About Us

The Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas Inc. is an internationally recognized non - profit environmental charity officially accredited as a non - governmental organization with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). We are dedicated to the environmental protection, ecological enhancement, and long - term guardianship of Saskatoon's best - kept secret treasures: the 132 - hectare Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area and the 60 - hectare George Genereux Urban Regional Park.

Our regional stewardship footprint extends seamlessly to "A Forest That Grows From Loss," the Humboldt Broncos Memorial Healing Forest, located near Clavet in the R.M. of Blucher along Saskatchewan Highway 16. Through this vital initiative, we lead the transformation of 5.431 hectares of neglected land into a living tribute that honors the lives lost in the Humboldt Broncos tragedy, fostering community solace, ecological restoration, education, and climate action.

The Challenge of Urban Growth

Our mission occurs during a period of unprecedented regional expansion. As the city executes long - range planning strategies to accommodate massive growth, tens of thousands of new residents will soon reside in new neighborhoods immediately adjacent to these sensitive areas. Protecting the afforestation areas and the surrounding P4G Green Network Study Area is critical. Currently, George Genereux Urban Regional Park remains zoned as industrial/park land, while the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area is zoned as residential/park land—both under the administration of the city's land branch. We work tirelessly to ensure these landscapes are valued, protected, and permanently preserved as essential, wild green infrastructure.

Our Proven Record of Action

We don't just advocate; we execute nature - based solutions. Our practical, community - driven successes include:

Environmental Protection: Organizing numerous community cleanups that have physically removed over 72 tonnes of hazardous waste, oil, and toxic debris from these fragile ecosystems.

Securing the Land: Obtaining critical grants to install wildlife - friendly fencing, gates, and vehicle barriers to halt chronic illegal entry and industrial dumping.

Community Education: Establishing professional, on - site park identification signage, hosting guided educational tours, and developing bilingual curricula for schools.

Citizen Science: Engaging teams of volunteer citizen scientists to build a comprehensive inventory of local flora and fauna by connecting with nature through the iNaturalist app.




Come to Nature Come to Life


Our motto, "Come to Nature, Come to Life," encapsulates a profound double entendre: it is an explicit invitation to experience the vibrant, biodiverse life thriving within our forests, meadows, and wetlands, as well as a reminder of the deeply revitalizing effect that immersion in the natural world has on human health.

The "One-Health" Imperative

Central to our philosophy is the One-Health approach-the understanding that human health, animal wellness, and environmental integrity are completely interdependent. Modern medical research confirms that connecting with nature reduces stress, lowers anxiety, improves immune function, and boosts cardiovascular health. By stepping into these spaces, visitors are encouraged to embrace a lifestyle rooted in global wellness philosophies like Shinrin Yoku (forest bathing), Friluftsliv (free-air life), hygge, and wabi-sabi—finding peace, balance, and a deeper appreciation for natural, imperfect cycles.

Rooted in Kinship and Interconnectedness

Our stewardship is guided by the Indigenous nêhiyawêwin (Cree) concept of niwāhkōākanak, which honors our relation to all living things-the standing trees, animals, waters, ancestors, and generations to come. Through the Cree principles of wāhkōhtowin and the Michif concept of waahkoomiwayhk, we champion the sacred truth of belonging and interconnectedness among all beings past, present, and future.

By anchoring our work in a culture of Sākihitowin (love and kindness), we invite urban citizens to step outside, heal alongside the earth, and experience the transformative power of a landscape rooted in memory and growing in hope.



MANDATE

Culture, Art, and Community Rhythms We use arts, heritage, and music as powerful catalysts for environmental appreciation. By hosting inclusive, cross-disciplinary events, cultural initiatives, and wellness programs, we foster deep community engagement and build a collective culture of natural stewardship.

Global Advocacy and Cross-Sector Collaboration

As a UNEP-accredited NGO, we break down professional and geographic silos to address complex socio-environmental issues. Through our international, award-winning legacy documentaries and the global Voices from the Afforestation Areas Webinar Series, we unite global experts, researchers, and Indigenous knowledge keepers to strengthen climate resilience worldwide.

A Unified Vision for the UN SDGs

SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 15 (Life on Land), & SDG 6 (Clean Water) Watershed Protection: Driving large-scale waste removal (72+ tonnes), habitat management, and soil/water conservation in the West Swale watershed.

Habitat Restoration: Planting native trees and pollinator species to fix degraded soils and maximize carbon sequestration.

Citizen Science: Leading annual BioBlitzes and the city-wide City Nature Challenge to track biodiversity.

Species Defense: Documenting and fiercely advocating for the protection of over 63 endangered species and species at risk within our urban forests.

