Old Man on His Back – Nature Conservancy seeks conservation volunteers
Nature Conservancy of Canada is hosting another exciting Conservation Volunteer event at their flagship conservation property in Saskatchewan, the Old Man on his Back Prairie and Heritage Conservation Area near Claydon (southwest of Eastend). Just a few weeks ago I attended a Conservation Volunteer event at the NCC Maymont property and really enjoyed it. This 3-day event will run over the weekend of August 10-12, 2012 and is full of activities: bird, mammal and wildflower surveys and help with the management of the Plains Bison conservation herd. In the evening, participants will be able to...
Read MoreMeet Your Neighbours photo gallery
I posted a new gallery with sample images from the Meet Your Neighbours photography project that I have been contributing to over the last two years. Meet Your Neighboursis an international environmental photography initiative, created by Niall Benvie and Clay Bolt in 2009. Aim of the program is to encourage appreciation of common plants and animals in our neighbourhoods, species that often get overlooked. Each subject is photographed on location in a field studio with minimal disturbance. The photographs were made in partnership with the Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan and Nature...
Read MoreMaymont – a new Nature Conservancy property in Saskatchewan
Last Sunday I joined members of the Saskatoon Nature Society on a field trip to one of the newest protected areas managed by the Nature Conservancy of Canada. We visited the Maymont property, which includes several sections of land along 5.5 km of riverbank on the south side of North Saskatchewan River near Maymont bridge. NCC secured the land over the last few years, with several large sections being purchased this spring. Currently, the organization manages approximately 3,500 acres of diverse plant communities of native grasslands, aspen parkland, heavily wooded area along the river bank,...
Read MoreWanuskewin’s 20th anniversary pow wow
Last week I went to the Wanuskewin Heritage Park near Saskatoon to photograph a pow wow. It has been several years since the last pow wow took place at Wanuskewin, so the expectations and excitement for this year event were quite high. The Wanuskewin Park is celebrating 20th anniversary in 2012. The pow wow was organized as part of the anniversary festivities, and to celebrate the National Aboriginal Day on June 21. Several thousand people gathered to observe the festivities and to participate in the dance and song. Participants competed for over $45,000 in prizes. I have visited several pow...
Read MorePrairie near 70 Mile Butte at sunset, Grasslands National Park
Prairie near 70 Mile Butte at sunset, Grasslands National Park – West Block. Last rays of setting sun light the hilly area east of the 70 Mile Butte. To reach this point, drive along the Ecotour Road until it descends down a steep slope into the Frenchman River valley. Park by the rattlesnake warning sign and follow a walking trail leading west from the small parking spot. Watch for rattlesnakes that frequent this area in the fall, when individual animals travel several kilometres to gather in their favourite warm spots – rattlesnake hibernacula – where they will spend 6-8...
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