Saskatoon Biodiversity Challenge 2023's Journal

May 31, 2023

It's as Easy as 1-2-3!

The Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas Inc. think that the City of Saskatoon and the Meewasin Valley Authority had a great idea here in Saskatoon to compile a natural inventory database. You cannot protect what you do not know, and that is true for everywhere!

Remember to record through the iNaturalist app any living organism, plants, mushrooms, insects and wildlife observations. And we can use your help during the event and afterwards to help identify what was found.

Check back often to see how the City of Saskatoon and area is making out during the Biodiversity Challenge
Bioblitz Period: June 8th - June 11th, 2023
Final Observation Submission Deadline: June 18th, 2023
Preliminary Results: June 19th - July 31st, 2023
Final Results: July 31st, 2023

Posted on May 31, 2023 02:50 PM by saskatoonafforestationareas saskatoonafforestationareas | 0 comments | Leave a comment

Saskatoon and Area

Besides the City of Saskatoon the map shows that the surrounding area of Saskatoon includes
Aberdeen
Asquith
Bergheim
Blucher
Blumenheim
Borden
Bradwell
Clavet
Dalmeny
Delisle
Eagle Ridge
Furdale
Gledhow
Grandora
Langham
Martensville
Neuhorst
Pike Lake
Shields
St. Denis
Swanson
the RM of Aberdeen 373
the RM of Colonsay 342
the RM of Corman Park 344
the RM of Dundurn 314
the RM of Grant 372
the RM of Great Bend 405
the RM of Montrose 315
the RM of Morris 312
the RM of Vanscoy 345
Thode
Valley Park
Vanscoy
Warman

All of these areas (in alphabetical order) are shown to be within the Saskatoon and Area City Nature Challenge YXE iNaturalist area. (The rural municipality areas may be entirely or partially in the CNC YXE DNU area.)

Posted on May 31, 2023 02:26 PM by saskatoonafforestationareas saskatoonafforestationareas | 0 comments | Leave a comment

How to Resources, and You Tube videos

Posted on May 31, 2023 02:24 PM by saskatoonafforestationareas saskatoonafforestationareas | 0 comments | Leave a comment

The Saskatoon Biodiversity Challenge Range Map

The borders for the Saskatoon Area for the City Nature Challenge are similar to other Canadian cities participating in the City Nature Challenge which include open spaces around their city.

Please record iNaturalist sightings for the City of Saskatoon park spaces, the South Saskatchewan River area (being very careful around water), and on any land within the Saskatoon area as marked on the map. Please be respectful of private property, i.e. record living organism on your own land, or on public space. Living organism can include fungi, insects, birds, waterfowl, plants, animals, anything from nature which is "alive" etcetera.

In the Area Around Saskatoon
In the areas commonly thought of as "rural" or places which happen to be within the boundaries of the Rural Municipalities are the following greenspaces open to the public which Saskatoon and area naturalists visit to document (in alphabetical order):

Beaver Creek Conservation Area
Blackstrap Coulee (North side )
Borden Bridge Campground
Boundary Trail
Bradwell Reservoir Area
Brightwater Marsh and Reservoir
Chappell Marsh Conservation Area
Cranberry Flats Conservation Area
John Heal Canoe Launch
Leisureland-Maple Grove
Paradise Beach
Peter and Lola Pontikes Wildlife Viewpoint
Pike Lake Park
Poplar Bluffs Conservation Area
Porter Lake

There is encouragement to record "native or wild" species in preference to "cultivated or tame" species. Where it is nice to practice the use of iNaturalist on potted house plants, the garden or the family dog or cat, iNaturalist helps scientists- zoologists, entomologists, botanists, ecologists, etc- around the world with the documenting of those organisms which are "native or wild."

Within the City of Saskatoon city limits
To this end, here is a listing of naturalized greenspace sites within the City of Saskatoon city limits. (in alphabetical order)

Donna Birkmaier Park
Gabriel Dumont Park
George Genereux Urban Regional Park
Heritage Park
Hyde Park
Lakewood Park
Mark Thompson Park
Meewasin Trail (alongside the South Saskatchewan riverbank)
Mendel Site (old)
Northeast Swale
Patricia Roe Park
Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area
Sanatorium Site
Small Swale
Weir (Respect all signage at the weir, and do not enter places prohibited)

This listing compiled with thanks to Renny W. Grilz, PAg, Resource Management Officer Meewasin Valley Authority, Moira Moser Naturalized Parks Supervisor, Naturalized Parks, Parks Department, City of Saskatoon and three editions of the book Nature Viewing Sites in and around Saskatoon 1992, 2000, 2016 by the Saskatoon Nature Society and the Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas Inc.

This listing is open to additions, please email friendsafforestation@gmail.com about a site within the area of the City Nature Challenge Saskatoon Area Map which you use to view nature, if a place happened to be inadvertently missed.

The perimeter of the entire Saskatoon Area is 329 km in size.
The area is 6600 km squared
It is roughly 100 km wide east to west
by approximately 70 km north to south

Posted on May 31, 2023 02:21 PM by saskatoonafforestationareas saskatoonafforestationareas | 0 comments | Leave a comment

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