When SaskTel EnviroCare members were considering ideas to mark their fifth anniversary, Peanut, Artemis, Chip, Cricket and Thea made the decision an easy one.

“Those are the names of the five Burrowing Owls we adopted!” said Kendra Leboldus, EnviroCare member and Environmental Specialist at SaskTel. “One owl for every year of EnviroCare.”

The owls were adopted from the Saskatchewan Burrowing Owl Interpretive Centre, an organization that promotes the conservation of the endangered Burrowing Owl and their prairie habitat. The funding provides care to the captive flock of owls at the centre.

The owls were adopted using ‘EnviroFunds’, which are raised every year from the collection of bottles and cans from various SaskTel buildings in Moose Jaw and Regina. To date, almost 35,000 bottles and cans have been recycled. The funds raised from recycling are then parlayed into investments in greening initiatives across Saskatchewan. 

The idea for adopting the owls came from EnviroCare member Janice Muir.

“I first learned about Burrowing Owls at the Science Centre in Regina,” said Janice. “When EnviroCare asked for ideas for projects, I thought of the owls. They’re fascinating birds and an important part of Prairie ecosystems – but they are also cute!”

The adoption of the owls is one of several initiatives EnviroCare has taken part in over the years. The list includes purchasing a solar panel for the Minahik Waskahigan High School in Pinehouse Lake; caring for birds at Salthaven Wildlife Rehabilitation & Education Centre; and cleaning up Wakamow Valley and part of the Trans Canada Trail.

“It’s hard to believe five years have gone by, but we are proud of the accomplishments the group has made,” said Tony Showchuk, Director of STEPPP at SaskTel and chairperson of the EnviroCare committee. “We are committed to continuing to discover greening opportunities in the communities we serve, and we’re always looking for more SaskTel employees interested in making a difference for the environment!”