Mayor Debra Button signed a proclamation at City Hall on June 12, which declares June 16 to 22, 2013 as Saskatchewan's 15th Annual Native Prairie Appreciation Week.
Native Prairie Appreciation Week (NPAW), the only week in North America that is dedicated to raising awareness and appreciation of native grasslands, began in 1999 by the Saskatchewan Prairie Conservation Action Plan (SK PCAP). The week provides an opportunity for Saskatchewan residents to recognize and celebrate the value of native prairie ecosystems and their importance to Saskatchewan's agricultural and environmental sectors.
"Native Prairie Appreciation Week helps inform urban and rural residents, ranchers and farmers and students and families about the numerous benefits native prairie provides to everyone," SK PCAP chair Orin Balas, a rancher from Ponteix said. "The event demonstrates how we can all work together, by sharing ideas and experiences, to preserve this vibrant piece of Saskatchewan's ecosystem."
SK PCAP is encouraging Saskatchewan residents to "Rediscover your Roots in the Prairies!" by taking part in one of the many activities celebrating this important part of our heritage - our native prairie ecosystems. Activities designated to promote Native Prairie Appreciation Week include a theme contest, poster contest as well as a passport contest, determining who can visit the most places celebrating native prairie. Annual partner events occurring throughout the week include the Society for Range Management's Tour which has joined forces with the Saskatchewan Pasture School for 2013 as well as the Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan's annual tours.
