As Richard St. Barbe Baker quoted Henry van Dyke, here is another forest poem excerpt by Henry van Dyke
“But the glory of trees is more than their gifts:
Tis a beautiful wonder of life that lifts,
From a wrinkled seed in an earth-bound clod,
A column, an arch in the temple of God,
A pillar of power, a dome of delight,
A shrine of song, and a joy of sight!
Their roots are the nurses of rivers in birth;
Their leaves are alive with the breath of the earth;
They shelter the dwellings of man; and they bend
O’er his grave with the look of a loving friend.” ~ Henry van Dyke
Just a bit of a variation on a theme regarding the fog and hoar frost at the afforestation area
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 / e-transfers )
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!
“St. Barbe’s unique capacity to pass on his enthusiasm to others. . . Many foresters all over the world found their vocations as a result of hearing ‘The Man of the Trees’ speak. I certainly did, but his impact has been much wider than that. Through his global lecture tours, St. Barbe has made millions of people aware of the importance of trees and forests to our planet.” Allan Grainger
In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer. Albert Camus
“Then a quietness falls over meadow and hill,
The wings of the wind in the forest are furled,
The river runs softly, the birds are all still ” ~ Henry van Dyke
Fresh Snow in the SunFresh Snow Reveals a NestFresh Snow on the BoughsFresh Snow Reveals a Nest in the Bare BranchesFresh Snow on the Boughs
Richard St. Barbe Baker would often quote Henry Jackson van Dyke Jr. (November 10, 1852 – April 10, 1933) and here is an excerpt from his poem Salute to the Trees.
To every living thing a voice was given
Distinct and personal. The forest trees
Were not more varied in their shades of green
Than in their tones of speech; and every bird
That nested in their branches had a song
Unknown to other birds and all his own.
Henry Van Dyke
The voice of conscience is so delicate that it is easy tostifleit; but it is also so clear that it is impossible to mistake it.~ Ann Louise Germaine de Staël
Just a bit of a variation on a theme regarding the snow at the afforestation area
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 / e-transfers )
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!
“In the words of Henry van Dyke, America’s greatest tree poet,
‘He that planteth a tree is a servant of God;
He provideth a kindness for many generations
And faces that he hath not seen shall bless him.’ ”
Richard St. Barbe Baker
And he woke to find it was all a dream.
For there in his evergreen dress he stood,
A pointed fir in the midst of the wood!
His branches were sweet with the balsam smell,
His needles were green when the white snow fell.
~Henry Van Dyke
“No one talks more passionately about his rights than he who in the depths of his soul doubts whether he has any. By enlisting passion on his side he wants to stiflehis reason and its doubts: thus he will acquire a good conscience and with it success among his fellow men.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche
It is change, continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant factor in society today. No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it is, but the world as it will be. Isaac Asimov
To what do Ellsworth Huntington and Stephen Sargent Visher refer when they expound that “Unity is perhaps the keynote of modern science. This means unity in time, for the present is but the outgrowth of the past, and the future of the present. It means unity of process, for there seems to be no sharp dividing line between organic and inorganic, physical and mental, mental and spiritual. And the unity of modern science means also a growing tendency toward coöperation, so that by working together scientists discover much that would else have remained hid…. Its fundamental principle has been that the present, if rightly understood, affords a full key to the past?” Can it also be said that the fundamental principle is that the present, if rightly understood, affords a full key to the future?
The land for the afforestation areas was purchased by the City of Saskatoon in 1960. Then the lands were afforested with trees as a tree nursery in 1972 along with fire breaks left in 1972. These firebreak areas left unplanted resulted in native prairie untouched since 1960. Additionally only some of the land was homesteaded before the city purchase, resulting in native grasslands and woodlands left in their native state since before 1960. Currently, the trees are also too large to be used as transplants so the afforestation areas are no longer considered viable as a tree nursery.
The afforestation areas are quite diverse, being riparian woodlands wholly situated in the wetlands of the West Swale. Additionally to the general West Swale wetlands classification there is also a Class IV permanent wetlands creating a huge diversification in flora and fauna including ~ grasslands, woodlands, and wetlands.
