Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area. George Genereux Urban Regional Park. Humboldt Broncos Memorial Forest. Come to Nature. Come to Life. Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestationk Areas Inc. friendsareas.ca
The ecological crisis of our age is often framed as a drama of distant horizons—the melting Arctic or the burning Amazon. Yet, as the global temperature creep continues and biodiversity loss accelerates, the front line of conservation has moved. It is no longer found only in the remote wilderness; it is beneath the floorboards of our cities, in the tangled hedgerows of our urban fringes, and within the vital “lungs” of our community, such as the Richard St. Barbe Baker and George Genereux Afforestation Areas.
To confront the erasure of the natural world, we must first see it. This is why the Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas wish to extend a profound note of gratitude to Eric Steiner and the team at Rogers TV. By providing a platform to discuss the City Nature Challenge 2026, Steiner has done more than produce a segment; he has acted as a catalyst for “citizen rewilding.”
The Power of the Lens
When we broadcast the call to “search, snap, and share,” we are not merely asking for photos. We are asking for a mass-participation census of life. From April 24-27, Saskatoon and Area will join a global cohort of cities in a high-stakes race to document the living world. Through the iNaturalist app, the casual walker becomes a frontline researcher.
This data is the bedrock of modern conservation. It allows us to detect invasive species before they choke local ecosystems and to identify habitats for species at risk that might otherwise be paved over in silence. We cannot protect what we do not love, and we cannot love what we do not know. By amplifying this challenge, Rogers TV has helped bridge the “extinction of experience” that so often separates urban dwellers from the soil that sustains them.
Beyond our guided events, we invite you to become an independent urban explorer by downloading the freeiNaturalist appand venturing out with your family or friends to document the vibrant life across Saskatoon and the surrounding area. The City Nature Challenge is about more than just spotting a deer or a blooming crocus; it is a deep dive into the hidden stories of our ecosystem. We particularly encourage you to hunt for “signs of life”—those fascinating, often overlooked clues that tell us an animal was here. From the delicate architecture of a spider web and the skeletal remains of a prairie inhabitant to more curious finds like owl pellets, tufts of fur, or even animal scat (frass and poop), every discovery provides vital data. By documenting these remnants—be it a snake skin, an empty chrysalis, or a set of muddy tracks—you are unveiling the secret, less obvious layers of our region’s wildlife and helping Saskatoon claim its place as a global leader in biodiversity.
The Urban Frontier
Saskatoon is now competing to be recognized as one of the most biodiverse cities on the planet. This is not mere boosterism; it is a vital recognition of the prairies’ resilience. We invite the public to join us at four flagship events—from the Evening in the Trees at Richard St. Barbe Baker to Pond Dipping Adventures that reveal the microscopic wonders of our wetlands.
The climate and biodiversity crises are intertwined, two sides of the same coin. As Fiona Harvey frequently notes, the solutions must be systemic, but they are also deeply local. When media professionals like Eric Steiner prioritize these stories, they validate the work of volunteers and scientists alike. They ensure that nature is not just a backdrop to our lives, but a voice that is heard.
We stand at a crossroads. We can choose to be the generation that watched the silence grow, or the one that documented, defended, and restored. This April, let us use our technology to reconnect with the ancient rhythms of the earth.
To Eric Steiner and Rogers Sports & Media: Thank you for helping Saskatoon prove that we are, indeed, the reason nature believes in humanity.
The plants found in the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area and George Genereux Urban Regional Park are a mix of rugged prairie natives and hardy introduced species. Because these areas were originally part of afforestation efforts, the soil often has to support both deep-rooted trees and shallow-rooted wildflowers.
Here is a breakdown of the soil requirements for the key groups you listed, categorized by their “soil appetite.”
1. The Nitrogen Fixers (Improve Soil Quality)
These plants are unique because they “make their own fertilizer” by taking nitrogen from the air and putting it into the soil. They thrive in low-nitrogen areas where other plants struggle.
Wild Licorice, Alfalfa, Caragana, Sweetclover, American Vetch: * Soil: They prefer loamy to sandy soil.
Nutrients: They are heavy users of Phosphorus and Potassium but don’t need Nitrogen added to the soil.
Condition: They are very tolerant of alkaline (high pH) soils, which are common in Saskatoon.
2. The Heavy Hitters (Trees and Large Shrubs)
These species define the “Afforestation” look and require specific textures to keep their massive structures stable.
