May 18-23, 2021

Celebrating wildlife and wild places in beautiful Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Anticipate

Join us for 60+ (mostly) FREE experiential events across the city over a wild 6 days.

Host

We’re looking for organizations and individuals who want to offer EVENTS and PROGRAMMING for the 2021 festival.

School Programs

We offer FREE programming for teachers and students. Explore available field trips and learning kits.

Engage with us!

"Nature: It’s not just a nice-to-have amenity. I

"Nature: It’s not just a nice-to-have amenity. It’s a vital aspect of creating a healthy community. If we want to deal with, to reckon with systemic racism and the health disparities that come from that, well, nature, broadly defined, has to be a part of that.” Read the full article from National Geographic: https://api.nationalgeographic.com/distribution/public/amp/science/2020/07/how-nature-deprived-neighborhoods-impact-health-people-of-color? #naturecityyxe #socialjustice

Who-hoo-hoo are you? The wild world is all aroun

Who-hoo-hoo are you?
The wild world is all around us even here in the city, as Saskatoon photographer Cathleen Mewis recently discovered in a rare encounter with a family of long-eared owls in a neighbourhood park. Cathleen picks up the story:
"I was excited when a fellow photographer led me to this lovely Long Eared Owl family in a local park in the South East end of Saskatoon. A mom, dad and 5 fuzzy owlets. When I was first introduced to the family the owlets were just beginning to leave the nest and were bopping around on nearby tree branches while mom kept watch from her perch in nearby trees. I made many visits to the park over the next weeks and was able to watch the owlets grow and become more independent. During a couple of evening visits it was interesting to watch mom and dad come back from hunting and deliver supper to their little ones. As time passed the owlets began to move farther and farther from the nest and at times it took some time to track them down in the park. My last visit was on July 27, 2020 and the owlets are starting to get their flying feathers. Will they be leaving soon?? I hope I can get back for one more visit before they do..."

It's time for another recipe from Sandra Walker, W

It's time for another recipe from Sandra Walker, Wild About Saskatoon member, ethnobotanist, and author of The Path to Wild Food. This recipe is Hazelnut Cakes made with flour from the Beaked Hazelnut. Here is what Sandra has to say about the Beaked Hazelnut:
"Beaked Hazelnut (Corylus cornuta) is a deciduous shrub that usually grows to about 3 m in height, growing in moist, well-drained thickets, dry woodlands or forest edges. They have a greyish brown bark, which is fuzzy when young, and broadly oval, fuzzy, toothed leaves. The plant has male and female flowers separated on the same shrub. While the male flowers consist of long slender catkins, the female catkins have tiny, protruding red stigmas. The fruit ripens in the autumn, the nuts often forming in fuzzy clusters of three, with a greenish leafy sheath growing over the shells. On a camping trip to Good Spirit Lake, north of Yorkton Saskatchewan, I encountered a thick patch of beaked hazelnut shrubs. Having never picked them before, I gathered a small shopping bag’s worth. I soon found I was somewhat allergic to the fine fuzzy hairs on the leaves and husks. I did wear leather gloves, but the fine hairs still made their way through. After husking and shelling the bag of nuts, I ended up with a cup of hazelnuts and used them to make small traditional hazelnut cakes. The cakes (which resemble biscuits) were good and unique tasting, but after all that work and skin irritation, it should have been the best thing I ever ate. Well, at least I can say I have made beaked hazelnut cakes the old fashioned way. And, having said that, I would recommend buying a sack of hazelnuts, also called filberts, at the store instead. The nuts are small and do not take long to roast in the oven: 350°F for about 10 to 15 minutes is all it usually takes. I overcooked my first batch, but they had a roasted coffee flavour, so I added them to my coffee grounds and made a rich, nutty tasting coffee. Uses: Indigenous people traditionally used hazelnuts for trade goods as well as for food. Hazelnut cakes were made by grinding the nuts into a powder blended with ground corn, berries or bulbs. #naturecityyxe

Did you know that this Western Canada Violet (Viol

Did you know that this Western Canada Violet (Viola canadensis), blooming commonly around Saskatoon in late June, can communicate with bees? Those dark stripes pointing to the yellow center advertise that bees should follow them to nectar, just like painted lines on a landing strip! Photo Credit: Candace Neufeld
@nativeplantssk
#naturecityyxe

Concerned about the Planned Highway Through the No

Concerned about the Planned Highway Through the Northeast Swale? The Ministry of Highways has scheduled a series of virtual public focus groups in July so residents, landowners, and stakeholders can share their thoughts on environmental considerations they would like to see reflected in the functional planning of the Saskatoon Freeway, a 4-to-6 lane highway (currently in detailed planning) that will cross the Northeast and Small Swales. Because of restrictions on large in-person gatherings due to COVID-19, Freeway project leaders will be hosting three online sessions, with a maximum enrolment of 15 each; each event has been designed for a specific audience. Pre-registration is required. More sessions may be added if demand warrants. To sign up, send an email to info@saskatoonfreeway.org with your name, email address, street address/land location, and telephone number. If you are attending as a member of the general public, please identify your first and second choices for the focus group dates. If you are attending as part of an environmental organization, please identify your affiliation. Dates/audience focus: July 20, 6:00 to 8:00pm – General public
July 21, 2:00 to 4:00pm – Environmental organizations
July 21, 6:00 to 8:00pm – General public Ministry of Highways notes: "All focus groups will include a presentation on environmental research already completed along the freeway corridor, as well as discussion of potential mitigation/offset efforts regarding vehicle noise, wildlife movement, natural wetland drainage, roadway lighting and other environmental impacts – including where the freeway passes through the ecologically sensitive Northeast Swale and Small Swale close to the extension of Central Avenue. Summaries of focus group discussions will be shared at saskatoonfreeway.org so all residents, landowners and stakeholders can stay informed." Photo credit:
@cityofsaskatoon
EcoFriendly Saskatchewan @meewasinvalley @endangeredgrasslandsalliance

"The capacity for delight is the gift of paying at

"The capacity for delight is the gift of paying attention." - Julia Cameron Last weekend marked the beginning of summer and a wonderful time to pay attention to the summer nature scenes around our #naturecityyxe. Wild About Saskatoon steering committee member Joanne Blythe has wild roses blooming in her yard and took time to photograph them. I appreciate the delicate petals and the shade of the bright pink flowers.

Contact

hello@wildaboutsaskatoon.org