Canadian Province - Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan is the province in western Canada between Alberta and Manitoba. It covers 161,088,000 acres (251,700 square miles or 651,900 square km). Saskatchewan is one of only two landlocked Provinces in Canada (along with Alberta). Most of the people in Saskatchewan live in the southern half of the province. The capitol is Regina, but the city with the most people is Saskatoon. More than half of Saskatchewan is made up of forest (52%) - about 83,770,000 acres (almost 34 million hectares). The largest lake in Saskatchewan is Lake Athabasca, which covers almost 2 million acres. Only part of it is in Saskatchewan – in the northwest corner of the province, while the other half is in Alberta. Next to the southern shore of the lake are the Athabasca Sand Dunes. These huge dunes can be 5,000 feet (1,500 meters) long and 100 feet (30 meters) tall. Athabasca Sand Dunes Provincial Park was formed to protect them. Other unique land features in Saskatchewan include the Cypress Hills in southwestern Saskatchewan and the Killdeer Badlands.

Saskatchewan has 101 million acres (410,000 square km) of boreal forest where more than 4,000 boreal woodland caribou make their home. It is the breeding ground for  more than 175 species of birds. As many as 200 million birds breed there each year.

Saskatchewan is broken down by scientists into natural communities called "Ecozones."
The northernmost 20% of the Saskatchewan is in the Western Taiga Shield Ecozone – a region of boreal forest. This flat, wet, coniferous forest region has long, cold winters and is the transition zone between the boreal forest and the Arctic. It is dotted with millions of lakes left by the retreat of the glaciers, including Lake Athabasca, and bogs, making it a popular breeding ground for waterfowl. The forest includes: black and white spruce, jack pine, green alder, paper, white and dwarf birch, tamarack, balsam fir, quaking aspen, and balsam poplar. The region supports animals that can tolerate subarctic conditions, including black and grizzly bears, wolf, lynx, moose, barren-ground and woodland caribou, coyote, weasel, wolverine, river otter, red and arctic fox, muskrat, marten, mink, beaver, vole, red squirrel, and snowshoe hare. Humans mine ore and explore for oil in this region.
Below the Taiga Shield is a large region called Boreal Shield Ecozone covering almost 1/3 of Saskatchewan. This huge ecozone stretches all across Canada with rolling hills covered in boreal forest. Millions of lakes were left by the retreat of the glaciers making it a popular breeding ground for waterfowl. The forest includes: black and white spruce, jack pine, green alder, paper, white and dwarf birch, tamarack, balsam fir, quaking aspen, and balsam poplar.  The region supports black and grizzly bear, wolf, lynx, moose, barren-ground and woodland caribou, coyote, weasel, wolverine, river otter, red and arctic fox, muskrat, marten, mink, beaver, voles, red squirrels, and snowshoe hare. Humans mine ore in this region.
Below the Boreal Shield is the Boreal Plains Ecozone. This region has long, cold dry winters with much of the moisture blocked by the Rocky Mountains. It was scraped flat by the glaciers and left with many lakes and glacial kettles. The forests are mixed hardwood and coniferous with white and black spruce, balsam fir, jack pine, tamarack, white, water and Alaska birch, quaking aspen, willows, maple and balsam poplar. The region supports black bear, wolf, lynx, elk, mule and white-tailed deer, moose, caribou, bison, coyote, weasel, river otter, badger, striped skunk, muskrat, marten, fisher, beaver, woodchuck, Richardson's, Franklin's and thirteen-lined ground squirrels, chipmunks, porcupine, eastern cottontail, and snowshoe hare. Humans log the forest and in the southern part of this region, the land (about 16%) has been converted for agricultural uses - farming and grazing.
The southern third of Saskatchewan is Prairie Ecozone. This cold, flat region has been developed into agricultural and oil-producing land. This is considered the "Breadbasket of Canada" and as much as 94% is used for agriculture and grazing pasture. There is also a lot of exploration for  natural gas, and petroleum. Little of the natural habitat is left in the region and it is considered the most endangered natural habitat in Canada today. Saskatchewan's Grasslands National Park is one protected area that still has native mixed short grass prairies and some low-lying wetland meadows.