Pines & Spruces (Scots Pine, Blue Spruce, White Spruce):
Soil: Prefer sandy to loamy textures.
Condition: They actually prefer slightly acidic soil (which they help create with their needles), but local varieties are adapted to our alkaline Saskatoon dirt. They need well-drained spots; they hate “wet feet.”
Green Ash, Elms, Bur Oak, Box Elder (Manitoba Maple):
Soil: These are “clay-tolerant.” They can handle the heavy, sticky B Horizon clay.
Nutrients: They need high levels of Nitrogen to grow their large leaf canopies.
Saskatoon, Chokecherry, Buffaloberry:
Soil: Very adaptable, but they fruit best in loamy soil rich in organic matter (O and A horizons).
3. The Moisture Seekers (Wetland & Swale Plants)
If you find these, you are likely near the West Swale or a low-lying depression where water collects.
Red Osier Dogwood & Bebb’s Willow:
Soil:Clay or Silty Clay. * Condition: They need high moisture and can survive in “anaerobic” (low oxygen) soil where water sits for long periods.
Yellow Lady’s Slipper (Orchid):
Soil: Requires a very specific moist, loamy soil with high organic content and a relationship with soil fungi.
4. The Prairie Survivors (Tough Wildflowers & Grasses)
These plants are adapted to the “C Horizon”—the raw glacial till left behind by the ice age.
Goldenrods, Asters, Yarrow, Fleabane:
Soil:Sandy to Loamy.
Nutrients: They are low-demand plants. Too much nitrogen actually makes them “leggy” and weak. They thrive on the natural mineral balance of the prairies.
Needle-and-Thread Grass & Prairie Junegrass:
Soil:Sandy. They need the air pockets found in coarse sand to keep their roots healthy. Summary Table: Soil “Wishlist”
Plant Group
Texture Preference
Primary Nutrient Need
pH Preference
Nitrogen Fixers (Alfalfa/Caragana)
Sandy/Loamy
Phosphorus (P)
Alkaline (High pH)
Conifers (Pine/Spruce)
Well-drained Sand
Potassium (K)
Slightly Acidic
Deciduous Trees (Ash/Elm)
Heavy Clay/Loam
Nitrogen (N)
Neutral to Alkaline
Wildflowers (Asters/Goldenrod)
Gritty Sand/Silt
Low Nutrients
Neutral
Wetland Shrubs (Willow/Dogwood)
Heavy Clay
High Moisture
Neutral
Why this matters for the Citizen Scientists:
When you use iNaturalist to record these plants, look at the soil around them. When you examine the soil, realize that the plants around you are also helping you to “read” the soil characteristics. If you see Silver Buffaloberry, you are likely in a spot with high Nitrogen-fixing potential. If you see Blue Spruce, the soil is likely better drained. The plants are essentially “living labels” for the soil types beneath your feet!
Which of these plants are you most excited to hunt for during your walk and exploration?
Why this matters for Naturalists:
When you use iNaturalist to record these plants, look at the soil around them. If you see Silver Buffaloberry, you are likely in a spot with high Nitrogen-fixing potential. If you see Blue Spruce, the soil is likely better drained. The plants are essentially “living labels” for the soil types beneath your feet!
Which of these plants are you most excited to hunt for during the walk?
Living Labels: What Wildflowers Tell Us About the Earth
The “Nitrogen Factory”: Notice how many of your listed plants (Alfalfa, Caragana, Buffaloberry, Vetch) are Nitrogen fixers. These plants are working to “build” the soil with high nitrogen.
Alkalinity: Most of these species are selected for their ability to handle Calcium Carbonate (Lime) in the soil, which is a hallmark of the Saskatoon “C Horizon.”
Texture Matters: You will find the Willows and Dogwoods in the low spots (more clay/water) and the Pines and Needle Grass on the higher, sandier ridges.
By identifying the plant, you are essentially identifying the “hidden” chemistry of the soil beneath it.
Think of it as a two-way conversation between the earth and the sky: by identifying a plant, you are essentially reading a “chemical map” of the hidden soil layers beneath it. Conversely, by exploring the soil’s texture, and color and therefore its mineral content, you can predict exactly which species are best adapted to thrive there, turning a simple patch of dirt into a prediction for the entire habitat.
The Symbiotic Connection
Here are two ways to look at that relationship:
Plants as Bio-Indicators: If you see Silver Buffaloberry or Caragana, the “hidden chemistry” is a lack of nitrogen; these plants act as the soil’s natural fertilization team. If you see Red Osier Dogwood, the soil is whispering that it is heavy, wet, and oxygen-poor.
