Growing harmony: Agriculture and conservation
Wideview, SK (Photo by Calvin Fehr)
Born and raised in Calgary, we took many family camping trips into the Prairies. I was always awed by the massive expanses of grasslands, the endless blue skies, and the diversity of birds, mammals and insects we would see. I remember having to...
The buzz about bees: The vital role of Prairie grasslands in bee conservation
Bumble bee on Wood’s rose, SK- Jason Bantle
Bees, like many other pollinators, are a sign of a healthy ecosystem. Unfortunately, these cute critters face numerous threats, including habitat loss, climate change, disease and poisoning. As a result, many bee species, such as western bumble...
Experiencing Canada’s prairie grasslands for the first time
Tall grass prairie in Manitoba (Photo by Jessica Sánchez-Jasso)
Colourful, surprising and full of life, grasslands of the Canadian Prairies are one of a kind. My first visit there deepened my passion for biology and reminded me why I fell in love with this field. From my earliest memories, I can recall...
Owl hands on deck: Efforts to conserve burrowing owls
Burrowing owl (Photo by Karol Dabbs)
As a communications and engagement intern with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) in Saskatchewan, I have the opportunity to write and share stories about unique species and I thought writing about burrowing owls would be a hoot! It’s an...
The McIntyre Ranch — Preserving native grassland and wildlife habitat
McIntyre Ranch, AB (Photo by Leta Pezderic/NCC staff)
There have been many special occasions in the 129-year history of McIntyre Ranch, but, surely, conserving it forever must be one of the most momentous ones. In 1894, William McIntyre began his legacy to conserve grassland in a sustainable manner,...
The fun-sized swift fox
Swift fox (Photo by RJ Dudragne/ NCC staff)
My name is Emily, and I am the 2023 communications and engagement summer intern for the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) in Saskatchewan. As part of my job, I get to write stories for Land Lines, NCC’s blog. For my first assignment, I...
It’s a wall! It’s a fence! No, wait, it’s a conservation tool!
Wildlife friendly fence. You can see where the fence bisected a cattle trail, and will change how cattle move across that piece of land. (Photo by NCC)
There could be a joke that starts like this: a wildlife biologist and a rancher stand looking at a fence.... If you’re familiar with all the ways biologists and ranchers push and pull over what types of infrastructure developments are...
Appreciating hibernation
Richardson's ground squirrel (Photo by Charles Thomas Hash, Jr. CC-BY-NC)
January 21 marks Squirrel Appreciation Day, an occasion meant to recognize squirrels’ importance in nature. It also happens to be the middle of winter, a time when many animals, including some squirrel species, are hibernating. To me, one of...
Wallowing: More than scratching an itch for plains bison
Bison at Old Man on His Back Prairie and Heritage Conservation Area (Photo by Jason Bantle)
Have you ever had an itch that you just couldn’t scratch? Needed to cool down on a hot summer day in the Prairies? Want a new way to show off to the ladies? If you answered yes to any of these questions, have you tried simply rolling around...
The ants that herd aphids
Oleander aphids (Photo by cory_silas_sheffield, CC BY-NC 4.0)
On July 21, 2021, I was carrying out annual conservation monitoring at the Old Man on His Back Prairie and Heritage Conservation Area (OMB), when I came across an unusual sight: much of the silver sagebrush that covers the property was covered...
