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
Youth Climate Corps BC is currently operating in 6 communities. Additional funding in the 2024 budget will allow them to expand. [BC Gov News]
The Kleskun Hills, Alberta’s newest provincial park, is a “mosaic of native grasslands, aspen woods, eroded badlands, ponds, and tame pasture” and is home to a variety of wild flowers, birds, and butterflies. [Nature Alberta]
The Manitoba government has restored funding to 3 environmental non-profits: Climate Change Connection, Green Action Centre, and Manitoba Eco-Network. [CBC]
Monique Martin, whose floor cloth is currently on display at the Estevan Art Gallery, wants people to have a conversation about climate change, pointing to forest fires, a wind tornado, drought, melting glaciers, and flood. [Sask Today]
The federal government is providing support to 11 rural transportation projects in Saskatchewan. This includes a local shuttle service to help Gravelbourg residents get to medical appointments. [CBC]
Facing long-term drought, the Prairies have big issues to consider. “It’s not as simple as just building large holes in the ground and storing the water … Updated regulations to allow more use of greywater, reconsideration of our irrigation systems, consideration of where cattle are concentrated, considering how much water is used for oil and gas and eyeballing smaller day-to-day activities such as watering lawns and washing cars can all have an impact.” [The Narwhal]
Across Canada
Hydro-Québec is seeking bids for 300 megawatts of small solar energy projects and will favour urban projects that can use existing infrastructure to minimize impact on natural and agricultural environments. [The Energy Mix]
Researchers believe the 2024 federal budget misses the mark on water-related investments. More funding for infrastructure to manage fire and drought and ambitious policy development aimed at addressing inequity are critical. [The Conversation]
Canada’s codes and standards need updating so that infrastructure and buildings are built to withstand future floods, wildfires, windstorms, and other extreme weather driven by climate change. [Climate Institute]
Around the World
We can reduce the risks to birds when extending transmission infrastructure by avoiding high conservation value lands, upgrading existing lines or expanding within existing rights of way, and increasing line visibility. [Audubon]
A 20-minute podcast shares insights and perspectives from 3 iNaturalist super users and is designed to inspire more people to use iNaturalist, perhaps in some new ways. [Jumpstart Nature]
A Helping Hand
Saving individual animals or species isn’t enough. We need to be focusing on protecting entire ecosystems and “make protecting and restoring biodiversity a central focus of all of our decision-making.” [The Narwhal]
Garden for bats by providing food, water, and shelter, removing the risks, and turning out the lights. [Rewilding]
Bat-friendly farmers are providing roosts and native and night-blooming plants as well as not using pesticides. [Modern Farmer]
Watch the Oregon Hand Crew as they weave wood and mud into beaver dam replicas to revive cold water habitats and restore the fish population in the headwater meadows of Oregon’s North Fork John Day River. [4 min video, Patagonia]
Artificial roosting sites (floating rafts) could assist shorebirds in locations with limited onshore options. [Audubon]
On the Bookshelf
Insectorama: The Marvelous World of Insects by Lisa Voisard invites you into the lives of over 80 insects, the flowers they visit, the aquatic realm they live in, or the places they perch. The illustrations are stunning. [Bug Eric]
Nature’s Wonders
Explore the oceans’ kelp forests and all they have to offer – from oxygen to fish nurseries to sun screen for sea urchins. [Hakai Magazine]
Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/49986520001
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 Twitter or Mastodon, or subscribe by email.