Soil as a Habitat Blueprint: When you dig a small pit and find a gritty, pale C Horizon, you’ve discovered a site where only drought-tolerant “pioneer” species like Needle-and-Thread Grass can survive. The soil’s high lime content acts as a gatekeeper, choosing the specific residents of the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area.
To the casual gardener, the dandelion is a stubborn squatter in a manicured lawn. To the child, it is a magical clock made of silver seeds. But to the botanist, the genus Taraxacum is a sophisticated, diverse, and deeply challenging puzzle that most people walk right over without a second glance.
It is time to move past the reductive labels of “common” and “red-seeded.” In North America alone, we aren’t looking at just two species; we are looking at a complex tapestry of at least 20 distinct species, and globally, the number of “microspecies” climbs into the hundreds.
The Mount Everest of Botany
The Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) doesn’t mince words: “Taraxacum is probably the most challenging genus that British and Irish botanists encounter.” They even suggest that beginners “get some more user-friendly genera under their belt” before attempting to tackle dandelions. And our North American Dandelions hail from these hundreds of species
Why is it so difficult? Dandelions are primarily apomictic, meaning they produce seeds without fertilization. This results in clones that maintain tiny genetic variations over generations, leading to a dizzying array of “microspecies.” As the legendary botanist Lloyd H. Shinners once wrote:
“If you wish something painless and effortless, the pursuit of botany is not for you. Nature gives away few secrets to the lazy, and none to the incompetent.”
The Art of the “Deep Dive” Observation
If you want to move beyond the surface, you must adopt the “No investigation, no right to speak” mantra of Mao Zedong. Identifying a dandelion to the species level on platforms like iNaturalist requires more than a blurry photo of a yellow flower.
The Involucre (Side View): A closeup of the flower head from the side to see the outer bracts. Are they reflexed, spreading, or appressed? What color are they?
The Midrib: Look for “striped” plants. Species like T. hamiferum (Dark Hook-lobed) or T. bracteatum (Dark-green Dandelion) feature fascinating red and green interwoven strands on the midvein.
The Seeds (Cypselae): Color is everything. Is it the “Umber-fruited” T. proximum or the “Cinnamon-fruited” T. fulvum?
The Leaves: Are they “mangled” like T. laceratum, or “fleshy-lobed” like T. quadrans? You need photos of the front and back of fresh leaves taken from the very base of the rosette.
When you’re documenting dandelions on iNaturalist, you’re not just taking a photo; you’re gathering botanical evidence. To truly move the needle from “Genus Taraxacum” to a specific species like T. sublongisquameum or T. hamosum, the community needs a sense of scale.
Did you remember to include a tape measure (or a ruler) in your shots?
While the macro details of the bracts and seeds are vital, their absolute size—measured in millimeters—is often the “aha moment!” for an identification. Here is how to use a scale effectively for your next observation:
The Midrib: A scale helps determine the thickness and the precise positioning of those distinctive red or green “strands” found in sections like Hamata.
As John V. and Aidan Campos emphasize, these plants require an “investigation.” Without a tape measure for scale, even the clearest photo can leave a specialist guessing. Next time you head out, make a ruler as essential as your camera (smart phone camera)—because in the world of Taraxacum, a few millimeters can be the difference between a “Common” find and a rare discovery!
The Involucre & Bracts: Placing a ruler alongside the flower head from the side allows curators to measure the length and width of the outer bracts.
The “Fruit” (Seeds): For species like the “Cinnamon-fruited” T. fulvum, knowing the exact length of the achene (seed body) and the cone is often the only way to distinguish it from its cousins.
The Leaves: Dandelion leaves are famously heterophyllous (variable in shape). Laying a tape measure next to a representative leaf from the base of the rosette provides the necessary context for lobe spacing and petiole length.
Go a step further, find out what petiole, bract, involucre mean
A Tour of the “Overlooked”
Species
Common Name / Key Trait
Unique Feature
T. atricapillum
“Coal Black” Dandelion
Dark, almost blackish involucral bracts.
T. palustre
Fen Dandelion
Found in flooded areas or fens; very distinct ecology.
T. tenellisquameum
Delicate-scaled Dandelion
Tiny, tender bracts on the flower head.
T. caespitans
Tufted Dandelion
Grows in dense, mat-forming clumps.
