Submitted by Kathy Morrell
It's all about the birds, but then maybe again it's not. The Yellowhead Flyway Birding Trail Association or the YFBTA for short is a regional organization for those interested in nature. The group, active across the East Central Saskatchewan, is exceedingly busy given the fact it is volunteer driven.
In June, the YFBTA will host the Spring Meet of Nature Saskatchewan. The weekend event has a dual focus - a Youth Rally and a nature forum open to the public.
The Youth Rally, with its exciting menu of activities, is a new venture for Nature Saskatchewan. The event represents a determination to encourage the interest of youth in nature.
The YFBTA is seeking youth (ages 13-17) interested in a weekend of outdoor activity. The event promises quality programs and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet people of similar interests.
The fee for registrants is $40, an amount that comes no where close to paying for food, accommodation, equipment and transportation for the Youth Rally. The YFBTA is inviting organizations, families and clubs to sponsor a youth.
The second focus of the Spring Meet is adult oriented. Activity options for this group include tours of various habitats such as the aspen bluffs at a Saltcoats farm, marshland near Rokeby and shoreline areas along the Warren Hjertaas Nature Trail in Yorkton.
Lunch on Saturday will be served at Yorkton's Western Development Museum and dinner that evening at the Saltcoats and District Community Hall.
"The theme of the event is Discover and Connect," explains Lauretta Ritchie-McInnes, president of the YFBTA. "We look forward to welcoming everyone to the event."
For more information about either the Youth Rally or Spring Meet, please consult: www.yfbta.com.
"Our events cover much of the region around Saltcoats and Yorkton," Ritchie-McInnes continues. "Every year we host a birding symposium. This year our very successful event was held in Theodore. Past years the event has been held in Esterhazy, Saltcoats, and Yorkton."
In 2010 the YFBTA hired a summer student to work in the schools of the region during May and June and to organize summer day camps for children during July and August in the towns of Saltcoats, Esterhazy and Churchbridge.
"The YFBTA is pleased to announce that this year Shevon Wilson has accepted our summer student position," Ritchie-McInnes says. The group looks forward to sponsoring a full range of activities for children once again.
"Shevon is already booked to work in schools in Esterhazy, Church-bridge, Saltcoats and Yorkton," Ritchie-McInnes adds.
"The goal is to increase a child's awareness of nature," Rob Wilson explains. Wilson is secretary of the YFBTA and member of the board of Nature Saskatchewan. "It is just possible they might have a little fun, too."
In addition to the birding symposium and the summer youth program, the YFBTA participates in the Christmas Bird Counts in Yorkton, Saltcoats, Churchbridge, Esterhazy and Good Spirit Provincial Park. Every summer, the organization partners with Duck Mountain Provincial Park in the Canadian Lakes Loon Survey (CLLS) survey. These surveys are conducted across Canada by Bird Studies Canada, an agency of the federal government
One of their members, Raymond Lacusta, has produced a video about loons rearing young at Madge Lake in Duck Mountain Provincial Park.
The YFBTA is all about the birds and then some. It is truly an organization that seeks to recognize the beauties of nature and to promote the natural environment across the region.
