Photo: Alex Robertson Library in La Ronge / Photo credit Amber Bear
By: Carol Baldwin
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Wakaw Recorder
Although the TD Summer Reading Program has closed for the summer, there is still time to engage with the Notice Nature program. Children who signed up for the TD Summer Reading Program online or at their local libraries at the end of June should hear this week if they were winners of any of the reward draws. For more details, participants can contact the library or go to the program’s website https://www.tdsummerreadingclub.ca/
The 2026 Notice Nature program, which continues through the fall months, includes libraries within the towns and cities of Meadow Lake, Lloydminster, North Battleford, Kindersley, Saskatoon, Prince Albert, La Ronge, Melfort, Yorkton, and all connecting areas, including libraries operating within the Wheatland, Wapiti, Southeast, Palliser, Pahkisimon Nuyeʔáh, Chinook, and Lakeland library systems.
Notice Nature is a Saskatchewan community program that launched in 2021. The goal of the program is to engage people of all ages with the outdoors through nature-based activities and observations. Observing the sky and surroundings can enhance appreciation for the natural environment. This form of mindful observation is an important initial step toward responsible stewardship of land and water resources. Healthy ecosystems support wildlife, contribute to community vitality, and sustain biodiversity. Healthy land and water are supported by awareness and individual actions, and Notice Nature supports the development of Saskatchewan’s future leaders in land and water stewardship.
All the activities in the program have been developed through a collaboration involving Saskatchewan Communities, Libraries, Library Headquarters, industry partners, rural municipalities, urban municipalities, non-profit organizations, universities, schools, and school divisions. Designed to encourage a deeper connection with the natural world, participants choose from over 300 different nature-focused activities. Once enough activities are completed to reach a ‘Milestone’, participants can collect prizes from their local library.
Information and identification guides are available for several subjects, including: Trees & Shrubs, Historical Sites (both north-central and southern Saskatchewan), Plants, Invasive Plants, Mammals, Wetlands Wildlife, Birds, Insects & Spiders, Reptiles & Amphibians, Species at Risk, Farm Animals, Pollinators, Crops, and Wetlands & Waterfowl. Information in the guidebooks for Plants, Trees & Shrubs, Birds, Insects & Spiders, Mammals, and Reptiles & Amphibians has been sourced from Nature Companion, an entry-level nature website and app designed for Canada’s four western provinces. Developed by EcoFriendly West, the free website and app showcase over 300 species of trees, plants, insects, reptiles, animals, and birds found in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia, offering concise, easy-to-understand descriptions and photographs.
Also part of the Notice Nature program is the youth-led Cenovus Food Forest project. As part of the Food Forest project, Notice Nature will provide fruit-bearing trees and shrubs and the supplies required for planting day, at no cost, for ten food forests on school grounds or a chosen community space. All trees and shrubs are suitable for fall planting, and applications for fall 2026 are still open. Having a community food forest increases biodiversity, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, provides land-based learning opportunities, and creates an edible landscape for years to come. Schools or youth organizations not selected for 2026 will be placed on a waiting list for 2027. The application form can be found at: noticenature.ca/foodforest
The “Notice Nature” Program passport books are still available from the St. Louis Branch Library and may also be available at other libraries within the region.