It’s biodiversity decade 2011-2020. What is biodiversity? Biodiversity is species biodiversity, ecological biodiversity, and genetic biodiversity.
At the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation area, there is a great diversity of ecosystems and habitats. There are native and modified grasslands, native and afforested woodlands, as well as the West Swale wetlands, including the north segment of Chappell Marsh.
Flora and fauna species biodiversity abounds within each of the biomes of the afforestation area mentioned above.
Genetic biodiversity, which encompasses those differentiation within a species. ” All dogs are part of the same species, but their genes can dictate whether they are Chihuahua or a Great Dane. There can be a lot of variation in genes – just think about all the colors, sizes, and shapes that make up the genetic diversity of dogs. NWF” Consider hybridization of tree species in the afforestation area.
Globally, efforts are underway to protect biodiversity! You, now, can support the national interest in preserving biodiversity by becoming involved locally. For instance, Meewasin Valley Authority is currently conducting a city wide river bank clean up the Meewasin Spring Clean-up Campaign April 22 – May 19, 2017. The South West off leash recreation area is hosting their clean up April 29, 2017 10:00 a.m. to noon.
“About a third of assessed species worldwide are threatened with extinction in the wild. Ecosystem diversity is also vulnerable”NCC.“ The Nature Conservancy of Canada, states that the Canadian Prairies are the “world’s most endangered ecosystem…. temperate grasslands are endangered…[they] are faced with continuing habitat loss, fragmentation and desertification, impacting both biodiversity and local people that rely on healthy grasslands for their livelihood.”NCC.” NCC realizes the plight of temperate grasslands, as do the International Union for the Conservation of Nature the Journal of Ecological Letters and the journal Science magazine all have reported on the dire straits of the prairie grasslands. What will be the domino effect on flora and fauna, on the natural wildlife habitat which relies on native grasslands? Ranging across the prairies, the plains bison, swift fox, greater sage grouse, Baird’s sparrow, Sprague’s pipit and chestnut-collared longspur, for example, are few and far between.
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- Do you value your naturalized areas?
- Are you part of the management of your local heritage?
- Do you treasure your woodland, wetland, river, and grassland areas?
- How can do you help?
Did you know that “Legacy pollution refers to any pollution that remains from past activities where there is no immediately responsible party who can be held liable for the pollution and compelled to carry out remediation…1) Accept the problem and establish responsibility and leadership. Targeting ”
“It is important to remember that when combined each local effort has the power to change the world. Without such changes, our children may never know the rich biodiversity we experience today.Clean UP. “
Remember to support your local bio-diversity;
- International Day of Forests March 21
- World Water Day March 22
- Earth Day April 22
- International Day for Biological Diversity May 22
- World Environment Day June 5
- National Forest Week is the last full week of September
- National Tree Day (Maple Leaf Day) falls on the Wednesday of that week.
Do you have an avid interest in the first arrival of spring’s robin? The pelican? The pasqueflower, or spring crocus? The Meadowlark? These true harbringers of spring rely on your active engagement to protect biodiversity locally in your area!
When opening the Loraas bins lids at the South Saskatchewan River weir it was indeed found empty?!?!?! Does this imply that a huge amount of volunteers have been out which is fantastic and the Loraas bin has been emptied, Wow! Or does it mean that no one has been cleaning around the weir and area, arrggghhh.
Kudos and congratulations to all those volunteers who have filled the Loraas bins at Meewasin Park north to overflowing, what a testament to cleaning up the river, and the shoreline.
“Threats to biodiversity include habitat loss, …and breaking the connectivity among ecosystems.Threats “
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Amel, Elise, Christie Manning, Britain Scott, and Susan Koger. Beyond the roots of human inaction: Fostering collective effort toward ecosystem conservation. Science 21 April 2017: Vol 356 Issue 6335, pp. 275-279, DOEL10:1126/Science .Aal1931
Cooke, Sonia Van Gilder. Q&A. Biodiversity. How is biodiversity threatened and what is done to protect it? Environment. The Guardian. April 6, 2010.
Environmental Health News. Sunday April 23, 2017
Fact Sheet Biodiversity. About, Loss and Conserving. Clean up the World Pty Ltd. Royal Exchange NSW, Australia.
Ding, Yifan. Impact of Affluence and Overexploitation of natural resources. Environment and Development Vol 1. Institute of World Development, Development Research Centre of State Council People’s Republic of China.
International Decade of Biodiversity 2011-2020 Evibe. Education for Sustainability. Auckland Council. Issue 4 2012
Cardinale, Bradley J., J. Emmett Duffy, Andrew Gonzalez, David U. Hooper, Charles Perrings, Patrick Venail, Anita Narwani, Georgina M. Mace, David Tilman,, David A. Wardle, Ann P. Kinzig, Gretchen C. Daily, Michel Loreau, James B. Grace,
Anne Larigauderie, Diane S. Srivastava, & Shahid Naeem. Review. Biodiversity loss and its impact on mankind. Cardinale et al Nature 2012. doi:10.1038/nature1148
Targeting Legacy Pollution Tools Available to Governments to handle Pollution from Legacy Problems. Guidance Note on Legacy Pollution.
Threats to Biodiversity MH education. ON Science 9 Unit 1 Section 3.3
United Nations on Biodiversity 2011-2020 Convention on Biological Diversity. Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. World Trade Centre. Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
What is Bio-diversity? National Wildlife Federation (NWF).
Why Canada’s prairies are the world’s most endangered eco-system. Nature Conservancy of Canada. NCC
Facebook United Nations Decade on Biodiversity
Two decades ago, at the first Earth Summit, the vast majority of the world’s nations declared that human actions were dismantling the Earth’s ecosystems, eliminating genes, species and biological traits at an alarming rate. This observation led to the question of how such loss of biological diversity will alter the functioning of ecosystems and their ability to provide society with the goods and services needed to prosper”.Cardinale
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 |
“It would seem that the West is heading for a precipice. When a blind man is walking towards a precipice, a friend will seize him and turn him around and set him walking in the opposite direction…Already half the human family is on the verge of starvation, for man breeds and lives beyond the limits of the land. “~ Richard ST. Barbe Baker
Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area. George Genereux Urban Regional Park. 