Greater Sage Grouse emergency protection order takes effect
In December of 2013, the Canadian government announced an emergency order to enhance protection of the critically endangered Greater Sage Grouse . The order would restrict certain types of industrial activity (like gravel, oil or gas extraction, construction of new roads etc.) during important parts of the Sage Grouse’s life cycle and adopting land use practices in areas near the Sage Grouse habitat that could impact the dwindling populations. The emergency protection order came into effect today. I wrote about the Greater Sage Grouse...
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...
read moreThe Tornado Hunter comes to Saskatoon
Greg Johnson a.k.a. The Tornado Hunter will give a public presentation at the Saskatoon Camera Club meeting this upcoming Tuesday, February 11, 2014. Time: 7 – 9 p.m. Location: Mayfair United Church, 902 33rd Street West, Saskatoon Source: Saskatoon Camera Club This could be an intriguing & inspirational talk (disclaimer: do not attempt to do what he does in his spare time without the proper training & equipment – be warned).
read moreUpdate on the photography tour to Croatia
A short update on the photography tour to Croatia in September of 2014. My tour agent reserved additional rooms in a new place close to the boundary of the Plitvice Lakes National Park (days 6 and 7 on the photo tour itinerary). There is a chance that we will not be able to keep reservations for accommodation in a hotel within the boundaries of the national park; hotel rooms are going very fast and we do not have enough people with confirmed registration to make a deposit. Tourist centre “Marko” is located about 10 km north of the...
read morePhotographing in Florida over the Christmas holidays
I spent several days over the Christmas and New Years in Florida. Here is a selected recollection of memorable photography moments, and a few useful travel observations. The primary goal of my trip was to visit in-laws and to recharge personal batteries. I did not expect to spend too much time travelling for the purpose of photography. Actually, I left Saskatoon with minimal expectations – I was prepared to be happy with whatever images I would capture during the holidays. I also took bare minimum of the photo gear, although I can not...
read moreCalgary Zoo to begin a captive breeding program for Greater Sage Grouse
Greater Sage Grouse populations are at critically low numbers in Canada. The estimated population size is less than 100 birds, most of them can be found in the grasslands of southwest Saskatchewan and southeast Alberta. In December of 2013, Environment Canada published the first ever Emergency Order under the Species at Risk Act to protect the Greater Sage Grouse on crown lands (see the related post, A step in the right direction). Later that month, Environment Canada released a proposal for the Amended Recovery Strategy for this species....
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Dr. Branimir Gjetvaj is a biologist and internationally published environmental photographer specializing in western Canadian landscapes. He leads photography workshops and photo tours, and gives public presentations on photography, natural history and conservation biology topics.