Mark your calendars for March 28, 2019: you are invited to a public talk “Islands of Grass: Getting native grasslands on Canada’s conservation radar” that I will be presenting together with Saskatchewan writer and naturalist Trevor Herriot. We have been invited to give an evening keynote at the School of Environment and Sustainability (SENS) graduate student research symposium. This plenary talk is open to the public, and all are welcome to attend.
Date: March 28, 2019
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Location: Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Saskatoon East – University (in the “High Up Above Room” on the 9th floor), 1838 College Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Please register for the ECOnnected keynote and networking reception. The event is free but organizers would like to know the number of people planning to attend so please help them out.
The ECOnnect evening of celebration, connection, and inspiration was put together by the University of Saskatchewan Undergraduate Environmental Programs, Office of Sustainability and the School of Environment and Sustainability.
Keynote summary:
Native grasslands are the shared heritage of prairie people – rich and complex old-growth ecosystems that have for millennia supported human cultures and distinctive plant and animal communities. Meanwhile, with the loss of the bison and the conversion of more than 80% of the native prairie into agricultural cropland, grassland ecosystems and species are in crisis, joining the most endangered and least protected landscapes on the planet. However, the work of protecting and restoring grassland ecosystems is gaining attention and taking its place in research and policy discussions around sustainable agriculture, climate change, Indigenous land rights, and national conservation priorities.