American Pelican Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, Saskatoon, SK, CA
White-tailed Deer Fawn. Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area. Saskatoon, SK, CA
Red Winged Blackbird. Chappell Marsh. West Swale Wetlands. Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area. Saskatoon, SK, CA
So it is quite a mix, indeed of flora, therefore, which host quite a mix in the wildlife one can see while in the afforestation areas.
The afforestation areas, thus described, are located within city limits. Perhaps it is areas such as these which are invaluable to the City of Saskatoon while the city is growing to 380,650 by 2035; 500,000 before 2050; with some projections seeing the City reach 1.52M by 2038. It is areas such as these afforestation areas that make Saskatoon a green city, which was foreseen by the City Planners of 1960.
How is that to be interpreted? That is the question.
Photo of Richard St. Barbe Baker Courtesy: University of Saskatchewan, University Archives & Special Collections, Richard St. Barbe Baker fonds, MG 71
Photo of Richard St. Barbe Baker Courtesy: University of Saskatchewan, University Archives & Special Collections, Richard St. Barbe Baker fonds, MG 71
Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus)
Protect your dog in the severe cold winter weather warnings.
Cross Country Skiing in the Forest – a health benefit of Green Infrastructure and WinterCity YXE
Spirit of place! It is for this we travel, to surprise its subtlety; and where it is a strong and dominant angel, that place, seen once, abides entire in the memory with all its own accidents, its habits, its breath, its name. Alice Meynell
Richard St. Barbe Baker often quoted Henry van Dyke, whom he thought of as the greatest of tree poets;
“He that planteth a tree is a servant of God;
He provideth a kindness for many generations
And faces that he hath not seen shall bless him.~Henry van Dyke”
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!
“St. Barbe’s unique capacity to pass on his enthusiasm to others. . . Many foresters all over the world found their vocations as a result of hearing ‘The Man of the Trees’ speak. I certainly did, but his impact has been much wider than that. Through his global lecture tours, St. Barbe has made millions of people aware of the importance of trees and forests to our planet.” Allan Grainger
“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
“In the words of Henry van Dyke, America’s greatest tree poet,
‘He that planteth a tree is a servant of God;
He provideth a kindness for many generations
And faces that he hath not seen shall bless him.’ ”
Richard St. Barbe Baker
“We are passing through a time of unprecedented destruction of things of the spirit of the natural order. We have been caught up by personal greed and national competition. The very body of life on this planet is now being threatened by the destruction of earth’s green mantle, the Trees.” Richard St. Barbe Baker.
He that planteth a tree is a servant of God;
He provideth a kindness for many generations
And faces that he hath not seen shall bless him.
There is one informal area commonly used for parking at George Genereux Urban Regional Park.
Located in the City of Saskatoon. The border between the RM of Corman Park and the City of Saskatoon forms the south west boundaries of the park.
George Genereux Park just west off of the Pike Lake Highway (Sk Hwy 7) at Range Road 3063 Please don’t drive in the forest
There is one informal area commonly used for parking at George Genereux Urban Regional Park. ON the map below are small red cars (not to scale) indicating possible parking areas. If you choose to use the steep ditch there is an area of overflow parking at the north end of the park adjacent to Township Road 364.
The GPS (Latitude and Longitude) provided is for the directions to a level parking area is the grassy area in the shadow of the overpass alongside the Saskatchewan Highway 7 Service Road (SE side of forest).
Pedestrian – bicycle egress areas are marked as “PED” on the map. This forest is located in the City of Saskatoon.
The border between the RM of Corman Park and the City of Saskatoon forms the south west. boundaries of the parks.
GPS provided for Smart Phone map directions to arrive at the “level parking area alongside the Sk Hwy 7 service road”.
While visiting the forest you can use the Prairie Forest Guide Self GPS guided tour by using pfg.friendsareas.ca on your smart phone. You will be indicated as a white and blue dot. Please use two fingers to make the satellite map very small, so you can see where you are as the dot, then centre the satellite map on your dot, and expand the map. When you arrive at an interpretive sign alongside the trails the icon will light up, and you can read the interpretive story.
