Bur Oak

Valleys provide "corridors" of suitable habitat for migrants, invaders, and species at the edge of their range. This diorama shows a fall scene in the Bear Creek Valley in southeastern Saskatchewan. The larger Qu'Appelle Valley can be seen in the distance.

Bur Oaks reach the northwestern limit of their range in Saskatchewan and don't grow very tall. At least twelve insect species depend on these trees at some point in their life cycle. Some feed on oak leaves as larvae, including the Oak-devouring Moth.

Grey Squirrels prefer to live in forests with oak trees where they feed on acorns, their favourite food. In Saskatchewan, these squirrels occur mainly in the eastern Qu'Appelle and nearby valleys, and are rare in other areas. Fox Squirrels are less dependent on oaks, prefering the tiny two-winged "samaras" of the Manitoba Maple as their main winter food. They started to "invade" the province around 1980 and are now widespread in the southeast.

Stands of Trembling Aspen add a vertical dimension to flat prairie landscapes. The food and shelter they provide are especially important in the winter, when temperatures are low and resources are scarce. This exhibit is based on the Thomas Battersby Protected Area west of Melville.

Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers look for beetles and their larvae by drilling through bark or flaking it off with their chisel-like bills. Hairy Woodpeckers prefer to work the trunks and limbs of larger trees, while Downy Woodpeckers usually choose the branches and twigs of smaller trees and shrubs.

Prickly Porcupines may stay in the same tree, or in a small group of trees, for a long time. They sometimes kill a tree by feeding on it. They use their sharp, orange incisor teeth to chip off the tough outer bark and then eat the tender inner bark and cambium.