SASKATOON — Wild About Saskatoon Chair Candace Savage sees the city as a living example of how urban development and nature can coexist, thriving together, a rare place where it blends perfectly well from downtown’s concrete jungle to the houses in the neighbourhoods.
Wild About Saskatoon is a non-profit organization, composed of individuals and other volunteers who want to protect the city’s biodiversity, with partnerships with the Meewasin Valley Authority and the University of Saskatchewan for the Urban Wildlife Information Network project.
Savage told SaskToday they wanted to keep the public aware of the idea that nature exists and is part of everyone’s lives in the city, not reserved for the outskirts or driving a few kilometres out of the urban setting.
“We are all immersed in nature all the time, and that being in a city, we have responsibility for caring for other species and for the special places where those species can live now. We have the river valley, it is the glory of this place,” said Savage.
“We have this wonderful river that connects us with the mountains and connects us all the way north to the Arctic Ocean, and here it is just going past our doorstep. The Riparian Forest along the river is a significant place.”
The South Saskatchewan River Valley, which snakes through the city, is a long stretch from Pike Lake to Clarke’s Crossing, where the area is filled with various conservation zones and parks to enjoy.
The Meewasin Trail, which is over 100 kilometres long, along with Beaver Creek, the Cranberry Flats Conservation Area and the Northeast Swale, are also accessible for everyone to explore and enjoy the biodiversity.
Savage said the Northeast Swale is a precious and vital part of Saskatoon, as it has less than five per cent of natural grasslands left in the city, and it is a miracle that the area is still full of wildlife.
“Saskatoon is a unique blend of urban living coexisting with nature. One of our members, who is from Cairo, feels nature is everywhere in the city, and for him, that is one of life’s biggest pleasures. For those of us who grew up here, I think it's a little harder for us to get that sense,” said Savage.
“What we are trying to promote and share is that Saskatoon is special because we have plants around us that provide habitat for insects, birds, and other animals. We need to have practices and policies that reflect how important those areas are.”
She added that they are promoting a project called Pollinator Paradise, which encourages people to grow locally native plants and bring them home to their yards. Currently, there are 160 registered gardens in the city.
