Dead Fish at Lake of the Prairies

From a recent article by the CBC:

 

An unusually cool spring is being blamed for a high number of fish dying along Lake of the Prairies in recent weeks.

 

The man-made reservoir from the Shellmouth Dam was drained by the provincial government this year to control flooding, and now it's at the lowest level it's ever been. Videos have surfaced on YouTube in recent days, including one showing many dead walleye in shallow waters along the lake.

 

Some fishermen are blaming the province for the fish kill, but officials say the fish are getting trapped under the ice because of the lack of spring runoff and the fact that there is still a lot of ice.

 

"An active runoff would have filled these depressional areas and re-oxygenated the water in which the fish are … being impacted due to low oxygen levels," Steve Topping, who works in the province's water management division, told CBC News.

 

"[In] 2011 we had the same situation, but we didn't get a fish kill. And the reason was it was much earlier runoff," he added.

 

Topping said when officials lowered the reservoir levels, they had thought the spring runoff would have arrived by now.

 

The impact of the fish kill on fishing is expected to be minor, Topping said.

Visit http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2013/04/18/mb-dead-fish-lake-of-the-prairies-manitoba.html for more details.

SOS: the Stewards of Saskatchewan

Click on the link  to watch a short video about Nature Saskatchewan -  the Stewards of Saskatchewan

 

http://youtu.be/6JbPF0QZi10

 

 

Photo Credit: Shevon Wilson

 

Save the Community Pastures - Red Hat Studios

A new development in spreading the news about the pastures and recording the next phases of the PFRA story! The company Red Hat Studios is producing a documentary on the dissolution of the PFRA. The film will include interviews with people concerned about the pastures and coverage of the Margaret Atwood - Graeme Gibson grasslands tour in June.

Red Hat has started filming for the documentary and are pursuing funding sources to complete the project. They have created an opportunity for members of the general public to provide support to the project.

To find out more go to this Indiegogo crowd source funding webpage. 

 

http://igg.me/at/PFRA/x/3113794

Or contact 

 

Colin Hubick <colinsignup@mac.com>

www.redhatstudios.ca

Are children losing touch with nature?

Everyone should watch this video: Quinn Dalgarno Grade 11 Project | "Nature Deficit Disorder"

Save Our Community Pastures

Here is an excerpt from a recent article from the Star Phoenix: http://www.thestarphoenix.com/technology/Action+needed+order+save+legacy+pastures/6634991/story.html

This Land is Your Land  by Candace Savage

If you care about the special beauty of the prairie—if you want know that there will be wild, wide open spaces of natural grassland for your children’s children to  enjoy—there is something you can do. It will only take a few minutes, but it could affect the health of the prairie ecosystem for generations.

The big, bold prairie landscapes of the Community Pastures are perfectly  adapted for use as grazing lands. Whatever else happens, they must be protected from cultivation and carefully managed for livestock production. So please take a few minutes to write to your MLA http://www.legassembly.sk.ca/mlas/  and tell him or her that you care about the livestock producers and Community Pasture staff who rely on these lands for their livelihood. More than that, tell him or her that you care about the prairie’s wild inhabitants, which rely on the wide open spaces of cattle country for their very
existence.

2012 YFBTA Membership

A YFBTA MEMBERSHIP PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES:

• to show concern about protecting wildlife and habitat for wildlife

• to promote eco-tourism in your area

• to act as a mentor to youth

• for learning about wildlife and its environment

• to participate in wildlife conservation practices

• to participate in YFBTA programs

• enjoy and receive our YBTA newsletter   "What's flying around ....."

• contribute writing and / or digital photographs to our newsletter and/or our website

• meet like-minded individuals

• share interests, concerns, sightings and observations

• attend regular meetings of the board of directors who work on your behalf

• become a member of the board

• to promote awareness of the importance of wildlife and of suitable places to visit

• become actively involved with trail development, management and maintenance

• connect on a regular basis with fellow members

• to support our work even if you cannot be active

• to share your creative ideas

• to facilitate participation of youth groups in YFBTA programs

• to contribute to the growing influence of the YFBTA

Click here to register: http://yfbta.com/documents/YFBTA%20membership%20form.pdf

Send your registration to:

Martha Karau

Box 403

Churchbridge, SK

S0A 0M0

306-896-2660

marwal@sasktel.net