Yxe Underground

"In rural-speak: head out of the city on 22nd Street and stay on Highway 14 for about 10km."This is how Katie Suek started an email this summer when we were coordinating this podcast episode. Despite the fact that it's a short drive from Saskatoon to the Suek acreage, as soon as you step foot on Restoring 71, you do feel like you are light years away from the city.In 2015, the Suek family purchased an 80-acre acreage west of Saskatoon as a way to reconnect with nature and offer their children the opportunity to spark a love for the natural world. They used nine of those acres to build a home and left the remaining 71 in the hands of mother nature. Today, those 71 acres have become an incredible conservation and restoration project, and the really cool thing is that Katie wants you to come visit her backyard for free! Since the Covid-19 pandemic started in March of 2020, Restoring 71 has hosted hundreds of visitors, including elementary and high school students, seeking to connect with nature in a meaningful w