T. subxanthostigma
Purple-stalked Dandelion
Notable for the coloration of the stems.
Why Diversity Matters
Most dandelions in North America are exotic, hailing from Europe where they have been studied for centuries. By documenting them accurately here, we track how these “weeds” adapt to new environments. In British Columbia and Georgia alike, specialists are finding that “overlooked diversity” is the rule, not the exception. What will you find close to home?
Practice Makes Perfect
Becoming a “Taraxacologist” isn’t about instant gratification. It’s about the “practice makes perfect” philosophy championed by contributors like Aidan Campos. It involves peering at spatulate leaves, dissecting petioles, and obsessing over the length of a seed’s cone.
Next time you see a yellow sunburst in the grass, don’t reach for the weedkiller. Reach for your hand lens. You might just be standing over a T. stenacrum (Linear-lobed) or a rare T. disseminatum (Golden-fruited). The world of the dandelion is not a monolith—it is a vast, yellow frontier waiting to be explored.
Ready to contribute? Visit the Taraxacum of North America iNaturalist Project and start sharpening your photography skills. Remember: the leaves tell the story, but the bracts hold the secret.
Aidan Campos references
“If you wish something painless and effortless, the pursuit of botany
is not for you. Nature gives away few secrets to the lazy, and none to
And it is possible for afforestation to be carried out in ways that are healthy and restorative to local ecologies….the work of Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, …cultivates zones dense with native species that grow quickly and foster biodiversity. His plots respond to “human needs for … food, and medicine,” …offering flood and drought protection where little existed before.
The Species: R. Acicularlis Lindl., R. arkansana,R. woodsii
How can we determine which of the roses are which in the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area and George Genereux Urban Regional Park forest communities?
Distinguishing between the three Saskatchewan wild roses to determine the species
Making observations of the plant structure, the leaf structure, and the flower structure.
How to describe the species; learning botanical terms.
Native Rose Bush blooming in June
Native Rose Bush blooming in June
Rose in the Richard St Barbe Baker Afforestation Area
Wood’s Rose, or Common Wild Rose (Rosa woodsii) may also form thickets of clones from rhizomatous roots. The rose shrubbery may grow as high as 30 to 240 centimeters (1 to 8 feet high.) These thickets of rose bushes provide nesting sites for birds, as well as thermal and feeding cover for deer and other small mammals. The flowers may be either solitary or corymbose. Blooms are short-pedicelled AKA the stalk of an individual flower is short.
Flowers are usually a deep pink about 5 cm (2 inches) across. Flowers can be set on rose bush in clusters of one to five at the end of a branch less commonly are they seen solitary. The inflorescence is distinctly saucer shape, and the petals are not flat across.
The sepals provide a covering around the rose bud during the formation period before the inflorescence blooms. The sepals are lanceolate, which is a botanical term meaning shaped like a lance or a spear head. Looking closely, the sepals can be located under the rose bloom, supporting the petals, and the sepals will be broad in the lower half close to the stem, and tapering to a point near the tip similar to a lance or a spear. Tomentose is another apt botanical description for the sepals meaning that they are densely covered with short matted downy filaments or hairs, they are rather fuzzy looking. The Wood’s Rose sepals are persistent on the fruit (rose hip), and each rose hip may have 15 – 35 seeds. Persistent in botanical terminology means that the sepals do not fall off, and will still be seen on the rose hip in the winter months.
