REGINA — Celebrate the beauty, biodiversity and cultural importance of native prairie ecosystems, as the Ministries of Environment and Agriculture recognize June 15 to 21 as Native Prairie Appreciation Week in Saskatchewan.
Native Prairie Appreciation Week raises awareness about the significance of these vital ecosystems that provide environmental, economic and cultural benefits to the province and beyond.
"Native prairie plays a key role in conserving Saskatchewan's rich biodiversity and offers essential ecological services such as carbon storage, soil protection and species diversity," Environment Minister Travis Keisig said.
"This year, we also celebrate a major achievement, the completion of the Prairie Landscape Inventory, which maps the full extent of native grassland across Saskatchewan's Prairie Ecozone."
A product of seven years of dedication, the Prairie Landscape Inventory will support programs, policy and decision-making to drive strategic conservation and restoration initiatives across the Saskatchewan prairie. Mapping estimates the Prairie Ecozone contains about 16 per cent native grassland, which provides habitat for wildlife, birds and pollinators; forage for livestock; carbon sequestration; nutrient cycling; and natural water filtration and retention. The ecoregions with the highest amounts of native prairie are the Mixed Grassland and the Cypress Upland Ecoregions, with each ecoregion having about 35 per cent native prairie.
"Healthy, thriving grasslands are an essential natural resource for us all, and they have special importance and meaning for our agriculture sector," Agriculture Minister Daryl Harrison said. "Our livestock producers take pride in being stewards of the land, and that relationship inspires their continued commitment to good management to help safeguard our native prairie."
"Native Prairie Appreciation Week is a great opportunity to educate and engage with people with diverse backgrounds about native prairie, which is one of the most threatened ecosystems in the world," Saskatchewan Prairie Conservation Action Plan (SK PCAP) Manager Carolyn Gaudet said.
"The diversity of plants, animals and insects found on native prairie is amazing and unfortunately disappearing, so we want to encourage everyone to learn more about native prairie and appreciate it while they can."
With 27 years of commitment to promoting awareness of this vital ecosystem, you can visit the SK PCAP website for up-to-date information on Native Prairie Appreciation Week, a photo contest, as well as webinars about urban wildlife, rural wildlife, landscapes and geology. They will also have booths at farmers markets in Regina, Swift Current and Moose Jaw where they will be handing out native wildflower seed packets.
To participate or to find more information about Native Prairie Appreciation Week, visit: https://www.pcap-sk.org/upcoming-events/npaw, or email SK PCAP at [email protected].
To view the completed Prairie Landscape Inventory maps, you can visit the Hunting, Angling and Biodiversity Information of Saskatchewan (HABISask) online application at: https://gisappl.saskatchewan.ca/Html5Ext/?viewer=habisask or download the maps at: https://geohub.saskatchewan.ca.
