EcoWest News, October 27, 2026

Welcome to EcoWest News, a weekly round-up of news and resources that you can put to use in addressing environmental issues and protecting the wild in your community.

Biodiversity

The Government of Alberta has removed provincial protections for greater sage-grouse habitat – and granted approval for a helium extraction company on formerly protected sage-grouse recovery habitat. [Nature Alberta]

Grassland “restoration is and will be an ongoing challenge with uncertain outcomes. The clear message, not only for rough fescue but the rest of the natural world, is: Don’t allow the loss of any more of this unique ecosystem, because the costs for restoration and consequences of failure are too great.” [Nature Alberta]

The haunting call of the loon is becoming less common. The loon chick population has declined by 65% across the 3 Prairie provinces over the past 3 decades. [CBC]

Scat is a powerful, and perhaps unlikely, conservation tool. There is no other substance that can tell you so much about an animal you may never actually see. [The Conversation]

Climate Adaptation

The Climate Ready Prairies Guide is designed to provide prairie-based communicators and those responsible for engaging the public on adaptation with research, tools and stories on how to best approach this work to build long-term public support for adaptation actions. [ClimateWest]

Following back-to-back atmospheric rivers, Washington municipalities are being asked to consider climate impacts in their capital projects. The Puget Sound Climate Preparedness Collaborative is on hand to support practitioners in integrating climate resilience into their capital planning processes. [Urban Ocean Lab]

Energy Options

A multi-year research program is working alongside communities to strengthen the capacity needed to advance local energy initiatives in northern BC. One of the first projects is a Community Energy Champion Mentorship program. [UNBC]

74 electric school buses are powering 1,000 California homes. Buses fill up overnight, use 20-40% of their charge during the day, then plug in to [vehicle-to-grid] chargers after the school day, just in time for the late afternoon rush on electricity. [Planetizen]

Making a Difference

Saskatchewan Public Interest Theatre will be presenting the rock opera Greendale, written by Neil Young, in Regina in January. [SPIT!]

A Swiss ski resort isn’t reliant on snow, and plans to be carbon neutral by 2030: “Laax is not snow-dependent. A halfpipe or a snow freestyle playground doesn’t need a lot, and we make it with hydro power. And we’ve got mountain bikes and amazing hikes.” [The Guardian]

A small island community in the Azores performs a full blackout of public illumination for 5 nights every autumn to protect young Cory’s shearwaters. “The island sinks into darkness and the stars can be seen clearly; the birds begin their journeys, hoping to find their way to the ocean, while people walk through Vila do Corvo to find and rescue any fallen birds.” [The Guardian]

Rooftop solar installations are becoming increasingly common on stadiums, operating at 12 of the 16 2026 World Cup venues. Solar panels on London Stadium have generated one million kilowatt-hours in 14 months. [The Energy Mix]

Nature’s Wonders

Red blood isn’t universal in the animal kingdom. In some creatures, the vital fluid is purple; in others it’s yellow, green, or even white. [Knowable Magazine]

A honeybee’s stinger keeps pumping venom even after it’s fully detached from the bee’s pump thanks to two sharp pointed lancets that slide backwards and forwards like a reciprocating saw. [Popular Science]

Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/55595503401/

EcoFriendly West informs and encourages initiatives that support Western Canada’s natural environment through its online publication and the Nature Companion website/app. Like us on Facebook, follow us on BlueSky, X, and Mastodon, or subscribe by email.