Hello members,

 

I hope you enjoyed the spring, even though it was a cooler than normal start to summer across Western Canada.

 

Not sure about you, but I am endlessly fascinated by the variation in nature every year—from predicting flowering and fruiting times of plants or arrival times of migratory birds and spawning fish, to eruptions of my favourite insects (biting or otherwise). Where I am in the Okanagan, the cool spring definitely delayed and suppressed the showiness of wild flowers. However, the more abundant rainfall has helped fill the Saskatoon berries into really juicy morsels.

 

Speaking of that, we have a juicy morsel of an opportunity for getting together this fall in Saskatoon! The SER-WC Fall Forum & AGM will be held at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon on Saturday, September 21. We’ll have a series of presentations and a field tour to Beaver Creek Conservation Area, where we can see first-hand the variety of upland and riparian restoration techniques applied there by the Meewasin Valley Conservation Authority. We will also have a chance to socialize and imbibe at some local eateries. Sunday morning, I will lead a second tour east of Saskatoon to see the variety of pothole wetlands, huge flocks of migrating geese and cranes, and some restoration projects undertaken by Ducks Unlimited and Canadian Wildlife Service. Hope to see you there.

 

We have also begun discussions with our sister organization, SER Northwest, about co-hosting a conference in Eugene, Oregon, in February 2021. The SER-NW organizing team has been working hard to secure a venue that’s cost-effective for our membership, while being large enough to accommodate everyone expected from Western Canada, Washington, Oregon and northern California.

 

As we continue to plan the conference theme and program, we are seeking volunteers to help with a range of activities. Please let us know if there is any way you can contribute to the planning through tele-conferences, online meetings, or any other tasks that can be done remotely. Volunteering at the event may also be a way to reduce your costs for registration. Join now, and get your bosses on-board to support your attendance in February 2021. Eugene is nice and green at that time of year!

 

Your Chair,
Darcy Henderson