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

Guardians of the Flow

“Guardians of the Flow: Protecting West Swale Wetlands on World Water Day”

Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus), wetlands mammal enjoys the emergent vegetation around Chappell Marsh such as cattails

Permanent wetlands in the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area with cattails and emergent vegetation in the summer

As we celebrate World Water Day on March 22, it’s crucial to turn our attention to the local gems that sustain our region—the West Swale Wetlands home to the Chappell Marsh in the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area. Here are ten effective ways we can play a role in safeguarding these vital ecosystems:

Educate and Advocate: Raise awareness about the importance of West Swale Wetlands and Chappell Marsh. Advocate for their protection and sustainable management.
Wetland Clean-Up Events: Organize or participate in clean-up events to remove any litter or debris that could harm the wetlands. Every piece matters!
Native Plant Restoration: Support and participate in initiatives to plant native vegetation around the wetlands. Native plants contribute to the health of the ecosystem.
Proper Waste Disposal: Dispose of waste responsibly. Avoid dumping toxic materials like oil, shingles, or tires, which can harm the water quality and biodiversity.
Community Monitoring Programs: Join or establish community monitoring programs to keep a close eye on the wetlands’ health. Report any unusual activities or signs of pollution.
Responsible Pet Ownership: Keep pets on a leash and pick up after them. Pet waste can introduce harmful bacteria and nutrients into the wetlands.
Water Conservation: Practice water conservation at home. Conserving water in our daily lives directly impacts the water supply for wetlands and the South Saskatchewan River.
Support Wetland Conservation Organizations: Contribute to or volunteer with organizations dedicated to wetland conservation. Your support makes a significant difference.
Participate in City Planning: Engage with local government planning processes to ensure sustainable urban development that considers the protection of wetlands.
Environmental Education Programs: Participate in or support environmental education programs about wetlands. The more we know, the better equipped we are to protect these essential ecosystems.

Remember, the West Swale and Chappell Marsh are integral parts of the South Saskatchewan Watershed, affecting our water supply and urban biodiversity. By taking these steps, we become stewards of these invaluable resources, ensuring they thrive for generations to come.

🌊 Join us in safeguarding the West Swale Wetlands and Chappell Marsh! 🌿 On March 27, Saskatoon City Council votes on the Saskatoon Freeway Phase 2 Functional Design Report. Public comments due by March 25. Let’s take action for #WorldWaterDay on March 22! #SaveTheWetlands #ProtectOurWaterways @SwaleWatchers. Learn more about how you can help protect these vital ecosystems and ensure sustainable urban development. 🌎 Together, we can make a difference for our environment and future generations. Act now! #WetlandConservation #EnvironmentalProtection #CommunityEngagement 🌱💧

Every living being is connected intimately, and from this intimacy follows the capacity of identification and as its natural consequences, practice of non-violence .. Now is the time to share with all life on our maltreated earth through the deepening identification with life forms and the greater units, the ecosystems, and Gaia, the fabulous, old planet of ours.
Arne Næss

For directions as to how to drive to “George Genereux” Urban Regional Park

For directions on how to drive to Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area

For more information:

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

NEW P4G District Official Community Plan

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

Blogger: FriendsAfforestation

Tumblr friendsafforestation.tumblr.com Facebook Group Page: Users of the George Genereux Urban Regional Park

Facebook: StBarbeBaker Afforestation Area

Facebook for the non profit Charity Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas Inc. FriendsAreas

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

Facebook: South West OLRA

Reddit: FriendsAfforestation

Twitter: St Barbe Baker Charity Twitter:FriendsAreas

Mix: friendsareas

YouTube

Please help protect / enhance your afforestation areas, please contact the Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas Inc. (e-mail / e-transfers )

Donate your old vehicle, here’s how!

Support using Canada Helps

Support via a recycling bottle donation

United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration

Use the UN Decade’s Visual Identity
Make it your own
Spread the word about the UN Decade
Let’s Bring Back Forests
Let’s Green Our Cities

““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

Leaping Whispers: Voices of the Wetlands

West Swale Wetlands (Chappel Marsh) Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, Saskatoon, SK, CA — Northern Leopard Frog

In the heart of West Swale’s whispering glade,
Where Chappell Marsh in tranquility laid,
A chorus arose on World Frog Day
The Northern Leopard, in wetlands’ ballet.

Amidst the reeds and the soft marshy hum,
Leopard Frogs, guardians, silently strum,
Their vibrant green coats, a camouflage feat,
Nature’s masterpiece, a wetland elite.

Beside the South Saskatchewan’s gentle flow,
Where the wetlands thrive, a haven they know,
Frogs sing of the marsh, of water and reed,
The symphony of nature, a wetland creed.

As Tiger Salamanders would wander and roam,
Through woods and meadows, he’d often find home,
Yet in this verse, we shift to the marsh,
A haven for creatures, a wetland’s harsh hush.

Conservation’s pledge, a poet’s decree,
To guard the wetlands, to set them free.
With every leap, a hope takes flight,
To keep Chappell’s whispers, forever in sight.

The leopard’s spots, a pattern of grace,
A symbol of wetlands, a delicate space,
For in their croaks, a story unfolds,
Of ecosystems cherished, in wetlands, life molds.

Protect the reeds, the water, the muck,
For in this habitat, life has struck,
A balance, a rhythm, a wetland’s song,
Where leopard frogs dance, where they belong.

On World Frog Day, let the chorus ring,
In Chappell Marsh, where the echoes sing,
For the Northern Leopard, an emblem so rare,
A sentinel of wetlands, in the marsh’s care.

World Frog Day is celebrated on March 20th every year, come out to the West Swale wetlands also known as Chappell Marsh in Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area. In March in Saskatchewan where are our frogs and salamanders?