Maymont – a new Nature Conservancy property in Saskatchewan
Last Sunday I joined members of the Saskatoon Nature Society on a field trip to one of the newest protected areas managed by the Nature Conservancy of Canada. We visited the Maymont property, which includes several sections of land along 5.5 km of riverbank on the south side of North Saskatchewan River near Maymont bridge. NCC secured the land over the last few years, with several large sections being purchased this spring. Currently, the organization manages approximately 3,500 acres of diverse plant communities of native grasslands, aspen parkland, heavily wooded area along the river bank,...
Read MoreBison viewing in Grasslands National Park
This post is coming with a slight delay – I have been quite busy preparing for the photography trip to Iceland. In mid May I went to the Grasslands National Park in southern Saskatchewan. After a week of rain, the vegetation was starting to look really green. There was so much moisture in the air that a thick layer of fog cloaked the Frenchman River Valley and provided some great photography opportunities. My buddy Larry captured me in action one morning, a tiny person in a vast open prairie. In addition to new moisture, sloughs and dugouts were quite full of water remaining from last year....
Read MoreEarly winter in Grasslands National Park, East Block badlands
Early winter in Grasslands National Park (East Block badlands). I love photographing fresh snow on the prairies in early winter. The grass still standing from the summer season has not been pushed down by the weight of snow yet, providing a gentle texture to the rolling prairie landscapes. This photograph was taken in in the badlands of East Block. We were located very close to the north edge of the park, near the McGowan’s campground. It was cold enough prior to our trip in early December that we did not have any difficulties crossing several frozen creeks to reach this viewpoint....
Read MorePrairie near 70 Mile Butte at sunset, Grasslands National Park
Prairie near 70 Mile Butte at sunset, Grasslands National Park – West Block. Last rays of setting sun light the hilly area east of the 70 Mile Butte. To reach this point, drive along the Ecotour Road until it descends down a steep slope into the Frenchman River valley. Park by the rattlesnake warning sign and follow a walking trail leading west from the small parking spot. Watch for rattlesnakes that frequent this area in the fall, when individual animals travel several kilometres to gather in their favourite warm spots – rattlesnake hibernacula – where they will spend 6-8...
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