Mammals:
Antelope (Pronghorn) - Antilocapra americana
Badger (American) - Taxidea taxus
Bat (Big Brown) - Eptesicus fuscus
Bat (Eastern Red) - Lasiurus borealis
Bat (Hoary) - Lasiurus cinereus
Bat (Little Brown Myotis) - Myotis lucifugus
Bat (Long-eared) - Myotis evotis
Bat (Northern long-eared) - Myotis septentrionalis
Bat (Silver-haired) - Lasionycteris noctivagans
Bat (Western Small-footed Myotis) - Myotis ciliolabrum
Bear (Black) - Ursus americanus
Beaver - Castor canadensis
Bison - Bison bison
Bobcat - Lynx rufus
Caribou (Barren Ground) - Rangifer tarandus granti
Caribou (Woodland) - Rangifer tarandus caribou
Chipmunk (Least) - Tamias minimus
Coyote - Canis latrans
Deer (Mule) - Odocoileus hemionus
Deer (White-tailed)  - Odocoileus virginianus
Elk - Cervus canadensis
Fisher - Martes pennanti
Fox (Arctic) - Alopex lagopus
Fox (Red) - Vulpes vulpes
Fox (Swift) - Vulpes velox - reintroduced
Hare (Snowshoe) - Lepus americanus
Jackrabbit (White-tailed) - Lepus townsendii
Kangaroo Rat (Ord's) - Dipodomys ordii
Lemming (Northern Bog) - Synaptomys borealis
Lynx (Canadian) - Lynx canadensis
Marten (American) - Martes americana
Mink (American) - Neovison vison
Moose - Alces alces
Mountain Lion (Cougar, Puma) - Puma concolor
Mouse (Deer) - Peromyscus maniculatus
Mouse (House) - Mus musculus - Introduced
Mouse (Olive-backed Pocket) - Perognathus fasciatus
Mouse (Northern Grasshopper) - Onychomys leucogaster
Mouse (White-footed) - Peromyscus leucopus
Mouse (Western Jumping) - Zapus princeps
Muskrat - Ondatra zibethicus
Otter (River) - Lontra canadensis
Pocket Gopher (Northern) - Thomomys talpoides
Porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum
Prairie Dog (Black-tailed) - Cynomys ludovicianus
Rabbit (Eastern Cottontail) - Sylvilagus floridanus
Rabbit (Mountain Cottontail or Nuttall's) - Sylvilagus nuttallii
Raccoon - Procyon lotor
Shrew (American Water) - Sorex palustris
Shrew (Arctic) - Sorex arcticus
Shrew (Common) - Sorex cinereus
Shrew (Dusky) - Sorex obscurus
Shrew (Prairie) - Sorex haydeni
Shrew (Pygmy) - Microsorex hoyi
Shrew (Short-tailed) - Blarina brevicauda
Skunk (Striped) - Mephitis mephitis
Squirrel (Franklin's Ground) - Spermophilus franklinii
Squirrel (Northern Flying) - Glaucomys sabrinus
Squirrel (Red) - Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
Squirrel (Richardson's Ground) - Spermophilus richardsonii
Squirrel (Thirteen-lined) - Spermophilus tridecemlineatus
Vole (Meadow) - Microtus pennsylvanicus
Vole (Prairie) - Microtus ochrogaster
Vole (Sagebrush) - Lemmiscus curtatus
Vole (Southern Red-backed) - Clethrionomys gapperi
Vole (Taiga) - Microtus xanthognathus
Weasel (Least)  - Mustela nivalis
Weasel (Long-tailed) - Mustela frenata
Weasel (Short-tailed or Ermine) - Mustela erminea
Wolf (Gray) - Canis lupus
Wolverine - Gulo gulo
Woodchuck  - Marmota monax
Woodrat (Bushy-tailed) - Neotoma cinerea