NOTE. Do not drive on the gravel road south of George Genereux Park (parallel to the Canadian National Rail-line.) This is a CNR right-of-way, and has restricted access to CNR service personnel only unless you specifically ask permissions from the CNR. Sign posted; “No trespassing” NOTE No motorized vehicles. Any person who disposes or dumps waste at the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area or at the “George Genereux” Urban Regional Park is liable to a fine of $25,000 according to City of Saskatoon BYLAW NO. 8310.
NE 21-36-6 W3 – George Genereux Afforestation Area -133 Range Road 3063 – GPS 52.1089473,-106.7925807
Directions. Drive on 22nd Street West in the City of Saskatoon in a westerly direction. Proceed west through the traffic light intersection at Kensington Boulevard to the Kensington neighbourhood suburban development area, and Betts Road to the Blairmore suburban development area Drive west 460 meters to the traffic light intersection of 22nd Street and Sk Highway 684 (Dalmeny highway). Turn left (south) onto Sk Highway 7. Drive south on Sk Highway 7 (the Pike Lake Highway) for 2.376 km.
As you are driving south on SK Hwy 7, proceed 1.8 km to the intersection with 11th Street, the 11th Street compost, and the Poor Boys Esso.
Driving another 366 meters south after the 11th street intersection you will pass the West Swale wetlands.
Proceed another 201 meters after the wetlands, and turn right onto the gravel road. Note this road is signed “Department of Highways only.” For this reason, there is provided another two sets of directions for arriving at this greenspace.
Follow the Saskatchewan Highway 7 service road parallel to Saskatchewan Highway 7 for 884 meters.
Take a “quick left” in 36 meters where the gravel road turns left (southwesterly)
40 meters after turning onto the gravel road there is an “Y-intersection”
The SK Hwy 7 service road proceeds in a southwesterly direction parallel to Saskatchewan Highway 7. To achieve success at the commonly used informal parking area, do not turn right and proceed parallel to the wetlands, but keep south-westerly parallel to Saskatchewan Highway 7 for 761.5 meters.
Arrive at the intersection of Range Road 3063 and Sk Hwy 7 Service Road. Proceed another 122.5 meters southwesterly along Sk Hwy 7 Service Road, and park. You have arrived. Do not drive in the forest greenspace. There happen to be dog walkers, classrooms of children, families, and cyclists enjoying the greenspace.There is also City of Saskatoon bylaw 7767, “No person shall drive a motor vehicle in any Park unless written or verbal permission to do so has been received from the City.”
NE 21-36-6 W3 – George Genereux Afforestation Area -133 Range Road 3063 – GPS 52.1089473,-106.7925807
Directions. Drive on 22nd Street West in the City of Saskatoon in a westerly direction. Proceed west through the traffic light intersection at Kensington Boulevard to the Kensington neighbourhood suburban development area, and Betts Road to the Blairmore suburban development area Drive west 460 meters to the traffic light intersection of 22nd Street and Sk Highway 684 (Dalmeny highway). After the traffic lights continue west on Saskatchewan Highway 14 – 22nd Street West for 1.6 km. Turn left onto Range road 3063. Drive south for 2.2 km.
After turning left from 22nd street, proceeding 1.6 km will take you to the intersection of Township road 364 and Range road 3063. This happens to be the intersection of the north east corner of George Genereux Park. The informal parking area is at the south east corner.
Drive another 641 meters south on Range road 3063 to the Sk Hwy 7 service road (the south east corner of the forest.
Turn right. Drive 131 meters on the Sk Hwy 7 service road. You have arrived. As above do not drive in the urban regional park greenspace.
