less distinctly and directly, some embodiment and revelation of the Infinite; the Infinite is made to blend itself with the Finite, to stand visible, and as it were, attainable there. By symbols, accordingly, is man guided and commanded, made happy, made wretched.
Thomas Carlyle
Will you help keep your city, your parks, the environment clean and healthy? Participate in your local clean ups! Or what the heck, next time you are out walking, bring an extra bag, and fill it up with trash, and take it away from your beloved park! Why not?
Programme Special Event of the ISWA World Congress 2011Theme: “Moving
towards Zero Waste for a Green Economy – Role of Local Authorities” Daegu
Exhibition and Convention Center (EXCO Daegu), Daegu, Republic of Korea.
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
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!
“I believe with Ruskin, that I must be just to the Earth beneath my feet, to the neighbour by my side and to the Light that comes from above and within that this wonderful world of ours may be a little more beautiful and happy form my having lived in it. “Richard St. Barbe Baker.
Chaque fois que je fais les courses, je vote résolument “Oui aux aliments en vrac!” et “Oui aux produits biologiques!” Pour mes enfants, je rêve d’un avenir plus sain et sans déchet: je suis heureuse d’y investir mon argent chaque semaine.”
― Bea Johnson
“Man has lost his way in the jungle of chemistry and engineering and will have to retrace his steps, however painful this may be. He will have to discover where he went wrong and make his peace with nature. In so doing, perhaps he may be able to recapture the rhythm of life and the love of the simple things of life, which will be an ever-unfolding joy to him.”~Richard St. Barbe Baker
World Peace; International Peace
“I go to Nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put together.” –John Burroughs
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
In regards to your financial donations to protect / enhance the afforestation areas, please contact the City of Saskatoon, Corporate Revenue Division, 222 3rd Ave N, Saskatoon, SK S7K 0J5 To support the afforestation area with your donation please state that your donation will support the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, or the George Genereux Urban Regional Park, or both afforestation areas. Please and thank you! Your donation, however large or small is greatly appreciated.
Chaque fois que je fais les courses, je vote résolument “Oui aux aliments en vrac!” et “Oui aux produits biologiques!” Pour mes enfants, je rêve d’un avenir plus sain et sans déchet: je suis heureuse d’y investir mon argent chaque semaine.”
― Bea Johnson
“Has any one of us ever really seen a Tree? When we become aware of trees we may catch glimpses of them in moments of spiritual vision and, identifying ourselves with the trees, become conscious of the rising of the sap; the upward thrust of life; leaf burgeoning, their consciousness of the changing seasons; we may share their passionately boisterous exuberance of life in the height of a storm, and their tranquility when at rest; with them we will enjoy the glad murmur of the ripening seed clusters when after weeks of drought the steady warm rain brings relief to thirst; and we will know that these creatures, our elder brethern, are intimately related to us in their love and hunger for life. We may even catch their enthusiasm and aspire heavenwards while still rooted in our Mother Earth and in communion with our fellow men and, tree-wise, strive to make the Earth more fruitful again.” ~Richard St. Barbe Baker
Happy dog frolicking in the grass off leash at SW off leash recreation area
Happy woman in winter
So here is a question. Do you have a point of view which sees the glass as half full or half empty? Do you commonly say “S&*% Happens” or do you embrace whole heartedly “Happiness Happens”?
“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. As longs as this exists, and it certainly always will, I know that then there will always be comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances may be. And I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles.”
― Anne Frank
What is possible on Happiness Happens Day? Perhaps it will be testing Ann Frank’s hypothesis about being happy while immersed in nature while out and about at the afforestation areas of Saskatoon.
“I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery—air, mountains, trees, people. I thought, ‘This is what it is to be happy.'”
—Sylvia Plath
Sylvia Plath felt it, the happiness in nature. At the afforestation areas, there is scenery, fresh woodlands air, trees, wetlands, and if your timing is right deer, squirrels, birds, and a plethora of waterfowl.
Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine. Anthony J. D’Angelo
Where will you find joy and happiness? Are you content to wander down a winding woodland trail? Or do you prefer taking your puppy out between the trembling aspen at the South West off leash recreation area?
Joy in looking and comprehending is nature’s most beautiful gift. Albert Einstein
Wildlife Montage. Red Winged Blackbird, White Tailed Deer Fawn, Garter Snake, JackRabbit, Mallard Ducklings, Black Crowned Night Heron
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
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!
What was Richard St. Barbe Baker’s mission, that he imparted to the Watu Wa Miti, the very first forest scouts or forest guides? To protect the native forest, plant ten native trees each year, and take care of trees everywhere.
“We stand in awe and wonder at the beauty of a single tree. Tall and graceful it stands, yet robust and sinewy with spreading arms decked with foliage that changes through the seasons, hour by hour, moment by moment as shadows pass or sunshine dapples the leaves. How much more deeply are we moved as we begin to appreciate the combined operations of the assembly of trees we call a forest.”~Richard St. Barbe Baker
“I believe with Ruskin, that I must be just to the Earth beneath my feet, to the neighbour by my side and to the Light that comes from above and within that this wonderful world of ours may be a little more beautiful and happy from my having lived in it. “Richard St. Barbe Baker.
