Nature Saskatchewan

10/19/2026

Today is the first day of Nature on the Hill and we are proud to once again be participating and talking about Nature in Saskatchewan and Canada!

Nature Canada’s Nature on the Hill will bring together caring Canadians (representing over 1,200 nature groups in our Nature Network) on Parliament Hill to be a voice for nature.

We are telling the government:
🐝That Nature is NOT red tape.
🌳To Build Major Projects better with the Mitigation Hierarchy.
🍂That Nature builds our economy.
🦋To deliver a Canada worth building, we have to put Nature Up Front!

Nature Canada

10/07/2026

Have you visited the Turtle Lake Nature Sanctuary? We were thrilled to visit this beautiful sanctuary as part of our recent fall meet in Meadow Lake. After visiting, we think you should too!

The Turtle Lake Nature Sanctuary is 1 of 9 nature sanctuaries that Nature Saskatchewan holds. While not all of our sanctuaries are set up for humans to enjoy to this degree, the Turtle Lake Nature Sanctuary is open year round with groomed trails thanks to a dedicated team of volunteers lead by Darlene Roth. The local pride is evident when visiting the sanctuary and the trails and scenery are definitely something to enjoy and experience.

A property like this would not be possible without wonderful people like Darlene and her crew, we were honoured to present Darlene with the 2026 Volunteer Award for her passion and care for the sanctuary. So thank you Darlene!

If you visit Turtle Lake we would love to hear about your experience. https://naturesask.ca/what-we-do/nature-sanctuaries

📸Photo credit to Jolanta Kedra

10/06/2026

We are super happy to have a new merchandise option! We have partnered with URStore in Vancouver to offer a variety of merchandise options without having to pre-purchase and store stock.

Interested in checking it out? Navigate to the Nature Saskatchewan page on the URStore website, choose your items and everything else is handled through URStore.

Orders are made to order and shipped directly from their warehouse. This gives us the ability to have merchandise options for those who want them and not having to hold stock. Take a look!

https://urstore.ca/group/nature-saskatchewan

10/05/2026

Check out this experience from the Saskatoon Nature Society!

Want to learn about owl banding? 🦉 Expert ba**er Marten Stoffel is offering SNS members the opportunity to visit a Saw-whet Owl banding station. To attend, text Marten with your preferred date at 306-230-9291.

Dress warmly because banding takes place after dark.

We cannot read the minds of the owls, so remember it is not guaranteed to catch owls on any given night. 🙂

10/01/2026

Something different caught our eye whilst processing this young White-crowned Sparrow at the Last Mountain Bird Observatory. This sparrow has a minor bill deformity (crossed mandibles). Despite this potentially less efficient structure, our bird has been able to store up a healthy amount of fat reserves for the next leg of its journey. We wish you well, little buddy!

Fall banding finishes up next week. Stay tuned for more fall migration highlights.

09/30/2026

Today is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Nature Saskatchewan stands in support and commitment of the fulfillment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada's Calls to Action. We will respectfully listen to and learn from our Indigenous partners, supporters, and friends and work toward lasting change.

The Nature SK office will be closed today and we will take time to reflect on and learn about our roles in advancing truth and reconciliation and recognize the tragic and painful history, intergenerational trauma, and continued impact of Canada's residential school legacy. We will work to honour their survivors, their families, and their communities.

09/25/2026

Each year at the Fall Meet, Nature Saskatchewan recognizes outstanding service and contributions that members or partner/affiliate members have made towards Nature Saskatchewan's goals and objectives.

This year five outstanding members and partners were recognized. Full award details and information about each recipient will be printed in the 2026 winter issue of Blue Jay.

Congratulations to:

🐝Conservation Award: Awarded to Elizabeth Bekolay and the One School One Farm Shelterbelt Project for her dedication to connecting youth with nature. You can read about the One School One Farm project here: https://oneschoolonefarm.com/

🌳Volunteer Award: Awarded to Darlene Roth, longtime steward, caretaker and friend of Turtle Lake Nature Sanctuary. Darlene's dedication to the Turtle Lake Nature Sanctuary spans over a decade and the care and dedication she has shown is evident when walking through the sanctuary.

🍂 Fellows Award: Awarded to Morley and Paula Maier. The Fellows Award is given when a member has displayed extensive and continuing contribution of time over many years to the Society and its objectives. These individuals have played a significant role in the society over many years.

🐍Cliff Shaw Award: Awarded to James Duncan for his article in Blue Jay (volume 83.3, Fall 2025). This award is presented for an article in the past four issues of Blue Jay that merits special recognition as an individual contribution in any branch of natural history.

09/23/2026

What a weekend in Meadow Lake! The weather was beautiful, the scenery was breathtaking, the activities were engaging and the friends who shared the weekend with us were the best part! We have so many to thank:

HUGE THANK YOU to Neil Marsh and Holly Wassing from the Woodlanders Junior Forest Wardens, and Brenda Rutz for helping us organize and plan this wonderful weekend!

Big thanks to everyone from the Meadow Lake area for welcoming us, helping us and giving us a weekend to remember:

🐦The Woodlanders Junior Forest Wardens
🐦The St Cyr Trails Club
🐦Bluesette Campbell and the B-Bar-C Ranch
🐦Morgan Blenkenhorn and Jordan Rock from TOLKO
🐦Rob & Moira Tether
🐦Donovan Theissen
🐦Elizabeth Hill
🐦Geoff Molyneux
🐦Desiree Lalond
🐦Jan Vandemeer
🐦Anna Redekopp
🐦The Woodland Inn
🐦City Catering
🐦The Meadow Seniors Activity Centre
🐦The Meadow Lake CO-OP

And thank you to Akaash Maharaj from Nature Canada for joining us for the weekend, we all learnt so much from his presentation “Where We Stand: Challenges and Opportunities for Nature in Federal Policy”

There are so many great photos of the weekend, so stay tuned!

09/17/2026

The Nature Saskatchewan office will have limited staff for Thursday and Friday this week! We are on our way to the Fall Meet and looking forward to some fun in the boreal forest with friends and members!

We hope to see you there!