Friends of Wascana Marsh

The City Nature Challenge is back, and we’re looking for awesome folks like YOU to take part in documenting diversity in the Regina and area! Once again, Nature Regina, the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, Friends of Wascana Marsh, Nature Saskatchewan, the Biology Undergraduate and Graduate Society and the Nature Conservancy of Canada are partnering to host a citizen science initiative, the City Nature Challenge (CNC), that takes place April 28th through May 1st.

The CNC (https://citynaturechallenge.org) is an international collaboration organized by the California Academy of Sciences and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. From wide-open spaces to the biodiversity in people’s backyards, there are many ways for people within the Regina area to document native plant and animal species for science while fostering a sense of local--and global--community.
Saskatoon is taking part for the second year in a row, and we anticipate some friendly competition! Over the next couple of weeks, we will be sharing information on how to take part in the CNC including places to explore, how to use iNaturalist, and fun games the whole family can enjoy.

Follow us and to stay in the loop and find our iNaturalist project at
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2023-regina-and-area
Royal Saskatchewan Museum Nature Saskatchewan Nature Conservancy of Canada / Conservation de la nature Canada Friends of Wascana Marsh
iNaturalist.org Canadian Wildlife Federation / Fédération canadienne de la faune Alison Kestrel

You're invited to explore the Habitat Conservation Area next Sunday May 21, at 10:00 a.m.on a walk to identify birds and talk about the spring migration.

We'll have one or two spotting scopes but we encourage you to bring binoculars if you have some. The event is free and family-friendly so please share with family and friends.

Meet near the gate to the HCA five minutes before 10:00.

Happy World Migratory Bird Day!

We will be celebrating by being on the greens beside the Saskatchewan Science Centre between 10 am and 2 pm. Hope to see you there!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/world-migratory-bird-day-2023-tickets-623781757027?fbclid=IwAR1QBMViBGeUrcrbKbEzdcxneNK6z4aT_0w-Q-7-axYrkCjlbB4ciz2TiD0

World Migratory Bird Day 2023 World Migratory Bird Day 2023 is an international celebration! Join the celebration in Regina with 10+ activities!

Call to Join: Outdoor Play Working Group 😊

SaskOutdoors, in partnership with the Government of Saskatchewan, supports the Outdoor Play Working Group. The purpose of the Outdoor Play Working Group is to identify goals and action necessary to promote and facilitate outdoor play in Saskatchewan. A group of volunteers including representatives from SaskOutdoors and Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association (SPRA) make up members of the working group.

Interested in learning more or joining the group? Contact our Outdoor Play Coordinator!

[email protected]

We are going to be at FROST today from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm in the Family Fun Zone at Wascana Hub.❄️There you'll meet Daralyn who will show-and-tell you all about Saskatchewan animal footprints, furs and. . . animal p**p!

Reminder to those that plan to attend the AGM virtually, please email [email protected] for a link to the meeting.

Deadline is tonight!

Join Nature Saskatchewan and Wascana Centre for the Christmas Bird Count for Kids on January 7 in Wascana Centre (Regina). It's FREE and fun for all ages!

🐦 Introduction to birdwatching and binoculars
🦆 Birdwatching walk and counting birds
🦉 Bird arts and crafts
🪶Special guest speaker

Please register by December 31 at https://tinyurl.com/5429r6rp

Space is limited. Please contact Shannon at [email protected] for more information.

Wascana Centre

FOWM offered three guided family-friendly tours of the Habitat Conservation Area (HCA) this fall. They were well-attended and participants on one tour were accompanied by mule deer.

In spite of the cold and windy start to Migratory Bird Day last Saturday, our pond dipping station had some interested people stop by.

This Saturday, May 14, is World Migratory Bird Day! Celebrate with Nature Saskatchewan in Wascana Centre, Saskatchewan. There will be tons of fun activities for everyone!

Contact [email protected] if you require transportation or have any questions.

Friends of Wascana Marsh

Thanks to everyone who came out for the birding events Sunday at the Habitat Conservation Area. Almost 40 people attended and enjoyed perfect weather for the walks. We saw about 35 bird species, a group of painted turtles, a muskrat, lots of jackrabbits and one small bush rabbit.

See you tomorrow for one of the free family-friendly bird excursions at the Habitat Conservation Area! Join us at 10:00, 11:00 or noon for a short walk to check out what birds are in the area.
Info on how to find us at the spot - in comments below.