The leaflets are single-toothed with a shape described as obovate to ovate to elliptic. Often the leaflets are cuneate or narrowed at the base and may feature straight sides converging at base, producing a ‘wedge shape’, cuneate is from the Latin root cuneus ‘wedge’ + -ate. An obovate shape would describe the leaflet as shaped like a tear-drop where the tip of the tear drop attaches to the stem near the base. An ovate leaflet shape is an egg-shaped oval, where the point tapers, and the widest portion of the leaflet is nearest the base. Whereas an elliptic shape refers to the leaflet being oval without a point, or a very rounded and subdued point. There are usually 5 to 7 leaflets making up one leaf, and may be as many as 11. The upper surface of the leaf is shiny. Stipules are prominent and united at the base of the leaf giving rise to the term adnate stipule. Adnate means joined or united by having grown together. A pair of stipules (straw, stalk) are little outgrowths on either side of the base of the leafstalk. Each leaflet has a very short or no stalk at all stalk (sessile). Sessility from sessilis meaning “sitting” or in botany “resting on the surface” having no stalk
Oddly pinnate leaf – imparipinnate Courtesy Maksim CC x 1.2
Leaf shape or morphology OBOVATE Courtesy Maksim CC x 1.2
Leaf shape or morphology OVALE Courtesy Maksim CC x 1.2
Leaf shape or morphology ELLIPTIC Courtesy Maksim CC x 1.2
Figure 1 Rose Leaf showing alternate odd-pinnate leaflets. Leaflet shapes. Draw the leaflet shape of the roses seen in the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area and George Genereux Urban Regional Park
Prickles on a Wood Rose stem may be straight or curved, however generally have a curve. Infrastipular spines are commonly present, and the stems are prickly. Infrastipular means below (infra) the stipules (stipular), so the spines are commonly seen below ‘the small appendage at the base of the petiole of a leaf’ (stipule). The Common Wild Rose (Wood Rose) only has a few scattered thorns, in comparison to the Prickly Wild Rose which is covered with many small weak bristles. The Wood Rose thorns feature are broad and flattened at their base.
The stem of this rose shrub is reddish brown to gray.
The Wood Rose has a distinct style featuring calyx-lobes entire. Entire meaning not divided and featuring a smooth margin, not lobed or toothed.
The orange-red to bright red or blue-purple fruit is fleshy, globose or globose-ovoid 5-12 mm (.2 – .5 inches) wide, Glabrous (hairless and smooth) and sometimes glaucous (dull bluish-green, gray). As many as 15 to 35 nutlets (achenes) may be found within the rose hip, and the nutlets are 3-4 mm (0.1-0.16 inches) long.
Rosa arkansana, the prairie rose, dwarf prairie rose or wild prairie rose (Rosa arkansana) is also a rose bush of Saskatchewan which will reach heights of 30-60 centimeters (1 – 2 feet) tall. The flowers are unique as they are pink and may be streaked with a deeper pink. The blooms are 3 to 7 cm (1.25 to 2.5 inches) in diameter. There may be as many as 5 or more flowers, or solitary flowers on the terminal end of the stems. The inflorescences are corymbs which are a flat-topped or convex cluster of flowers derived from Latin corymbus, bunch of flowers, from Greek korumbos, head where the outermost flowers open first. The petals on the inflorescence have a top wavy edge, with a central peaked notch at the top.
The sepals are rounded at the base with a smooth outer surface.
Droughty conditions or freezing may cause the plants above the surface to totally die back each year. The roots are very hardy, and will grow deep into the soil, reaching as far as 2.4 -3.7 meters (8 – 12 feet) down in the soil. Asexual regeneration takes place from roots sprouting from the root crown.
The rose hip is almost globular, and starts out as a deep red colour. The sepals persist on the fruit. Seeds produced need a dormancy period featuring successive cold and warm moist periods, and may not germinate until the second year.
This rose bush sports many dense reddish thorns.
The leaves are also pinnately compound, and may contain as many as nine to eleven leaflets. The upper side of the leaves are smooth dark green in contrast to the lighter green hairy undersides. The hairy undersides can be called puberulent from the Latin puber, (downy, adult) + -ulent, from ulentus (abounding in). The leaves can be 8 to 10 centimeters (3-4 inches) in length with leaflets 2 – 3 cm (.75 – 1.25 inches) long. The leaflets bear 2 wing-like stipules at the base of the stem, and may have a few glands at the tip edges. The leaflets are fringed on the margin with hairs and so can be described by the botany word ciliate from the Latin root cilium: an eye lash. The leaflets have either a very short leaf stem, or none at all.
As this is a short growing rose bush, it prefers the open grasslands, however will be found in the parklands. The prairie rose thrives on the extreme continental climate which alternates between severe winters and very warm or hot summers. It was noted that the Prairie Rose thrived during the most extreme years of drought experienced during the “dirty thirties.”
Prickly Rose (Rosa Acicularlis Lindl.) Acicularis has a Latin root meaning small pin or needle. The prickly rose is just that, densely prickled with straight weak thorns or bristles. The prickly rose defence of thorns prevent over-grazing by the animals in the vicinity. Prickly Rose will have no infrastipular spikes.
Each solitary flower is located at the axis of a short thin pedicel (stalk or stem). When there are more than one flower, they are featured in a corymb. At 4 – 7 cm (1.6 – 3 inches) across, the flower is fairly large. Look for blossoms at the very end of May through out June.