NE 21-36-6 W3 – George Genereux Afforestation Area -133 Range Road 3063 – GPS 52.1089473,-106.7925807
Directions. Drive on 22nd Street West in the City of Saskatoon in a westerly direction. Proceed west through the traffic light intersection at Kensington Boulevard to the Kensington neighbourhood suburban development area, and Betts Road to the Blairmore suburban development area Drive west 460 meters to the traffic light intersection of 22nd Street and Sk Highway 684 (Dalmeny highway). After the traffic lights continue west on Saskatchewan Highway 14 – 22nd Street West for 3.25 km. Turn left onto Range road 3064. Drive south for 1.6 km. Turn left (west) onto Township road 364 gravel road. Drive west for 1.6 km to arrive at the intersection of Township road 364 and Range road 3063. This happens to be the intersection of the north east corner of George Genereux Park. The informal parking area is at the south east corner. Drive another 641 meters south on Range road 3063 to the Sk Hwy 7 service road (the south east corner of the forest. Turn right. Drive 131 meters on the Sk Hwy 7 service road. You have arrived. As above do not drive in the urban regional park greenspace.
GPS provided for Smart Phone map directions
NOTE. Please stop driving on the SK Hwy 7 service road parallel to SK Hwy 7 where indicated to not trespass. Do not drive on the gravel road south of George Genereux Park (parallel to the Canadian National Rail-line.) This is a CNR right-of-way, and has restricted access to CNR service personnel only unless you specifically ask permissions from the CNR. Sign posted; “No trespassing”
NE 21-36-6 W3 – George Genereux Afforestation Area -133 Range Road 3063 – GPS 52.1089473,-106.7925807
Directions. Drive on 22nd Street West in the City of Saskatoon in a westerly direction. Proceed west through the traffic light intersection at Kensington Boulevard to the Kensington neighbourhood suburban development area, and Betts Road to the Blairmore suburban development area Drive west 460 meters to the traffic light intersection of 22nd Street and Sk Highway 684 (Dalmeny highway). Turn left (south) onto Sk Highway 7. Drive south on Sk Highway 7 (the Pike Lake Highway) for 2.376 km.
As you are driving south on SK Hwy 7, proceed 1.8 km to the intersection with 11th Street, the 11th Street compost, and the Poor Boys Esso.
Driving another 366 meters south after the 11th street intersection you will pass the West Swale wetlands.
Proceed another 201 meters after the wetlands, and turn right onto the gravel road. Note this road is signed “Department of Highways only.” For this reason, there is provided another two sets of directions for arriving at this greenspace.
Follow the Saskatchewan Highway 7 service road parallel to Saskatchewan Highway 7 for 884 meters.
Take a “quick left” in 36 meters where the gravel road turns left (southwesterly)
40 meters after turning onto the gravel road there is an “Y-intersection”
The SK Hwy 7 service road proceeds in a southwesterly direction parallel to Saskatchewan Highway 7. To achieve success at the commonly used informal parking area, do not turn right and proceed parallel to the wetlands, but keep south-westerly parallel to Saskatchewan Highway 7 for 761.5 meters.
Arrive at the intersection of Range Road 3063 and Sk Hwy 7 Service Road. Proceed another 122.5 meters southwesterly along Sk Hwy 7 Service Road, and park. You have arrived. Do not drive in the forest greenspace. There happen to be dog walkers, classrooms of children, families, and cyclists enjoying the greenspace.There is also City of Saskatoon bylaw 7767, “No person shall drive a motor vehicle in any Park unless written or verbal permission to do so has been received from the City.”
NE 21-36-6 W3 – George Genereux Afforestation Area -133 Range Road 3063 – GPS 52.1089473,-106.7925807
Directions. Drive on 22nd Street West in the City of Saskatoon in a westerly direction. Proceed west through the traffic light intersection at Kensington Boulevard to the Kensington neighbourhood suburban development area, and Betts Road to the Blairmore suburban development area Drive west 460 meters to the traffic light intersection of 22nd Street and Sk Highway 684 (Dalmeny highway). After the traffic lights continue west on Saskatchewan Highway 14 – 22nd Street West for 1.6 km. Turn left onto Range road 3063. Drive south for 2.2 km.
After turning left from 22nd street, proceeding 1.6 km will take you to the intersection of Township road 364 and Range road 3063. This happens to be the intersection of the north east corner of George Genereux Park. The informal parking area is at the south east corner.
Drive another 641 meters south on Range road 3063 to the Sk Hwy 7 service road (the south east corner of the forest.
Turn right. Drive 131 meters on the Sk Hwy 7 service road. You have arrived. As above do not drive in the urban regional park greenspace.