E’ver the Poet from the land
Steers his bark, and trims his sail;
Right out to sea his courses stand,
New worlds to find in pinnace frail.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
Blue heron
The Frost Spirit
He comes,—he comes,—the Frost Spirit comes
You may trace his footsteps now
On the naked woods and the blasted fields and the
brown hill’s withered brow.
He has smitten the leaves of the gray old trees
where their pleasant green came forth,
And the winds, which follow wherever he goes,
have shaken them down to earth.~ John Greenleaf Whittier
The Whisper of Earth
In the misty hollow, shyly greening branches
Soften to the south wind, bending to the rain.
From the moistened earthland flutter little whispers,
Breathing hidden beauty, innocent of stain.~ Edward J. O’Brien
“A live squirrel in a tree is poetry in motion; but on the table a squirrel is a rodent that tastes as a rat smells. Beside the ocean a flock of sandpipers is needed to complete the beautiful picture; but on the table a sandpiper is beneath contempt. A live deer trotting over a green meadow, waving a triangular white flag, is a sight to thrill any human ganglion; but a deer lying dead, —unless it has an exceptionally fine head,—is only so much butcher’s meat.”~ William T. Hornaday
Character.
“The sun set, but set not his hope:
Stars rose; his faith was earlier up:
Fixed on the enormous galaxy,
Deeper and older seemed his eye;
And matched his sufferance sublime
The taciturnity of time.
He spoke, and words more soft than rain
Brought the Age of Gold again:
His action won such reverence sweet
As hid all measure of the feat.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
Rana_pipiens Northern Leopard Frog
Yorkshire Terrier
Lincoln’s Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii
Under the Trees
“The wonderful, strong, angelic trees,
With their blowing locks and their bared great knees
And nourishing bosoms, shout all together,
And rush and rock through the glad wild weather.”~Anna Hempstead Branch
“Calm soul of all things, make it mine,
To feel amidst the City ‘s jar
That there abides a peace of thine
Men did not make and cannot mar.”Matthew Arnold
Poet
“To clothe the fiery thought
In simple words succeeds,
For still the craft of genius is
To mask a king in weeds.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, West Swale Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area in the fog
The Road Not Taken
“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both. “Ralph Waldo Emerson
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
Should you wish to help protect / enhance the afforestation areas, please contact the City of Saskatoon, Corporate Revenue Division, 222 3rd Ave N, Saskatoon, SK S7K 0J5…to support the afforestation area with your donation please state that your donation should support the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, or the George Genereux Urban Regional Park, or both afforestation areas. Please and thank you! Your donation is greatly appreciated.
“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
“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
“All places that the eye of Heaven visits
Are to the wise man ports and happy havens.” ~Shakespeare
Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area Forest
American Robin., Turdus migratorius
“If a man is unhappy, this must be his own fault; for
God made all men to be happy.”—Epictetus
“She was one of those exceptional children who do still spend time outside, in solitude. In her case nature represented beauty – and refuge. “It’s so peaceful out there and the air smells so good. I mean, it’s polluted, but not as much as the city air. For me, it’s completely different there,” she said. “It’s like you’re free when you go out there. It’s your own time. Sometimes I go there when I’m mad – and then, just with the peacefulness, I’m better. I can come back home happy, and my mom doesn’t even know why.”
The she described her special part of the woods.
“I had a place. There was a big waterfall and a creek on one side of it. I’d dug a big hole there, and sometimes I’d take a tent back there, or a blanket, and just lie down in the hole, and look up at the trees and sky. Sometimes I’d fall asleep back there. I just felt free; it was like my place, and I could do what I wanted, with nobody to stop me. I used to go down there almost every day.”
The young poet’s face flushed. Her voice thickened.
“And then they just cut the woods down. It was like they cut down part of me.” Richard Louv
“Life is a great gift, and as we reach years of discretion, we most of us naturally ask ourselves what should be the main object of our existence… we should all endeavor to contribute as far as we may to the happiness of our fellow-creatures. I cannot, however, but think that the world would be better and brighter if our teachers would dwell on the Duty of Happiness as well as on the Happiness of Duty, for we ought to be as cheerful as we can, if only because to be happy ourselves, is a most effectual contribution to the happiness of others. ~Sir John Lubbock”
The light that comes from above and within….
“The light that comes from above and within….
I believe that this generation will either be the last to exist in any semblance of a civilized world or it will be the first to have a vision, a daring and a greatness to say:
“I will have nothing to do with this destruction of life. I will play no part in this devastation of this land. I am destined to live and work for peaceful construction for I am morally responsible for the world of today and of the generations of tomorrow.
Let TAWAMHWE-pull together-be our motto and I pray that we may give our active support to all efforts of desert reclamation by tree planting and I pray that I may be just to the Earth below my feet, to my neighbour by my side and to the light which comes from above and within, and this wonderful world of ours may be a little more beautiful and happy for my having lived in it.” ~Richard St. Barbe Baker
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
Should you wish to help protect / enhance the afforestation areas, please contact the City of Saskatoon, Corporate Revenue Division, 222 3rd Ave N, Saskatoon, SK S7K 0J5…to support the afforestation area with your donation please state that your donation should support the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, or the George Genereux Urban Regional Park, or both afforestation areas. Please and thank you! Your donation is greatly appreciated.
“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
“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
Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area. George Genereux Urban Regional Park. 