Trees with a Story: Celebrating Arbor Week and National Smile Day in Saskatoon’s Living Forests
By Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas Inc.
What makes you smile?
For some, it is a favourite song, a visit with friends, or a sunny spring day. For others, happiness can be found in the quiet rustle of leaves overhead, the flash of a bird’s wing, or the discovery of a wildflower along a forest trail.
This year, Arbor Week and National Smile Day come together on May 31, creating the perfect opportunity to celebrate one of Saskatoon’s greatest natural treasures: the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area.
The event, Trees with a Story: An Arbor Week Celebration & Smile Day Walk, invites nature lovers, families, photographers, hikers, citizen scientists, and curious explorers to discover the fascinating stories hidden within Saskatoon’s urban forest.
Every Tree Has a Story
At first glance, a forest may appear to be simply a collection of trees.
Look closer.
Each tree represents a chapter in a much larger story—one of resilience, survival, biodiversity, and community stewardship.
Some species have called Saskatchewan home for thousands of years. Others arrived through human settlement and agricultural development. Some were deliberately planted during the Green Survival Program of 1972-73, while a few have become unwelcome invaders that threaten native ecosystems.
Together, they form a living library waiting to be explored.
Visitors on the walk will encounter towering American Elms and Green Ash trees, both species now listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List due to increasing threats across their native ranges.
Participants will also meet the ever-popular Trembling Aspen, whose shimmering leaves seem to dance in even the gentlest breeze, and the mighty Bur Oak, one of the prairie’s most enduring symbols of strength and longevity.
A Forest Born from Vision
The Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area and nearby George Genereux Urban Regional Park owe their existence to a remarkable vision that began more than fifty years ago.
In 1972 and 1973, thousands of trees were planted as part of Saskatchewan’s Green Survival Program, with species selection guided by the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration.
The goal was practical: protect the landscape from erosion, improve environmental conditions, and establish shelterbelts capable of thriving in the prairie climate.
What emerged over the decades was something far greater.
Today, these former nursery lands have matured into thriving urban forests that support wildlife, improve air quality, sequester carbon, provide recreational opportunities, and serve as outdoor classrooms for environmental education.
No one planting those young saplings could have predicted the extraordinary biodiversity they would one day support.
Seeking Rare Treasures
One of the most exciting aspects of the Arbor Week walk is the possibility of discovering rare and unusual species.
Participants will learn about the Red-Berried Elder, an S2-ranked species considered rare in Saskatchewan. This beautiful shrub provides habitat and food for birds and pollinators while adding another layer of ecological richness to the forest.
Even more intriguing is the possibility of finding the elusive Smooth Rose, an S1-ranked species that has not yet been documented in the area but remains a tantalizing possibility for observant naturalists.
Every walk becomes a treasure hunt.
Every observation could become an important scientific record.
The $50 Linden Tree Mystery
Adding to the excitement is one of the forest’s most enduring mysteries.
In 1984, a Linden Tree was reportedly planted somewhere within the afforestation area.
Its exact location remains unknown.
To celebrate Arbor Week, organizers are offering a $50 prize to the first participant who locates the tree and records a verified observation using the iNaturalist platform during the event.
Will this be the year the mystery is finally solved?
Only the forest knows.
Citizen Science in Action
One of the most remarkable developments in conservation today is the rise of citizen science.
Participants are encouraged to bring smartphones equipped with the iNaturalist app and help document the biodiversity of the forest.
A photograph uploaded during the walk can contribute to global scientific databases, assist researchers, document rare species, or help track the spread of invasive plants.
Citizen science transforms visitors into researchers and casual observations into valuable scientific contributions.
It reminds us that environmental stewardship is not limited to scientists and academics.
Everyone can participate.
Everyone can contribute.
Watching the Watchlist
Not every species encountered on the walk belongs in the forest.
Participants will also learn how to identify highly invasive species such as European Buckthorn, a plant capable of outcompeting native vegetation and altering habitat conditions.
By documenting invasive species through platforms such as iNaturalist, community members become active partners in conservation and ecological restoration.
Protecting biodiversity begins with knowing what belongs—and what doesn’t.
A Smile for the Future
National Smile Day encourages us to celebrate the simple joys in life.
Few experiences are more uplifting than spending time among trees.
Research consistently shows that forests improve mental health, reduce stress, increase physical activity, and strengthen our connection to nature.
The Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area offers all of these benefits while providing critical habitat for birds, pollinators, mammals, and countless other species.
It is a place where children can discover nature, families can explore together, and adults can reconnect with the natural world.
Most importantly, it is a place that reminds us of our responsibility to future generations.
The people who planted these forests more than fifty years ago may never have imagined the impact their work would have today.
The question now becomes: What legacy will we leave?
Every tree planted matters.
Every species protected matters.
Every observation recorded matters.
Every smile shared in nature matters.
This Arbor Week and National Smile Day, join us for a walk through a forest filled with stories, discoveries, and inspiration.
Come for the trees.
Stay for the smiles.
And perhaps leave with a deeper appreciation for the living legacy growing right here in Saskatoon.
Event Details
📍 Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area – Parking Area P2
🌐 Learn more at friendsareas.ca
Because every tree has a story—and every visitor becomes part of it.
Addresses:
Part SE 23-36-6 – Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area – 241 Township Road 362-A
Part SE 23-36-6 – SW Off-Leash Recreation Area (Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area ) – 355 Township Road 362-A
S ½ 22-36-6 Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area (West of SW OLRA) – 467 Township Road 362-A
NE 21-36-6 “George Genereux” Afforestation Area – 133 Range Road 3063
Wikimapia Map: type in Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area or
Google Maps South West Off Leash area location pin at parking lot
Web page: https://stbarbebaker.wordpress.com
Where is the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area? with map
Where is the George Genereux Urban Regional Park (Afforestation Area)?with map
Blogger: FriendsAfforestation
Tumblr friendsafforestation.tumblr.comFacebook Group Page: Users of the George Genereux Urban Regional Park
Facebook: StBarbeBaker Afforestation Area
Facebook for the non profit Charity Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas Inc. FriendsAreas
Facebook group page : Users of the St Barbe Baker Afforestation Area
Support via Zeffy
Please help protect / enhance your afforestation areas, please contact the Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas Inc. (e-mail / e-transfers )
Donate your old vehicle, here’s how!
Support using Canada Helps
Support via a recycling bottle donation and Join the plastic-recycle challenge!
United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
- Use the UN Decade’s Visual Identity
- Make it your own
- Spread the word about the UN Decade
- Let’s Bring Back Forests
- Let’s Green Our Cities
““Be like a tree in pursuit of your cause. Stand firm, grip hard, thrust upward. Bend to the winds of heaven..”
Forests of Memory. Forests of Learning. Forests for Life. 