Birds:
avocet (American)
bittern (American)
bittern (least)
blackbird (Brewer's)
blackbird (red-winged)
blackbird (rusty)
blackbird (yellow-headed)
bluebird (eastern)
bluebird (mountain)
bobolink
brambling
bunting (indigo)
bunting (lark)
bunting (lazuli)
bunting (painted)
bunting (rustic)
bunting (snow)
cardinal (northern)
catbird (gray)
chat (yellow-breasted)
chickadee (black-capped)
chickadee (boreal)
chickadee (mountain)
coot (American)
cormorant (double-crested)
cowbird (brown-headed)
crane (common)
crane (sandhill)
crane (whooping)
creeper (brown)
crossbill (red)
crossbill (white-winged)
crow (American)
cuckoo (black-billed)
curlew (long-billed)
dickcissel
dipper (American)
dove (band-tailed pigeon)
dove (Eurasian collared)
dove (mourning)
dove (rock)
dove (white-winged)
dowitcher (long-billed)
dowitcher (short-billed)
duck (American black)
duck (American widgeon)
duck (Barrow's goldeneye)
duck (black scoter)
duck (blue-winged teal)
duck (bufflehead)
duck (canvasback)
duck (cinnamon teal)
duck (common eider)
duck (common goldeneye)
duck (common pochard)
duck (common teal)
duck (Eurasian widgeon)
duck (gadwall)
duck (garganey)
duck (goo sander)
duck (greater scaup)
duck (harlequin)
duck (king eider)
duck (lesser scaup)
duck (long-tailed or oldsquaw)
duck (mallard)
duck (northern pintail)
duck (northern shoveler)
duck (redhead)
duck (ring-necked)
duck (ruddy)
duck (surf scoter)
duck (white-winged scoter)
duck (wood)
dunlin
eagle (bald)
eagle (golden)
egret (cattle)
egret (great)
egret (snowy)
falcon (gyrfalcon)
falcon (peregrine)
falcon (prairie)
finch (gray-crowned rosy-)
finch (house)
finch (purple)
flicker (northern)
flycatcher (alder)
flycatcher (dusky)
flycatcher (great-crested)
flycatcher (least)
flycatcher (olive-sided)
flycatcher (scissor-tailed)
flycatcher (willow)
flycatcher (yellow-bellied)
frigatebird (magnificent)
godwit (bar-tailed)
godwit (Hudsonian)
godwit (marbled)
goldfinch (American)
goose (brant)
goose (Canada)
goose (great white-fronted)
goose (Ross's)
goose (snow)
grackle (common)
grèbe (black-necked)
grèbe (Clark's)
grèbe (horned)
grèbe (pied-billed)
grèbe (red-necked)
grèbe (western)
grosbeak (black-headed)
grosbeak (evening)
grosbeak (pine)
grosbeak (rose-breasted)
grouse (greater sage)
grouse (ruffed)
grouse (sharp-tailed)
grouse (spruce)
guillemot (black)
gull (Bonaparte’s)
gull (California)
gull (Franklin's)
gull (glaucous)
gull (great black-backed)
gull (herring)
gull (Iceland)
gull (lesser black-backed)
gull (little)
gull (mew)
gull (ring-billed)
gull (Sabine's)
gull (slaty-backed)
gull (Thayer's)
gull (western)
harrier (northern)
hawk (broad-winged)
hawk (Cooper's)
hawk (ferruginous)
hawk (northern goshawk)
hawk (red-tailed)
hawk (rough-legged)
hawk (sharp-shinned)
hawk (Swainson's)
heron (black-crowned night)
heron (great blue)
heron (green)
heron (little blue)
heron (yellow-crowned night)
hummingbird (Anna's)
hummingbird (calliope)
hummingbird (ruby-throated)
hummingbird (rufous)
ibis (white-faced)
jaeger (long-tailed)
jaeger (parasitic)
jay (blue)
jay (gray)
jay (Stellar's)
junco (dark-eyed)
kestrel (American)
killdeer
kingbird (eastern)
kingbird (western)
kingfisher (belted)
kinglet (golden-crowned)
kinglet (ruby-crowned)
kite (Mississippi)
kite (white-tailed)
kittiwake (black-legged)
lark (horned)
longspur (chestnut-collared)
longspur (Lapland)
longspur (McCown's)
longspur (Smith's)
loon (common)
loon (Pacific)
loon (red-throated)
loon (yellow-billed)
magpie (black-billed)
martin (purple)
meadowlark (eastern)
meadowlark (western)
merganser (hooded)
merganser (red-breasted)
merlin
mockingbird (northern)
murrelet (ancient)
nighthawk (common)
nuthatch (red-breasted)
nuthatch (white-breasted)
oriole (Baltimore)
oriole (Bullock's)
oriole (orchard)
osprey
ovenbird
owl (barn)
owl (barred)
owl (boreal)
owl (burrowing)
owl (great grey)
owl (great horned)
owl (eastern screech)
owl (long-eared)
owl (northern hawk)
owl (northern saw-whet)
owl (short-eared)
owl (snowy)
partridge (gray)
parula (northern)
pelican (American white)
pelican (brown)
pewee (eastern wood)
pewee (western wood)
phalarope (red)
phalarope (red-necked)
phalarope (Wilson's)
pheasant (common)
phoebe (eastern)
phoebe (Say's)
pigeon (band-tailed)
pine siskin
pipit (buff-bellied)
pipit (Sprague's)
plover (American golden)
plover (black-bellied)
plover (Kentish)
plover (piping)
plover (semipalmated)
poorwill (common)
prairie chicken (greater)
rail (Virginia)
rail (yellow)
raven (common)
red knot
redpoll (common)
redpoll (hoary)
redshank (spotted)
redstart (American)
robin (American)
ruff
sanderling
sandpiper (Baird's)
sandpiper (least)
sandpiper (pectoral)
sandpiper (semipalmated)
sandpiper (solitary)
sandpiper (spotted)
sandpiper (stilt)
sandpiper (upland)
sandpiper (western)
sandpiper (white-rumped)
sapsucker (red-naped)
sapsucker (Williamson's)
sapsucker (yellow-bellied)
shrike (loggerhead)
shrike (northern)
skua (pomarine)
solitaire (Townsend's)
sora
snipe  (common)
sparrow (American tree)
sparrow (Baird's)
sparrow (black-throated)
sparrow (Brewer's)
sparrow (chipping)
sparrow (clay-colored)
sparrow (field)
sparrow (fox)
sparrow (golden-crowned)
sparrow (grasshopper)
sparrow (green-tailed)
sparrow (Harris's)
sparrow (house)
sparrow (lark)
sparrow (Le Conte's)
sparrow (Lincoln's)
sparrow (Nelson's sharp-tailed)
sparrow (Savannah)
sparrow (song)
sparrow (swamp)
sparrow (vesper)
sparrow (white-crowned)
sparrow (white-throated)
starling
stilt (black-winged)
swallow (barn)
swallow (cliff)
swallow (northern rough-winged)
swallow (tree)
swallow (violet-green)
swan (trumpeter)
swan (tundra)
swift (chimney)
tanager (hepatic)
tanager (scarlet)
tanager (summer)
tanager (western)
tern (arctic)
tern (black)
tern (Caspian)
tern (common)
tern (Forster's)
tern (least)
thrasher (brown)
thrasher (curve-billed)
thrasher (sage)
thrush (gray-cheeked)
thrush (hermit)
thrush (Swainson's)
thrush (varied)
thrush (wood)
towhee (eastern)
towhee (green-tailed)
towhee (spotted)
turkey (wild)
turnstone (ruddy)
veery
vireo (blue-headed)
vireo (Cassin's)
vireo (Philadelphia)
vireo (red-eyed)
vireo (white-eyed)
vireo (warbling)
vireo (yellow-throated)
vulture (turkey)
wagtail (white)
warbler (bay-breasted)
warbler (blackburnian)
warbler (blackpoll)
warbler (black-and-white)
warbler (black-throated blue)
warbler (black-throated gray)
warbler (black-throated green)
warbler (blue-winged)
warbler (Canada)
warbler (Cape May)
warbler (chestnut-sided)
warbler (Connecticut)
warbler (golden-winged)
warbler (hooded)
warbler (MacGillivray's)
warbler (magnolia)
warbler (mourning)
warbler (orange-crowned)
warbler (palm)
warbler (pine)
warbler (prairie)
warbler (prothonotary)
warbler (Tennessee)
warbler (Townsend's)
warbler (Wilson's)
warbler (worm-eating)
warbler (yellow)
warbler (yellow-rumped)
warbler (yellow-throated)
waterthrush (northern)
waxwing (Bohemian)
waxwing (cedar)
whimbrel
whip-poor-will
willet
woodcock (American)
woodpecker (American three-toed)
woodpecker (Ablack-backed)
woodpecker (downy)
woodpecker (hairy)
woodpecker (Lewis's)
woodpecker (pileated)
woodpecker (red-bellied)
woodpecker (red-headed)
wren (house)
wren (marsh)
wren (rock)
wren (sedge)
wren (winter)
yellowlegs (greater)
yellowlegs (lesser)
yellowthroat (common)

