Our Forest Returns Saskatoon

  Fences Fixed, Gratitude Given 🐾💚 Seasons Greetings, and Happy New Year! Sometimes the most important work happens quietly—and it deserves to be noticed. The City of Saskatoon’s Off-Leash Dog team recently repaired fencing at the South West Off-Leash Recreation Area, helping keep pets safe, people at ease, and this much-loved greenspace functioning the way it should. Strong fences mean dogs can run freely, owners can relax, and the whole community benefits. As we move through the holiday season and into the New Year, here’s a simple but powerful reminder: it matters just as much to say thank you as it does to report a problem. 📞 Phone a thank-you ✉️ Send a note or letter 💻 Use the City of Saskatoon “Compliment the City” form to make sure your appreciation reaches the right department: https://www.saskatoon.ca/city-hall/send-comments-concerns-city/compliment-city You can also share your gratitude with: • Mayor’s Office: mayors.office@saskatoon.ca • City Council: City.Coun...

  I think that I shall never know A joy like winter’s quiet glow: Boots on snow, breath silvered air, A thermos sip—sweet warmth to share. Chickadee-dee-dee rings clear and bright, A pileated drums the trees in sight. Squirrels flash, hoar frost gleams white, Evergreens wear snow like light. A Christmas card the forest sends— Step outside. Winter waits, my friends. friendsareas.ca

You tell yourself winter is something to get through. Stay warm. Stay inside. Wait it out. But part of you knows that’s not the whole truth. Because the quiet hits different out there. Snow slows the world. Breath becomes visible. The forest doesn’t rush you—it holds you. Some people call this season empty. Others know it’s when everything gets honest. There’s a moment, standing among trees in winter, when you realize what you’ve been missing all along.

A white forest pauses time. The air is sharp, the trail unknown.  Each step warms the soul. Come outside.  Winter is meant to be walked.  Coming Together  Whispers, raps, and flashes of red and white. Every tree has a story, every bird a beat.  Five woodpeckers, one forest, one thrilling adventure. Snow-lined paths glow softly.  The chill tests you. The beauty keeps you.  Dress warm, step out—December is a Christmas card you can enter.  Pileated Woodpecke  Home in a Dead Tree Wood chips rain down. A hole grows deeper. T his bird raises its young inside dead trees most others ignore.  Protect the dead wood—and you protect life.  “Pileated” comes from the Latin pileatus, meaning “capped,” and refers to having a prominent crest covering the top of the head.  The Forest Drummer A  red crest explodes into view—THUNK. The biggest woodpecker on the continent pounds dead trees for ants, mates, and space.  Leave the snag...

🌿 A Prairie Reclamation  HUMBOLDT BRONCOS MEMORIAL FOREST  Saskatchewan’s prairies—some of the most endangered ecosystems on Earth—stand to gain from every restored acre. The forest will provide habitat for songbirds and wildlife, reconnect fragmented greenspace, and act as a climate-mitigating carbon sink inspired by the teachings of Richard St. Barbe Baker, Saskatchewan-born global forester and founder of the “Men of the Trees.” This work is not merely environmental restoration—it is a cultural and ecological renaissance.  🌲 How You Can Help This Living Forest Take Root This Christmas, or at any time of year, you can help shape this sanctuary: Sponsor a bench for quiet reflection Sponsor a fence picket to protect the growing forest Adopt a tree and let your legacy grow with it Each contribution becomes part of the story—a gesture of hope rooted in living soil.  🌿 A Community Effort Supported by the Village of Clavet, the RM of Blucher, the City of ...

Step Into Winter Wonder! There’s a special kind of magic waiting in the frosted forest… the kind where every branch sparkles with hoar frost, every breath feels crisp and clean, and the only sound is the cheerful chatter of winter birds. Take a walk through the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area and discover the Red-breasted Nuthatch darting through spruce, Black-capped Chickadees hopping like tiny snow spirits, and maybe even a bold Pileated Woodpecker or a drifting flock of Bohemian Waxwings. This is WinterCity at its best—quiet, bright, and full of life. Whether you’re out for fresh air, a mindful moment, or your next bird sighting, winter walking in the forest is a reminder that the season isn’t something we just get through—it’s something we can truly enjoy. Watch the full video and let winter’s beauty take root in your heart. friendsareas.ca https://stbarbebaker.wordpress.com/.../finding-winters.../ #WinterCityYXE #Saskatoon #BirdWatching #WinterWalking #NatureLo...