NE 21-36-6 W3 – George Genereux Afforestation Area -133 Range Road 3063 – GPS 52.1089473,-106.7925807
Directions. Drive on 22nd Street West in the City of Saskatoon in a westerly direction. Proceed west through the traffic light intersection at Kensington Boulevard to the Kensington neighbourhood suburban development area, and Betts Road to the Blairmore suburban development area Drive west 460 meters to the traffic light intersection of 22nd Street and Sk Highway 684 (Dalmeny highway). After the traffic lights continue west on Saskatchewan Highway 14 – 22nd Street West for 3.25 km. Turn left onto Range road 3064. Drive south for 1.6 km. Turn left (west) onto Township road 364 gravel road. Drive west for 1.6 km to arrive at the intersection of Township road 364 and Range road 3063. This happens to be the intersection of the north east corner of George Genereux Park. The informal parking area is at the south east corner. Drive another 641 meters south on Range road 3063 to the Sk Hwy 7 service road (the south east corner of the forest. Turn right. Drive 131 meters on the Sk Hwy 7 service road. You have arrived. As above do not drive in the urban regional park greenspace.
Afforestation Area Formerly known as George Genereux Park. Map adapted from a 1996 RM of Corman Park 344 Map
The urban forest ~ “The Afforestation Area formerly known as George Genereux Park” ~ in Saskatoon is located west of Saskatchewan Highway 7. When driving over the CN overpass look down to the west and see the mature growth forest of this urban regional park. This property was bought by the City of Saskatoon in 1960 and afforested in 1972. 1972, A. L. Ligtemoet, Assistant Parks Superintendent sets before city council that these first 660 acres of afforestation areas be kept in perpetuity and this is approved. It received its name “George Genereux Park” in 1978-1979. The name George Genereux Park was taken for a pocket park in another area of Saskatoon, leaving this urban regional park without a name. The Afforestation Area formerly named George Genereux Park is located diagonally across Saskatchewan Highway 7 from the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area. The Afforestation Area formerly named George Genereux Park was annexed into the City of Saskatoon boundaries fully in 2015. See the above map for the location of Saskatoon’s Urban Regional Park – “The Afforestation Area formerly named George Genereux Park”.
The coordinates for Google maps to arrive at “George Genereux” Urban Regional Park are 52.1132738,-106.7901621,786 for Range Road 3063. Civic address for this park is 133 Range Road 3063. There is no formal parking lot, and motorized vehicles need park on the range roads or on the grid township roads. Best access is travel west out 22nd Street West (Sk Hwy 14) past the Blairmore suburban development centre (Shopping malls) and Kensington neighbourhood. Turn left on Range Road 3063. Proceed south until you arrive at the “George Genereux” Urban Regional Park on Township Road 364. Receive permissions from the city to drive within the park. Travel by motorized vehicle into the “George Genereux” Urban Regional Park is subject to fines according to City of Saskatoon Bylaw No. 7767; The Recreation Facilities and Parks Usage Bylaw.
Any person who disposes or dumps waste at “George Genereux” Urban Regional Park is liable to a fine of $25,000 according to City of Saskatoon BYLAW NO. 8310
“The aim of the Men of the Trees is briefly ‘ to develop a tree sense in every citizen, and to encourage all to plant, protect and love their native trees; for forestry is among the oldest and most honourable of the peaceful arts of men, and in its practice is unselfish and constructive service.’ “ In the words of Henry van Dyke, America’s greatest tree poet, He that planteth a tree is a servant of God; He provideth a kindness for many generations And faces that he hath not seen shall bless him.” 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
““Be like a tree in pursuit of your cause. Stand firm, grip hard, thrust upward. Bend to the winds of heaven..”
