Saskatoon Area for the City Nature Challenge

The borders for the Saskatoon Area for the City Nature Challenge are similar to other Canadian cities participating in the City Nature Challenge which include open spaces around their city.

Please record iNaturalist sightings for the City of Saskatoon park spaces, the South Saskatchewan River area (being very careful around water), and on any land within the Saskatoon area as marked on the map. Please be respectful of private property, i.e. record living organism on your own land, or on public space. Living organism can include fungi, insects, birds, waterfowl, plants, animals, anything from nature which is "alive" etcetera.

In the Area Around Saskatoon
In the areas commonly thought of as "rural" or places which happen to be within the boundaries of the Rural Municipalities are the following greenspaces open to the public which Saskatoon and area naturalists visit to document (in alphabetical order):

Beaver Creek Conservation Area
Blackstrap Coulee (North side )
Borden Bridge Campground
Boundary Trail
Bradwell Reservoir Area
Brightwater Marsh and Reservoir
Chappell Marsh Conservation Area
Cranberry Flats Conservation Area
John Heal Canoe Launch
Leisureland-Maple Grove
Paradise Beach
Peter and Lola Pontikes Wildlife Viewpoint
Pike Lake Park
Poplar Bluffs Conservation Area
Porter Lake

There is encouragement to record "native or wild" species in preference to "cultivated or tame" species. Where it is nice to practice the use of iNaturalist on potted house plants, the garden or the family dog or cat, iNaturalist helps scientists- zoologists, entomologists, botanists, ecologists, etc- around the world with the documenting of those organisms which are "native or wild."

Within the City of Saskatoon city limits
To this end, here is a listing of naturalized greenspace sites within the City of Saskatoon city limits. (in alphabetical order)

Donna Birkmaier Park
Gabriel Dumont Park
George Genereux Urban Regional Park
Heritage Park
Hyde Park
Lakewood Park
Mark Thompson Park
Meewasin Trail (alongside the South Saskatchewan riverbank)
Mendel Site (old)
Northeast Swale
Patricia Roe Park
Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area
Sanatorium Site
Small Swale
Weir (Respect all signage at the weir, and do not enter places prohibited)

This listing compiled with thanks to Renny W. Grilz, PAg, Resource Management Officer Meewasin Valley Authority, Moira Moser Naturalized Parks Supervisor, Naturalized Parks, Parks Department, City of Saskatoon and three editions of the book Nature Viewing Sites in and around Saskatoon 1992, 2000, 2016 by the Saskatoon Nature Society and the Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas Inc.

This listing is open to additions, please email friendsafforestation@gmail.com about a site within the area of the City Nature Challenge Saskatoon Area Map which you use to view nature, if a place happened to be inadvertently missed.

The perimeter of the entire Saskatoon Area is 329 km in size.
The area is 6600 km squared
It is roughly 100 km wide east to west
by approximately 70 km north to south

Posted on Δεκέμβριος 08, 2021 0142 ΠΜ by saskatoonafforestationareas