Waldron Ranch, AB protected for future generations
Earlier this fall, Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) secured the largest conservation easement in Canadian history. This outstanding agreement between the NCC and Waldron Grazing Co-operative Ltd. will protect over 12,357 hectares (30,535 acres) of native grasslands and forested foothills on Waldron Ranch in southwestern Alberta. This spectacular property is located northwest of Lethbridge, along the famed ‘Cowboy Trail’ (Highway 22) between Longview and Lundbreck. The ranch contains large tracts of native fescue prairie, rich history and spectacular scenery. Situated in a broad valley,...
Read MoreThe Last Cowboy – a short documentary film about the human cost of PFRA pasture closures
A few days ago a friend alerted me to a marvelous and touching documentary film about Jim Commodore, a retired cowboy at the Val Marie PFRA Community Pasture. This 6-minute documentary conveys a message about the human cost of the Community Pasture System closure, told through the eyes of a long time cowboy Jim Commodore. The Last Cowboy was produced by Megan Lacelle and Kaitlyn Van de Woestyne, journalism students at the University of Regina. Jim Commodore was born at the Val Marie PFRA pasture in 1941 and spent his working career as a cowboy on the federally run community pasture. In a...
Read MoreSaskatchewan grasslands: a place like no other
I will be presenting an illustrated talk at the Lifelong Learning Centre, University of Regina on Friday, October 31, 2014 (1:30 p.m.): Saskatchewan grasslands: a place like no other Saskatchewan grasslands are magical, wide open spaces that support an incredible diversity of life; from the iconic plains bison and pronghorn antelope, to rare and endangered species such as Black-footed Ferrets and Greater Sage Grouse. Grasslands are also home to ranchers who depend on healthy grasslands to sustain their livelihoods. With less than a quarter of Saskatchewan’s original grasslands still...
Read MoreUS Wilderness Act turns 50 today
After eight years of persistent work by members of The Wilderness Society and prominent members of conservation community in the United States, and more than 60 working drafts, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the Wilderness Act on September 3, 1964. This historic act created a formal mechanism for designating wilderness and created the National Wilderness Preservation System. The initial wilderness areas designated in the Act covered 9.1 million acres (37,000 square kilometres) of national forest wilderness areas in the USA previously protected by various administrative orders....
Read MoreA short visit to prairies of southern Saskatchewan
August went by in a blink of an eye. At least for me this year. I have been preoccupied with efforts to finish my thesis (I am currently enrolled in a Master of Sustainable Development program at the University of Saskatchewan). A self-imposed restriction on travel & photography resulted in a rather slim harvest of images. A week ago I had to attend a meeting in Val Marie, just a stone throw from Grassland National Park. An opportunity to take my camera gear on a short jaunt and deal with the nagging withdrawal symptoms. Last year Parks Canada started an extensive trail construction on...
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