Happy first day of spring
Spring is arriving a day earlier this year; vernal (spring) equinox in Saskatoon falls on Thursday, March 20 at 10:57 a.m. CST. March equinox, the date when day and night are same length, marks the beginning of spring in Northern Hemisphere. The term equinox is a derivative of the Latin word equinoxium, which literally means “equality between day and night”. For our friends down under, today is the first day of autumn (fall). The exact day is not the same from year to year. This has to do with the number of calendar days in a year, not the equinox itself. It takes the Earth...
Read MoreIllustrated talk: Saskatchewan Grasslands – a Vanishing Landscape?
Join Saskatchewan biologist and environmental photographer Dr. Branimir Gjetvaj on a journey of discovery of our diminishing prairie landscapes. Friday, March 28, 2014 at 7 p.m. Royal Saskatchewan Museum 2445 Albert Street in Regina Temperate grasslands are one of the most altered and modified landscapes in the world. Human land-use, including intensive agricultural production and urban development are the leading cause of habitat loss in North America. In Saskatchewan, as in all of North America, 80% of the original grasslands have been converted to crop production and other uses....
Read MoreWorld Wildife Day – March 3, 2014
March 3, 2014 has been designated the first ever World Wildlife Day by the United Nations. It is an opportunity to celebrate our planet’s incredible variety of animals and plants, and to raise awareness about the need for global conservation of all living creatures on our planet. This day was chosen as the World Wildlife Day as it was on this day the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was adopted. The Convention plays an important role in ensuring that international trade does not threaten the species’ well being. Here is a...
Read MoreFuture of native grasslands in doubt – interview with Trevor Herriot
Radio Canada International has posted an interview with the naturalist and Saskatchewan writer Trevor Herriot about the uncertain future of the native prairie grasslands found on former PFRA community pastures. One of my images of a stallion running through a prairie with sage brush was used as a page opener for the story posted on RCI web site. During the interview, Trevor spoke eloquently about the state of native prairie in Saskatchewan and all the wildlife that depends on the remaining large tracts of grasslands found on the former Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA)...
Read MoreDramatic storm cloud passing through the Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan
Dramatic shelf cloud formation on the leading edge of a rain storm passing through the West Block of Grasslands National Park. Val Marie, Saskatchewan. Back to the Grasslands National Park photo gallery.
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