Richard St. Barbe Baker
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
“St. Barbe’s unique capacity to pass on his enthusiasm to others. . . Many foresters all over the world found their vocations as a result of hearing ‘The Man of the Trees’ speak. I certainly did, but his impact has been much wider than that. Through his global lecture tours, St. Barbe has made millions of people aware of the importance of trees and forests to our planet.” Allan Grainger
“The science of forestry arose from the recognition of a universal need. It embodies the spirit of service to mankind in attempting to provide a means of supplying forever a necessity of life and, in addition, ministering to man’s aesthetic tastes and recreational interests. Besides, the spiritual side of human nature needs the refreshing inspiration which comes from trees and woodlands. If a nation saves its trees, the trees will save the nation. And nations as well as tribes may be brought together in this great movement, based on the ideal of beautifying the world by the cultivation of one of God’s loveliest creatures – the tree.” ~ Richard St. Barbe Baker.
He that planteth a tree is a servant of God;
He provideth a kindness for many generations
Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, south west sector, in the City of Saskatoon, SK, CA
Traveling west along Valley Road Picture of north turnoff onto Township Road 362A which is also named the Cedar Villa Road. Granting access to the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, and South West Off Leash Recreation Area. Saskatoon, Sk, CA
Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, Saskatoon, SK, CA
Last night Autumn arrived. Felt in the wind. Some little change in the air. O’er trail and track, the air, comes e’er cool. The breeze, ’tis changing, how to describe the change in the air. How does one welcome Autumn? Of all the seasons, Autumn announces the change of time with more presence that the rest. The call of the geese will mix with the wind breathing through the poplar. Cooler, ever cooler that’s the way the Autumn comes. Remember now, the hidden signs before the leaf turns gold. Look all around, summer’s going to sleep, the warmth falls from the air. No need to open almanac, nor seek the solstice ‘our, just feel the change, the sounds of air. The hungry winds seeking russet leaf. ‘Tis soon the theatre of the season, the forest to begin their ritual. The wandering wind blows away our sighs. The serene ir moves o’er the world. Moves man and beast, moves tree and forest. And so again, the story begins. On the edge of summer time. Autumn arrived quietly last night.
“First it was the seedlings…Then it was a smooth bark beech: ‘That was my Madonna of the woods, my mother confessor.’ Then it was the giant redwoods of California. And most recently it was a cedar of Labanon.”
Baker would oft recite the poetry of trees;
O dreamy, gloomy, friendly Trees,
I came along your narrow track
To bring my gifts unto your knees
And gifts did you give back;
For when I brought this heart that burns–
These thoughts that bitterly repine–
And laid them here among the ferns
And the hum of boughs divine,
Ye, vastest breathers of the air,
Shook down with slow and mighty poise
Your coolness on the human care,
Your wonder on its toys,
Your greenness on the heart’s despair,
Your darkness on its noise.
Frederic Herbert Trench (12 November 1865 – 11 June 1923)
“The aim … is briefly ‘ to develop a tree sense in every citizen, and to encourage all to plant, protect and love their native trees; for forestry is among the oldest and most honourable of the peaceful arts of men, and in its practice is unselfish and constructive service.’ ”
“In the words of Henry van Dyke, (10 November 1852 – 10 April 1933) America’s greatest tree poet, whom ’twas often quoted by St. Barbe.
The Friendly Trees.
He that planteth a tree is a servant of God;
He provideth a kindness for many generations
And faces that he hath not seen shall bless him.”
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 go towards the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, or the George Genereux Urban Regional Park, or both afforestation areas located in the Blairmore Sector. Please and thank you! Your donation is greatly appreciated.
“St. Barbe’s unique capacity to pass on his enthusiasm to others. . . Many foresters all over the world found their vocations as a result of hearing ‘The Man of the Trees’ speak. I certainly did, but his impact has been much wider than that. Through his global lecture tours, St. Barbe has made millions of people aware of the importance of trees and forests to our planet.” Allan Grainger
“The science of forestry arose from the recognition of a universal need. It embodies the spirit of service to mankind in attempting to provide a means of supplying forever a necessity of life and, in addition, ministering to man’s aesthetic tastes and recreational interests. Besides, the spiritual side of human nature needs the refreshing inspiration which comes from trees and woodlands. If a nation saves its trees, the trees will save the nation. And nations as well as tribes may be brought together in this great movement, based on the ideal of beautifying the world by the cultivation of one of God’s loveliest creatures – the tree.” ~ Richard St. Barbe Baker.
Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area. George Genereux Urban Regional Park. 