EcoWest News, September 1, 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

Winnipeg researchers are using eyelash glue to attach tiny radio transmitters to track monarch butterflies’ migration from Manitoba to Mexico. [CBC]

A 324-million-year-old fossil with paddle-like abdominal limbs suggests insects evolved through a long amphibious phase rather than making an abrupt jump from water to dry ground. [Science Daily]

Urban Infrastructure

Strategically placing forests upwind of urban areas could reduce temperatures across much a city. [Anthropocene]

Wetlands

University of Manitoba students have been assessing the province’s prairie pothole marshes for the past 10 years, providing information that would not otherwise be available as the potholes aren’t tracked provincially. [CBC]

Energy Transition

A Pembina Institute review of Saskatchewan’s decision to extend the life of its coal-powered generation plants found that: coal is the province’s most expensive electricity option and residents will pay the price; renewables can deliver reliable power; extending coal increases regulatory and financial risks; and the decision has national consequences. [Pembina Institute]

We Can Do Better

Plastic mulch helps farmers boost yields of everything from corn to tomatoes by stabilizing soil temperature and controlling diseases and weeds with fewer pesticides but results in microplastics in the soil and water. [Inside Climate News]

Northbank promises that Grassy Mountain will produce more coal and use less water than any other coal mine in Alberta. This is improbable and problematic “because those projections will ultimately factor into whether the Alberta Energy Regulator decides to approve the mine and risk our air, land, water and wildlife to its downwind and downstream effects.” [Calgary Herald]

Making a Difference

Bristol’s government- and business-supported Clean Power Project is providing green power to local events, including a balloon festival, a music festival, and a television show. [The Guardian]

BMW has found ways to fully recycle over half the material in their cars to be immediately reused in manufacturing new parts. [BMW news release - German, BMW website – English]

Dying fabric requires huge volumes of water, energy and up to 70 toxic chemicals, leaving a lasting mark on the environment. Colorifix is developing dyes based on natural pigments that involve less water, energy, and emissions. [EuroNews]

20-25 billion balloons are purchased worldwide every year. They don’t degrade and are lethal for marine life and birds. Bioloon, which completely degrades in 9 months, hopes to provide a nature-friendly alternative. [EuroNews]

DIY

We can be more respectful of wildlife by not using recreational trails at dawn and dusk when animals are most active and by keeping recreational infrastructure close to existing development rather than expanding into undisturbed habitat. [Wildsight]

There are growing calls to not only 'leave no trace' when participating in outdoor activities, but to actively make an effort to ‘leave a positive trace’. [UK Climbing]

Respect wildlife when taking photographs by holding your thumb up at arm’s length, closing one eye, and seeing if you can completely cover the animal with your thumb. If you can’t, you’re too close. Take a few steps back and try again. [Leave No Trace]

Nature’s Wonders

A seashell is the story of a creature’s life. Soft-bodied mollusks protect themselves with crystals of calcium carbonate, adding new layers as they grow. The bands and ridges may reveal changing seasons, diets, and life cycles. [photo essay, Smithsonian Magazine]

Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/48303826192

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.