The calyx-lobes (referred to on the flower as sepals) are erect on the fruit. Erect in botanical terms mean upright, more or less perpendicular to the point of attachment. The calyx lobes are lanceolate and acuminate. Acuminate is another way of saying “coming to a point” from the Latin acuminatus, past participle of acuminare (“to sharpen to a point”). The stipules are mainly broad. The fruit or rose hip can be ovoid or pear-shaped with a length of 1.5 cm (0.6 inches) The rosehips is a bright red when ripe, and can be seen orange-red across the prairies.
The leaves are pinnately divided, and the leaflets are often twice toothed or double toothed. The leaves have conspicuous winged stipules with outward turning teeth born at the base of the leaf. The winged stipules may also be termed auricle having a small ear-like projection, from Latin auricula ‘external part of the ear’, diminutive of auris ‘ear’. Leaflets may number 5 to 9, and are often glabrous or resinous so are often sticky. The leaves are pubescent on the undersides which also means the leaflets are covered with short, soft hairs. Glandular-hairy petioles and rachises would imply that the leafstalk (petiole) which joins the leaflet to the stem and the main axis or shaft (rachis) bearing the leaflets have hairs upon them mounted with glands producing secretions on the surface of a plant. The leaflets are obtuse (blunt or rounded) at the apex and rounded at the base. Leaflets are oval or oval-lanceolate. The leaves are hairy on the underside of the leaflets. Each dark green leaflet is on average 3-4 cm (0.1-0.16 inches) long.
Thorns are straight, needle like and unequal.
The shrub may be formed as clones from rhizomatous roots, or from achenes born in rose hips. The shrub of the Prickly rose will reach a height of 0.9 to 1.2 meters (3-4 feet) at full maturity, and a rose thicket has rhizomatous roots which may create a single clone as large as 10-20 square meters (12-24 yards square) in size. However, rhizome roots of the rose sprout after a fire, or other types of disturbance.
Are there any other rose species which you may see in the afforestation areas? Why or why not?
In 2013, the South West Off Leash Dog Park becomes a 14.5 acre fenced off OLRA within the afforestation area. The SW OLRA has a large number of rose bush plants. Why? Are there more or less rose bush plants inside the SW OLRA or outside the fence? What happens to rose bush roots when disturbed by digging, or human influences?
Which rose species have you seen in the afforestation areas?
How many native rose species are there in Canada? in North America? around the world?
Does the domestic rose found in a flower shop have any relation to the native rose?
What challenges to the native rose plants face in this habitat? Why do native rose plants grow very well in the grasslands areas of the afforestation areas?
Explain how geographic ecosystems, and habitat adaptations can influence the creation of a new species.
Write a report describing the native rose plant discovered. Make notes of how tall the rose plant is to a tree, or to the grass around it. Describe the position of the rose blossom by measuring how high it is from the ground.
In the habitat and environment where you found the native rose plant, does it receive enough sun? Does the plant get enough water?
Are there any young rose plants nearby?
Are there any rose plants with rose hips on them?
Draw the entire leaf, and the smaller leaflet shape of the roses seen in the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area and George Genereux Urban Regional Park.
Which leaflet morphology is the closest to the rose seen in the afforestation area?
As you draw the leaf and leaflets by looking and observing them, try to also, touch them, smell, hear, and taste them. Does this sensory interaction, convince you to start another close up sketch or drawing?
What kind of safety procedures would you tell a person who was blind if this person were to use their senses to touch, smell, hear or taste a native rose flower leaf or leaflet? Would you communicate the safety rules to a person who was deaf in the same way?
How many leaflets does the entire leaf contain?
What is the size in length of the leaflets?
Is the underside of the leaf the same color as the top?
Would a bug find it easy or hard to walk along the top surface of the rose bush leaf?
Would an insect find it easy or hard to walk along the underneath surface of the rose bush leaf?
Are there any eggs, insect larva, etc under the rose bush leaf?
Why do some rose species have stripy rose petals? Does the shape or colour of the rose petal help a pollinating insect? Does the smell of a rose petal help the pollinator?
Does the afforestation area rose bush leaflet have a long or short leaf stem (petiole) or is it sessile? Sessility from sessilis meaning “sitting” or in botany “resting on the surface” having no stalk
When you draw the native rose plant leaves, which leaflets are seen from the top, which from the side, and from the bottom.
What color is the leaf backbone or the ‘rachis’?