Join us this Sunday (May 8) to see some birds during their spring migration. We're offering 3 free family-friendly excursions at the Habitat Conservation Area (near Wascana Hill): 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. and noon. Bring binoculars if you have them - we'll have a couple of spotting scopes set up to give us better views.

H5 avian influenza has been detected in wild birds in Saskatchewan. If you find a deceased bird or birds that appear to be sick, contact the Ministry of Environment Inquiry Centre at 1-800-567-4224 or the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative at 1-306-966-5815.
https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/news-and-media/2022/april/08/avian-influenza-detected-in-saskatchewan

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza - Sick or Dead Bird Reporting

Members of the public are asked to report sick or dead birds as part of ongoing monitoring of a North American outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The virus has recently been detected in wild and domestic birds in the Maritime provinces, Ontario, BC, and most recently in a number of US states in all four flyways. While the disease can cause high levels of mortality in domestic poultry, cases and isolated mortality events have also been reported in free ranging wild birds, including geese, gulls, shorebirds, and raptors. Cases of HPAI are likely to be detected in the prairie provinces as waterfowl and other birds migrate into the province. Although avian influenza viruses usually do not infect humans and do not spread easily from person-to-person, individuals should avoid handling sick or dead birds. The following bird species are of most interest, and should be reported:

-Clusters of dead waterfowl (ducks, geese, swans) or other water birds (loons, shorebirds, wading birds)
-Any number of raptors or avian scavengers (e.g. ravens, crows, gulls)
-Illness involving raptors, waterfowl, or avian scavengers
-Mortality event involving any species of birds exceeding 20 animals

If you encounter a sick or dead bird, please refer to the contact list below.

Saskatchewan

Contact the Ministry of Environment Inquiry Center at 1-800-567-4224
or the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative at 1-306-966-5815 or https://cwhc.wildlifesubmissions.org.

For updates regarding the spread of avian influenza and HPAI outbreaks see the following website:

Wild Birds
Canada - http://www.cwhc-rcsf.ca/avian_influenza_biweekly_reports.php. You can also receive automatic updates via email by sending a request to [email protected]

cwhc.wildlifesubmissions.org whip

Nature Canada is proud to announce Canada’s next certified Bird Friendly City, Regina, SK. Regina becomes the fifth city in Canada to earn the designation.

Thank you for your hard work Nature Regina, Nature Saskatchewan!

https://naturecanada.ca/news/press-releases/regina-earns-nature-canadas-bird-friendly-city/

If you and your family are looking for something to do Saturday March 26, why not come out to the Habitat Conservation Area (near the Douglas Park hill) for a fun free event? Meet outside the gate to the Conservation Area at 12:55 then spend the next hour exploring the area on an Animal Tracking Adventure! Finding animal tracks in the snow is a fun activity for all ages and is a great way to spend an afternoon in the great outdoors. To help you and your family get started we will have handouts of common animal tracks and a checklist to keep track of your findings. Please bring a pencil. (Note the Conservation area is only accessible by foot and pets are not allowed.)

Happy ! Wascana Marsh provides habitat for many species of wildlife right at the heart of the city. What have you seen while visiting the marsh?

More information about wildlife in the park can be found at https://wascana.ca/nature-in-wascana/wildlife-in-the-park.

There is no better day to announce Nature Saskatchewan's newest publication than !

Having fallen in love with Saskatchewan's wildlife from his first experience watching male sharp-tailed grouse on their dancing ground, Wayne Pepper devoted a lifetime to wildlife conservation. In Conserving the Legacy: Wildlife Conservation in Saskatchewan 1905-2005, he relates personal experiences, augmented by extensive research and archival photos, tracing changes in wildlife populations and demonstrating how approaches to wildlife conservation have evolved in the face of settlement, development and ecological change.

This beautiful publication just arrived and is available in our online store and will soon be available at local booksellers.
www.naturesask.ca/store/en/publications/conserving-the-legacy-wildlife-conservation-in-saskatchewan-1905-2005

Nature Regina is hosting a nature walk in Wascana Park Saturday Feb 26. Led by Jordan Rustad, field biologist, the walk will be a snowshoeing hike to learn how wildlife survives in the winter. Nature Regina will provide snowshoes and binoculars. Limited spaces available - please register online in advance at natureregina.ca/events.

Events | Nature Regina

Don't forget - the Great Backyard Bird Count is only a few days away. From February 18-21 count birds in your backyard, local park or wherever you spot a bird and submit your observations online at birdcount.org.