2015 EcoFriendly Action Grants

EcoFriendly Sask informs, encourages, and supports Saskatchewan environmental initiatives:

Online publication Small grants to support local

environmental initiatives

EcoFriendly Sask donated $20,257 to 28 projects in 10 communities across Saskatchewan in 2015

http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/p/action-grants.html

Speaking Up for Nature

2015 NatureCity Festival - $5,000 The Festival’s purpose is to foster a broad and vocal community, ready to take action to protect the diversity of life both at home and elsewhere.

The 2015 Festival worked hard to connect the issues of healthy natural spaces with healthy human beings.

http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/2016/01/saskatoons-naturecity-festival.html

Featured speakers, Dr. Shimi Kang and Cam Collyer, helped make new connections in the health-care community.

The workshop on creating nature-oriented play spaces for children was sold out.

Earth Day Canada and the Canadian Wildlife Federation are applying for funding to encourage the creation of similar events across Canada, with Wild About Saskatoon as advisors.

The NatureCity Festival has attracted national attention.

Saskatoon Nature Society - $1,000A revised, expanded edition of the Society’s Guide to Nature Viewing Sites in and around Saskatoon will encourage residents to spend time enjoying and learning about nature in and near Saskatoon.

Woodland Walk, Heritage Park

Nature Regina - $1,000New signage will help visitors find the Hidden Valley Sanctuary and respect its flora and fauna.

Northeast Swale Watchers - $500Brochure and pin will equip and empower citizens to speak up on behalf of the Northeast Swale.

http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/2015/11/the-northeast-swale-saskatoons.html

Saskatchewan Eco Network - $500The Environmental Film Festival enables collective discussion and energy to work and be active in support of the environment.

Melfort Cross-Country Ski Club - $500

The Gronlid Trails in Fort à la Corne Provincial Park were badly damaged by ATVs in 2015. The Club reseeded and mulched the trails.

http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/2016/01/melfort-cross-country-ski-trails.html

In conjunction with the Melfort Running Club, the cross-country ski club sponsored the Wapiti Bush Run to raise awareness of the trails and draw attention to the problems caused by quads.

Ecology Camps for Kids - $500A rental van transports campers to some of their favourite locations: the Northeast Swale, Saskatoon Natural Grasslands, Peturrson’s Ravine, Wanuskewin, Chappell Marsh, Beaver Creek, Cranberry Flats, Pike Lake, the Herschel Dino Discovery Centre, and the Zoo.

St. Volodymyr Ukrainian Catholic Eparchial Camp - $500

http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/2015/08/st-volodymyr-ukrainian-catholic.html

Nature activities – bat houses, light pollution and star gazing, compost, an excursion to Pike Lake Provincial Park – provide campers with the opportunity to learn about and appreciate nature.

Wildlife Rehabilitation Society of Saskatchewan - $325Owl pellet dissections were a big hit at Gone Wild for Wildlife.

St. Gerard School, Saskatoon - $250 A Habitat and Adaptation program offered by the Saskatoon Zoo Society gave Grade 4 students a chance to see the animals and learn about them from a specialist.

Photo credit: Saskatoon Zoo Society

Native Prairie Appreciation Week Poster Contest - $200Native Prairie Appreciation Week is dedicated to celebrating and raising awareness of Saskatchewan’s valuable grassland ecosystems.

Jazmin Wilks Jones, Grand Coulee – first place ages 7-10

Over 400 students participated in the youth poster contest.EcoFriendly Sask provided 2 EcoAdventures Ziplines gift cards for the winners in the 7-10 and 11+ age categories.

Noah Aime, Redvers – first place ages 11+

Urban Agriculture

Saskatoon Seed Library - $500Seed libraries ensure the biodiversity of local seeds are saved and encourage a wide variety of people to grow healthy food and save seed.

Seed Lending Library garden plot, August 2015

McDermid Community School, Regina - $500Students and teachers built raised beds, planted seeds, and established two garden beds. The vegetable bed included corn, squash, beans, peas, tomatoes, carrots, and lettuce.

Flowers were chosen to represent the Circle of Courage (red, black, yellow, and white), and the Grandmother (sunflower).

P J Gillen School, Esterhazy - $500Worm composting units taught Grade 3 students the importance of their role in supporting a healthier soil/environment and that what they do can make a difference.

Young Parent Program, Moose Jaw Family Services - $500The children chose the vegetables they wished to grow and maintained and harvested them. The fruit and vegetables were used in making their lunches and snacks.

Macklin Daycare - $500Raised garden beds and a compost bin helped kids learn how to garden, recycle, and contribute to our environment.

Crystal’s Home, North Battleford - $500Crystal’s Home’s container garden is a gathering place that focuses on nourishing a strong community by empowering youth and growing good food.

http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/2015/06/greening-north-battleford.html

Resort Village of Chorney Beach - $500An unused site is being transformed into a community garden that will include fruit trees and bushes, serving as a sanctuary for birds, people, and pets.

Renewable Energy

Rob Dumont Energy Management Awards Dinner - $1,482.01Sponsoring wine for the first annual awards dinner provided support for energy efficiency and encouraged the choice of environmentally sustainable wines. Over $12,000 was raised for the Rob Dumont Fund.

http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/2015/12/what-wine-should-i-choose.html

Anna & Doug Carman and Brent Veitch - $500A research project explores the most effective means of installing solar panels.

EcoQuest, Saskatoon Public Schools - $500Students learned about solar and bicycle-generated power as part of Student Action for a Sustainable Future.

Transportation

http://www.ecofriendlysask.ca/2015/03/saskatoon-carshare-co-operative.html

Saskatoon CarShare Co-operative - $1,000

The Co-operative’s crowdfunding campaign was designed to expand their fleet and become Canada’s first solar-powered car share.

Saskatoon Cycles - $500

Saskatoon’s first Winter Cycling Fest included a moveable feast, a movie, and a chance for Saskatoon’s cycling organizations to share information about their activities.

100 free bus passes were offered to teachers attending the Saskatoon Teachers’ Association convention to highlight the value of effective, reliable public transportation.

Saskatoon Teachers’ Association - $500

“The interest in this opportunity was overwhelming and all of the tickets were spoken for within minutes of being distributed.”

Vincent Mamer, STA President

Waste Reduction

Recycling & Lac La Ronge Waste Management Corporation - $500

The school and 10 families participated in the first year of the La Ronge’s kitchen and garden compost program. The compost was donated to the community garden, which grows vegetables for the Lac La Ronge Food Bank. They plan to expand the program in 2016.

Two Green Wheels - $500A pedal-powered compost service reduced waste and helped grow healthy food.The compost was given to two community gardens and used to start a personal compost pile that will be used to grow vegetables.

Kincaid Central School - $500The Community School Council was concerned about the amount of waste created every lunchtime. The solution? A set of reusable dishes and cutlery made from recycled materials for each classroom.

Sharing Economy

City Park Toy Library - $500The Toy Library gives families an alternative to traditional consumerism, diverts toy packaging waste from the landfill, teaches sustainability, and builds community.

Apply Now for an EcoFriendly Action Grant

“Be the change you want to see in the world.”

Mahatma Gandhi

EcoFriendly Sask provides small grants of approximately $500 to support local projects that will benefit the environment.

Look around you. What can YOU do to protect the local environment?

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