EcoWest News, September 27, 2022

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

An introduction to the geography and geology of the Hudson Bay Lowlands and the need to strike a meaningful balance between protection and exploitation. [Canadian Geographic]

The Saskatchewan River Delta is dying. Dams have changed the flow of the river, “changing the flow of all the animals and all the species and everything the river supports.” [World Wildlife Federation]

A study of Saskatoon’s urban wildlife demonstrates the importance of habitat connectivity and wildlife corridors. Animals are shifting to nocturnal activity to avoid humans, while prey animals are using humans as shields to protect them from predators. [University of Saskatchewan]

The beauty and health of BC’s coast is under threat from climate change and human activities. An action plan for a Marine Protected Area network has been drafted by a group of 17 First Nations and the BC and federal governments. [MPANetwork]

There are over 70 species of birds, mammals, and amphibians in BC that rely on old rotting trees to meet their habitat needs. When logging removes all the old trees, wildlife trees must be created. That’s what is happening in BC’s Kootenay region. [Nature Conservancy of Canada]

Around the World

“Artificial lights send the natural world a bewildering array of ill-timed signals—Wake up! Hide! Hunt! Fly this way! Change your metabolism!” A call to action to address light pollution. [Scientific American]

An amphibian die-off led to a spike in cases of malaria – they may be small, but frogs, salamanders, and other amphibians can eat a lot of mosquito eggs. [Futurity]

“The reality of the global flower industry is that the bulk of our flowers are grown in the Global South and transported worldwide in refrigerated cargo jets and trucks, wrapped in plastic and arranged in toxic floral foam.” [CBC]

“Long-term farm sustainability is really only achieved when edge of field systems, combined with in-field soil health and nutrient management practices, are incorporated into the operation”: one farmers’ experience. [Nature]

Prairie Water

Three newspaper articles highlight water issues in Saskatchewan:

Illegal farmland drainage [Regina Leader Post]

Water distribution and shortages  [Regina Leader Post]

Downstream users faced with toxic algae blooms and hydrocarbons  [Regina Leader Post]

Protect Our Peat

For Peat’s Sake – Protecting Northern Saskatchewan Muskegs has posted photographs of various plants (including carnivorous ones) you can find in northern peatlands. You’ll find additional relevant information in The Common Plants of the Muskegs of Southeast Alaska.

DIY

How can you recognize an environmentally sustainable restaurant? Look for short menus, lack of tablecloths, local beer on tap, paperless menus, and veg-forward dishes. [The Guardian]

Local people are protecting Scottish coastal waters against dredging, noise pollution, and fish farms. [The Guardian]

Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/9722715607

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 subscribe by email.