Are there hairs on the leaflets? on the rachis?
Does the leaf have a stipule where the petiole attaches the rachis to the peduncle? leafstalk (petiole) joins the leaflet to the stem, the main leaf axis or shaft (rachis), the woody rose stem of the plant (peduncle).
Can you find the stipules? These are the little straw like outgrowths on either side of the base of the leafstalk (petiole)?
Is the stipule winged or adnate (joined together)?
Are there thorns or bristles below the stipules? These would be the infrastipular spikes.
What colour is the leaf in spring and summer?
What colour is the rose leaf in the autumn?
Are the leaflets whole, or nibbled?
Draw the flower of the native rose plant in the afforestation area.
Is the bloom solitary, or do the flowers appear in a corymb?
What colour is the blossom?
Are there any rose buds?
Can you find the sepals supporting the petals of the flower?
Can you find the sepals encasing the petals of the rose bud?
What size is the flower?
Is the flower fully open? Can you see the bottom of a blossom at the same time as looking at the top of a flower bloom? Can you observe the side of a rose flower? Are all the rose flowers in the front of the rose plant, or are some flowers tucked behind grass, surrounding plants, rose buds, other flowers, or leaves?
What is the date of first sighting a rose bud?
What is the date of first sighting a rose flower?
How does the drawing of the rose flower compare between June and August?
What is the date when the petals fall off leaving behind the rose hip?
What is the condition of the petals, did you draw any petals with holes? What caused the petal not to be whole?
As you draw the rose blossom and petals by looking and observing them, try to also, touch them, smell, hear, and taste them. Does this sensory interaction, convince you to start another close up sketch or drawing?
What kind of safety procedures would you tell a person who was blind if this person were to use their senses to touch, smell, hear or taste a native rose flower petal? Would you communicate the safety rules to a person who was deaf in the same way?
Draw a sketch of the entire native rose plant.
How high off the surface of the ground is the height of the plant?
Are there other rose plants nearby?
Is the ground or habitat in the area disturbed?
Has there been a lot of snow melt, and flooding in the spring?
Were there a lot of spring rains?
Has it been very dry, and an early year of drought so far?
Is there evidence of any insects or pollinators?
Do you think deers and rabbits affect the native rose plants? Do you think humans and offleash dogs have any impact on the native rose plants? How do the rhizomatous roots respond to disturbances by small mammals or dogs digging?
In your picture position the flowers and leaves on the plant relative to each other. Observe which leaves are in front or behind other leaves and blooms. Distinguish if a rose bud is larger or smaller than a leaflet.
Is there evidence on the plant of rose galls? (Rose galls are bulges or balls forming in the middle of the plant stem where insects have laid their eggs, and the growing larva cause the plant stem to swell into a gall.) According to Joseph Shorthouse in the report “Galls Induced by Cynipid Wasps of the Genus Diplolepis (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) on the Roses of Canada’s Grasslands” Thirteen species of cynipid wasps of the genus Diplolepis induce structurally distinct galls on the three species of wild roses found on the grasslands of western Canada. Three species of Diplolepis gall the short rose, Rosa arkansana, in the Mixed Grassland and Moist Mixed Grassland ecoregions of southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, and eight species gall the common prairie rose, R. woodsii, throughout the prairie grasslands. Five species of Diplolepis gall the larger rose, R. acicularis, in more shaded regions such as the Aspen Parkland Ecoregion.”
Please help protect / enhance your afforestation areas, please contact the Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas Inc. (e-mail)
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“St. Barbe’s unique capacity to pass on his enthusiasm to others. . . Many foresters all over the world found their vocations as a result of hearing ‘The Man of the Trees’ speak. I certainly did, but his impact has been much wider than that. Through his global lecture tours, St. Barbe has made millions of people aware of the importance of trees and forests to our planet.” Allan Grainger
“The science of forestry arose from the recognition of a universal need. It embodies the spirit of service to mankind in attempting to provide a means of supplying forever a necessity of life and, in addition, ministering to man’s aesthetic tastes and recreational interests. Besides, the spiritual side of human nature needs the refreshing inspiration which comes from trees and woodlands. If a nation saves its trees, the trees will save the nation. And nations as well as tribes may be brought together in this great movement, based on the ideal of beautifying the world by the cultivation of one of God’s loveliest creatures – the tree.” ~ Richard St. Barbe Baker.
Forests of Memory. Forests of Learning. Forests for Life. 