Welcome to EcoWest News, a weekly round-up of news and resources that you can put to use in addressing environmental issues and protecting the wild in your community.
Across the West
The Manitoba government plans to expropriate Lemay Forest and turn it into a provincial park. [CBC]
The Regina Urban Wildlife monitoring project has detected 143 different bird species and 15 mammal species. The rarest mammal sighting was an American Mink, known to be present in the city but rarely observed. Suburban sites had the greatest diversity of birds. [Saskatchewan]
Human activity is hindering wildlife movement in the Bow Valley, Alberta. “One of the biggest ways we can promote connectivity is to ensure we are securing habitat for wildlife, where they have spaces they can live and survive, where they’re not disturbed by people, and we’re linking those habitats throughout the landscape.” [St. Albert Gazette]
Snk'mip Dig Deeper, a documentary produced by the Autonomous Sinixt and the Valhalla Foundation for Ecology, is the story of restoring and reclaiming a wetland with returning wildlife demonstrating the project’s success. [Valhalla Foundation for Ecology]
Funding cuts are putting at risk a promising study into a treatment for white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that has devastated bat populations across North America. [The Narwhal]
Across Canada
Enthusiasm for clean energy and energy security continues to grow in remote northern communities. [Pembina]
“Building with lower-carbon materials and methods doesn’t need to make housing more expensive—and even has the added benefit of supporting Canadian industries.” [Clean Energy Canada]
Around the World
“Being a good dog owner means caring not just for the animal we love, but the rest of the natural world.” Their sheer numbers can do real damage – as predators, as consumers, and as waste producers. [The Conversation]
Many of the world’s largest shipping nations have decided to impose a minimum fee of $100 for every ton of greenhouse gases emitted by ships above certain thresholds. The funds will go towards researching green fuels and technologies. [AP News]
Gothenburg, Sweden, has taken out a sustainability linked loan and receives a fine or a credit based on whether or not it meets its targets: renewable energy heat production, municipal EV fleet, reduced energy usage in municipal buildings, and improving the city’s poorest neighbourhoods. [BBC]
A new Lego factory in Vietnam will rely on clean energy from 12,400 solar panels and an energy storage system. The buildings meet high energy efficiency standards and Lego has planted 50,000 trees, twice the number it cut to build the factory. [EuroNews]
Making a Difference
“If we know what we need to do, why aren’t we doing it? … We cannot expect real change unless we examine the reasons behind our actions.” [Inside Climate News]
Biodiversity
The winner of The Guardian’s Invertebrate of the Year contest is the tardigrade that has survived 5 planetary extinctions and a trip into outer space. “Noticing invertebrates is one small step in recognising that we are not alone, and we share our planet with a wondrous multitude of life and must do better to live gently alongside them.” [The Guardian]
Elephant skin is wrinkled and porous, storing water and cooling the elephant through evaporation. Bumpy tiles that mimic elephant skin could help keep houses cool without using energy. [Anthropocene]
Nature’s Wonders
Spring flowers such as trout lilies and trillium that bloom for just a short period each spring play a crucial role in forest ecosystems. They provide early food for insects and interact with other plants and trees through an underground fungal network. [Nature Conservancy of Canada]
Over 500 species of flies are migratory, travelling thousands of kilometers and often involving multiple generations. [Anthropocene]
Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/13968321430
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.