Natural Areas
What is a natural area?
Natural areas are important places that connect residents to nature, provide spaces for reflection and recreation and are living reminders of our natural heritage. These sites are home to the diversity of wildlife found in and around Saskatoon, including rare species like Piping Plover, Monarch Butterflies and Northern Leopard Frogs. By helping to cool surrounding areas, manage storm water runoff and store carbon, they are also an important part of the City’s Climate Action Plan.
Natural areas currently make up a large portion of Saskatoon's Green Network. For example:
- Grasslands like the Northeast Swale and Small Swale make up 11.5% (1,285 ha) of the network
- Wetlands like those at Hyde Park and the Northeast Swale make up 11% (1,206 ha)
- Forests and shrublands like the river’s riparian forest and the Richard St Barbe Baker afforestation area make up 5% (577 ha)
Unfortunately, these important spaces are at risk. Wetlands and grasslands, especially the moist mixed grassland found in this ecoregion, are some of the most endangered landscapes globally. Threats to these ecosystems at the local level include loss of habitat because of urban growth and insufficient protection or management.
Protecting natural areas in Saskatoon
To ensure that natural areas are protected into the future, the City is developing a Natural Areas Program which aims to protect, restore and manage significant natural areas in the green network. Several initiatives are happening, or have happened, as part of this program. This work was recommended in the Green Infrastructure Strategy and is part of the implementation of Green Pathways.
Natural areas programs and initiatives
Natural Areas Inventory
In 2019, the City worked with Meewasin to create a Natural Areas Inventory, which helps us better understand the current state of our natural areas. The inventory examined the types of natural areas that are found in Saskatoon, where they are located and analyzed additional information like the types and numbers of species, accessibility to the sites and cultural elements.
Natural Area Management Plans
As part of a pilot project in 2023, the City prepared Natural Area Management Plans for two important sites: the Small Swale and Richard St Barbe Baker Afforestation Area. In the future, the City will work to implement recommendations in these management plans and identify additional sites that would benefit from management. More information about this project is available on the Project Engage Page.
Natural Area Policies and Process
Green Pathways includes an action to develop policies and tools for natural area identification, prioritization, conservation, designation and connectivity. The resulting work will lead to recommendations on policy, process and management improvements for the City to consider to better support natural areas.
Wetlands
The City is working toward the conservation and management of wetlands within the urban environment. The Official Community Plan, Wetland Policy and Zoning Bylaw all help to provide guidance to landowners and developers on achieving the responsible integration of wetlands within the city. Initiatives are currently underway to improve compliance with the Wetland Policy.
Natural Asset Framework
The City is working to define and value the services that natural areas and assets provide. Incorporating natural assets into the City’s asset management system will allow us to plan for, manage and appropriately resource this critical infrastructure in the same way that we do for infrastructure like roads, buildings and pipes. Initial work includes the preparation of the Natural Capital Asset Valuation pilot, which identified and valued the ecosystem services of the Small Swale and Richard St Barbe Baker Afforestation Area. The City also partnered with the Natural Assets Initiative in 2022 to identify the condition of and risks to our natural assets and assess ways we can strengthen our natural asset management approach.
The value of our natural areas
Everything that society needs ultimately comes from nature. The range of benefits that nature provides cannot be understated: from clean air and water, fresh food and habitat, to mental health, physical and spiritual benefits—these spaces are truly valuable.
A Natural Capital Asset Valuation study completed in 2020 assessed the value of services provided by the Small Swale and Richard St Barbe Baker Afforestation Area. Some of the results of the study can be generalized to other natural assets. For example:
Value provided by natural areas
- Water Quality: Wetlands are sometimes called the “kidneys of the earth” because of their role in purifying water. The value that wetlands provide to improve water quality is approximately $16,000/ha/year. Several additional studies show that wetlands can reduce nitrogen and phosphorus loading in the water flowing through them on average by 58-67%. Urban wetlands also play a critical role in mitigating the effects of pollution, including dust, heavy metals, debris and other pollutants.
- Carbon Sequestration: Saskatoon’s Low Emissions Community Plan highlights the role of natural areas in capturing and storing carbon, including in wetlands, grasslands and forests/shrublands. The Natural Capital Asset Valuation study estimates that: wetlands sequester 5.31 tonnes of carbon /ha/year, grasslands sequester 4.1 tonnes of carbon /ha/year and forests and shrublands sequester 2.77 tonnes of carbon /ha/year.
- Urban Cooling: Conserving and restoring wetlands within the urban landscape helps to cool cities by absorbing heat and reflecting solar radiation—a service valued at $1,168/ha/year.
- Cost Efficiencies: Conserving natural areas so they can continue to provide the services listed above is often less expensive than trying to replicate these services through other forms of infrastructure.
Monitoring progress: where are we now?
The Natural Areas Inventory (2019) provided a baseline of where we’re at with the number and quality of natural areas in Saskatoon. While we expect to see some loss of natural areas as the City grows, we do want to slow the loss of and improve the condition of these natural areas through better protection and management processes.
Natural area evaluation
| Natural Area Type | Example Sites | Current Quantity as of 2019 | Quality* |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Grasslands |
|
11.5% (1,285 ha) of the City's total footprint |
54% of grasslands are in fair condition 46% of grasslands are in poor condition |
| Wetlands |
|
11% (1,206 ha) of the City's total footprint |
31% of wetlands are in good condition 51% of wetlands are in fair condition 18% of wetlands are in poor condition |
| Forests & Shrubland |
|
5% (577 ha) of the City's total footprint |
35% of forests and shrublands are in good condition 42% of forests and shrublands are in fair condition 23% of forests and shrublands are in poor condition |
*Quality was assessed through a desktop review of the area’s surface permeability, adjacent land use, nearby road density and relative size. Field studies are needed to identify additional condition impacts that may alter these ratings (e.g., occurrence of invasive species).
How you can help
Saskatoon's natural areas improve our quality of life and allow us to enjoy the natural beauty of the environment that surrounds us. The City and many local organizations are working to keep these spaces healthy so they can be enjoyed by residents for generations to come. We all benefit from natural areas, and we can all play a part in keeping them healthy and vibrant.
Supporting Saskatoon's natural areas
Support the natural world from home
Nature-friendly homes and yards are one great way to support this work. The City and our partners have some useful resources for residents to protect biodiversity at home. For example:
- Bird-Friendly Yards: a How To Guide has information for residents to reduce risks to birds, including how to reduce bird deaths from window collisions.
- Creating Biodiversity in Your Yard has tips for creating a biodiverse yard and garden.
- The City's Healthy Yards program has numerous guides and ideas for activities like urban bee keeping, pesticide-free gardening, supporting biodiversity and pollinators and other home-based activities for supporting your own natural area at home.
Get out into nature
Experience some of the publicly accessible natural areas in Saskatoon by visiting one of the City’s many naturalized parks or a site within the Meewasin Valley.
You can be a respectful visitor to these areas by:
- Cleaning up your litter and pet waste
- Respecting all site signage
- Staying on trails
Volunteer
Looking for something more hands on? You can also connect with groups like Meewasin for volunteer and citizen science opportunities in these natural areas.