SDG 4 (Quality Education) & SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption)

Living Classrooms: Hosting community, university, and school tours across our afforestation spaces and the Memorial Healing Forest.

Academic & Digital Learning: Collaborating with Master's students on environmental restoration research and sharpening public eco-literacy through interactive online quizzes.

Global Curricula: Delivering international partner-led programming focused on Community Engagement, Human-Animal Interactions, Ecological Resilience, and Planetary Solutions.

Enduring Legacies: Honoring the vision of Richard St. Barbe Baker and championing Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR).

The 7R's of Daily Living: Training communities to reduce harmful substances by practicing: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Refuse, Repair, Regrow, and Rethink.

SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) & SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities)

The One-Health Framework: Protecting urban green spaces as essential nature-based infrastructure, recognizing that human wellness is entirely dependent on thriving ecosystems.

Mental & Physical Solace: Mitigating modern societal stressors and reducing anxiety through natural forest sanctuaries.

ParticipACTION Ideals: Inspiring citizens of all generations to overcome sedentary lifestyles through active outdoor recreation, guided trail tours, and hands-on conservation work.

SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) & SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)

Advocacy Framework: Driving our core strategy statement: "Connecting People and Nature: The Cultural Value of Afforestation Areas."

Dismantling Barriers: Uniting global volunteers, municipal leaders, and Indigenous knowledge keepers to advance gender equality, empower youth-led voices, and turn collective grief into - generational environmental action.

Our International and Regional Coalition Networks:
Sector / Field Key Partners & Expert Collaborators
Institutional Partners City of Saskatoon Sustainability, Meewasin Land Trust, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Animal People Inc., Juventud Unida en Acción, WESH (Women for Environmental and Social Health), SOS Trees, Wild About Saskatoon, Saskatoon Nature Society, Nature Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan Native Plant Society, TAIBU Community Health Centre.
Pioneering Conservationists & Historians Paul Hanley (Biographer & FSAAI Co-Founder), Dr. Camilla Allen (Baker Legacy Scholar), Dr. Bill Waiser (Distinguished Historian Emeritus), Jeff O'Brien (Saskatoon City Archivist).
Global Forest Restorers & Agro-Ecologists Tony Rinaudo (FMNR Co-Developer), Alan Watson-Featherstone (Trees for Life Founder), Scott Poynton (The Forest Trust Founder), Leona Graham (Wilderness Congresses Director).
International Policy & City Planning Experts Vance Martin (WILD Foundation), Dr. Alan Grainger (University of Leeds), Hugh Locke (Smallholder Farmers Alliance), Carmen Capriles (Climate Governance), Mirna Inés Fernández (GYBN), Daniel Sawadogo (Political Scientist), Dr. David VanVliet (University of Manitoba).
One-Health & Animal Welfare Specialists Wolf Gordon Clifton (Animal People Inc.), Liben Gebremikael – Founding Executive Director and CEO, TAHIBU Community Health Centre, Adeline Lerambert (Born Free Foundation), Femke den Haas (JAAN), Isaac Maina (ANAW), Pei F. Su (ACT Asia), Tozie Zokufa (CAAWO), Varda Mehrotra (Samayu), Dr. Kimmy Cushman (Plant Based Treaty).
Saskatoon Community & Grassroots Leaders Robert White (Men of the Trees Prize Winner), Dr. Ernie Walker (Archaeology & Anthropology Professor Emeritus), Jeff Hehn (Fatlanders Fat Tire Brigade), Reagan Wildeman (Community Athletics), Julia Adamson (FSAAI Co-Founder), Dalia F. Márquez A. (UNEP Women's Major Group), Madison Cooke (Climate Reality), Rosalyn Kilcollins (Citizen Science Advocate), Frezer Yeheyis Tsegaye (Cross-Sector Facilitator).




LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The afforestation areas are situated in the West Swale Yorath Island Glacial Spillway, a sacred site in Treaty 6 Territory and Homeland of the Métis. Those who entered into Treaty 6 are the nêhiyawak (Cree), nakawē (Saulteaux), and yankton and yanktonai (Nakota) people. May our relationships with the land, standing peoples, forests, and waters teach us to honour and respect the past and invite us to move forward in harmony. May we all come together as friends, to find inspiration and guidance from histories, languages, and cultures which broaden our understanding and community collaboration for the present and future.

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"This generation may either be the last to exist in any semblance of a civilised world or that it will be the first to have the vision, the bearing and the greatness to say, 'I will have nothing to do with this destruction of life, I will play no part in this devastation of the land, I am determined to live and ...today it is the duty of every thinking being to live, and to serve not only his own day and generation, but also generations unborn by helping to restore and maintain the green glory of the forests of the earth."
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