We profile local community leaders and post book reviews on a weekly basis on social media, along with excerpts from Nature Companion, our nature app/website. Once a month we repost these items on our website for those of you who may not be active on social media.
Community Leaders
British Columbia: Join Wildsight for a journey into the heart of the Columbia River watershed alongside others who care deeply about its future. Local leaders, educators, artists, and young people are invited to participate in two weekend field trips – September 5-7 and 27-29.
Saskatchewan: Dr. Dale Leckie discussed how local geology has shaped the habitats of a variety of Saskatchewan animals in a June 17 webinar hosted by the Saskatchewan Prairie Conservation Action Plan. Dr. Leckie is the author of Wildlife, Landscapes, and Geology: An Alberta and Saskatchewan Touring Guide.
Alberta: Nature Central strives to increase appreciation and thoughtful exploration of central Alberta’s protected areas. It provides a publicly accessible inventory of more than 190 natural/protected areas within a one-hour drive of Red Deer, AB, along with a list of upcoming events.
Manitoba: Native Orchid Conservation Inc seeks to protect and foster awareness of Manitoba’s 37 native species of orchids as well as other endangered plants. They offer field trips and have published Orchids of Manitoba: A Field Guide.
Books
Rebugging the Planet by Vicki Hird is full of fascinating facts about insects as well as practical tips for rebugging our lives and our world, from inviting your kids on an insect treasure hunt to returning insects to your golf course.
“Bird flight is beautiful to behold but mysterious in nature. Almost everyone enjoys the thrill of watching birds fly, but few people have more than a vague notion of what makes bird flight possible.” How Birds Fly: The Science & Art of Avian Flight by Peter Cavanagh explores through text and photographs the evolution of bird flight from takeoff and landing to gliding and soaring, in-flight maneuvers, and migration.
In Take to the Trees, Marguerite Holloway says, “Everything that flows from trees and forests – clean air, biodiversity, cooler temperatures, clean water, human health, carbon kept solid and out of atmospheric currency, rain, regional weather patterns, culture, history – is unraveling. If trees are to continue to sustain us and to help us address our apocalyptic mess, we need to pay them more attention, give them more care. We need to take to the trees.”
Sea of Grass: The Conquest, Ruin, and Redemption of Nature on the American Prairie, Dave Hage & Josephine Marcotty – “Much environmental writing – and virtually all federal environmental law – has been silent on farmers and farming, focusing instead on industrial polluters such as factories and power plants. More and more, conservation groups are recognizing that progress towards a healthier planet – be it cleaner water, more abundant wildlife, or fewer greenhouse gas emissions – cannot move far unless we change our relationship with food and the land.”
Nature Companion
Stands of Shrubby Cinquefoil provide cover for mule deer, game birds, and small mammals and are an important nesting site for songbirds. (Nature Companion is a free app/website introducing many of the plants and animals found in Canada’s four western provinces.
Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/11571524593
EcoFriendly West informs and encourages initiatives that support Western Canada’s natural environment through its online publication and the Nature Companion website/app. Like us on Facebook, follow us on BlueSky, X, and Mastodon, or subscribe by email.