The ministries of agriculture and environment have jointly announced June 14-20 as Native Prairie Appreciation Week in Saskatchewan. Through the initiative, the two ministries and the Saskatchewan Prairie Conservation Action Plan (SK PCAP) hope people celebrate native prairie and learn about how to conserve it.
Native prairie is prairie that has never been altered or broken for agriculture.
“It’s important because native prairie provides many functions to us,” said Natasha Wilkie, SK PCAP manager.
These functions include providing habitat for wildlife, grazing for cattle, and providing recreation for hunters, birdwatchers, and other people spending time outside. It has other functions like decreasing soil erosion, improving water quality, capturing rain, and decreasing soil temperature. Native prairie also allows for biodiversity that protects residents in times of extreme weather events.
SK PCAP creates awareness and runs educational events that promote conservation of native prairie. To promote the week in the province, SK PCAP is visiting farmer’s markets in Saskatoon, Regina, and Swift Current, as well as doing a tour out of Prince Albert Provincial Park.
Only 20 per cent of native prairie is left, so Wilkie said SK PCAP “really wants to conserve what’s left” and make people aware that it’s a dwindling resource.
The good news is that people can help conserve it. One way is to make sure livestock grazes it in a sustainable way and be aware of invasive plants.
Residents can also contact the Ministry of Environment if they see people digging up native prairie in a destructive and unsustainable way. Unfortunately, there are other factors that the average person working alone may not have much of an effect on, including urbanization and industry, such as digging for oil.
“Saskatchewan agriculture producers take pride in the work they do and they recognize the important role they play in sustaining our native prairies,” said Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart in a news release. “By using native prairie sustainably, ranchers and farmers have been able to contribute to the long-term social and economic health of their communities while preserving the native prairie ecosystems that are synonymous with Saskatchewan’s natural beauty.”
It’s especially important for ranchers to be aware of native prairie, since most of it now is on ranches.
“One of Saskatchewan’s most cherished possessions is its incredibly diverse range of ecosystems and wildlife,” PCAP Chair Orin Balas said in a news release. “The continued co-operation of Saskatchewan’s ranchers, farmers and general public to preserve the ecological health and biodiversity of Saskatchewan’s prairies is commendable, and we look forward to their continued support.”
