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🌾 Prairie Power: How Grasslands Help Our World 🌎

 🌾 Prairie Power: How Grasslands Help Our World 🌎 Did you know that some of Saskatchewan’s most important ecosystems are made of grass? Temperate grasslands are the most endangered ecosystem on Earth — and they’re right here at home. Narrated by Chelsea Nyarko, a student from the University of Saskatchewan School of Environment and Sustainability, Prairie Power explores how community science and research are helping restore native grasslands at the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area. Through citizen science bioblitzes using apps like iNaturalist and eBird, scientists, students, and families work together to document the plants and animals already living in the area. Every observation helps build ecological assessments — the essential first step toward restoring healthy native prairie. Why native grasslands? 🌱 Deep roots store carbon 🌱 They hold soil in place 🌱 They provide food and shelter for pollinators, birds, and wildlife Chelsea’s research asks an exciting questio...
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Snow, Silence & Feathers of Defiance: Join the Great Backyard Bird Count!

  Snow, Silence & Feathers of Defiance: Join the Great Backyard Bird Count! Winter in Saskatchewan has a way of testing everything that lives here — especially in February. And yet, if you pause on a snowy trail in Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area or George Genereux Urban Regional Park, you’ll discover something wonderful: the birds are still very much with us. From February 13–16, 2026, Saskatchewan Birds invites you to take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) — a global community science event where everyday bird lovers help scientists better understand and protect birds around the world. 🕒 Only 15 minutes is all it takes 👀 Watch birds in your backyard, park, or favourite winter trail 📋 Identify and count what you see 🌍 Submit your sightings and become part of a worldwide effort Chickadees puffed up like feathered mittens. Magpies flashing across the snow. Woodpeckers tapping out winter rhythms. Every bird you spot is a small victory against the cold — ...
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Can You Find All the Differences? Brain Challenge

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👀 Think you have sharp eyes? Try our Nature Spot-the-Difference Challenge! 🧠 This fun brain game features 3 wildlife picture puzzles ⏱️ 90 seconds each to find 3 hidden differences 🌿 Then learn an amazingly cool “Did You Know?” nature fact after every puzzle! Perfect for kids, families, classrooms, seniors, and anyone who loves nature and a good visual challenge. 🎥 Created by Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting and celebrating our urban forests and wildlife. 👉 Watch now, play along, and tell us in the comments: how many differences did you find? For more information https://www.friendsareas.ca/ 🌲🦉🦌 #SpotTheDifference #NatureGames #BrainChallenge #WildlifeEducation #SaskatoonNature #LearningThroughPlay #UrbanForests
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From Old Bone Trail to Treetops: Reclaiming the Joy of Winter in Saskatoon

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Winter isn’t something to get through anymore. It’s something to step into. ❄️ 🌲 We heard Saskatoon residents loud and clear—it was time to reclaim the joy of winter and embrace the season we share. And oh, have we ever. Bright snowy days, the crunch of boots on the trail, breath turning silver in the cold air… this is Saskatoon at its best. Our newest adventure, Adventure Lab: From Old Bone Trail to Treetops, invites you to experience winter in the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area in a whole new way. This self-guided journey weaves together history, conservation, and discovery through one of Saskatoon’s most remarkable urban forests. What began in 1960 as a bold vision for afforestation has grown into a living laboratory—home to more than 52 tree species and over 65 species at risk. Winter sharpens everything out here. Sound carries. Woodpeckers drum. Chickadees call. Hoar frost turns every branch into a Christmas card you can walk through. You can’t change winter—but you c...
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Fences Fixed, Gratitude Given

  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...
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Winter walks, unforgettable sights.

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  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
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Enter Winter Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas.

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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.
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