For more details about Saskatchewan's birds: LINK

Amphibians:
Frog (Boreal Chorus) - Pseudacris maculate
Frog (Northern Leopard) - Rana pipiens
Frog (Wood) - Rana sylvatica
Salamander (Blotched Tiger) - Ambystoma mavortium melanostictum
Salamander (Gray Tiger) - Ambystoma mavortium diaboli
Spadefoot (Plains) - Spea bombifrons
Toad (Canadian) - Bufo hemiophrys
Toad (Great Plains) - Bufo cognatus

For more details about Saskatchewan's amphibians: LINK

Reptiles:
Lizard (Greater Short-horned) - Phrynosoma hernandesi
Rattlesnake (Prairie) - Crotalus viridis
Snake (Bull) - Pituophis catenifer sayi
Snake (Eastern Yellowbelly Racer) - Coluber constrictor flaviventris
Snake (Northern Red-bellied) - Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculata
Snake (Plains Hognose) - Heterodon nasicus nasicus
Snake (Plains Garter) - Thamnophis radix
Snake (Red-sided Garter) - Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis
Snake (Smooth Green) - Opheodrys vernalis
Snake (Wandering Garter) - Thamnophis elegans vagrans
Turtle (Eastern Snapping) - Chelydra serpentina serpentina
Turtle (Western Painted) - Chrysemys picta belli

Wild Science Workbook
Activities that Bridge Outdoor Exploration with Classroom Science
The activities in Wild Science will integrate outdoor exploration with the understanding and appreciation of science and environmental issues.

Using Wild Science as a guide, we invite you to rediscover your sense of wonder about the natural world and share it with the children you know.