Conservation key point during Environment Week

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This article was published 08/06/2022 (1569 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitobans have a role to play when it comes to the conservation of nature across the province, one scientist with Nature Conservancy Canada says.

Nature Conservancy Canada is using Canadian Environment Week (June 5-11) to raise awareness around the initiatives currently underway to protect what wild spaces the nation has left.

Specifically around southwestern Manitoba, the organization is fundraising to protect and restore grasslands in several areas. The province is home to vast natural grasslands, but all of them are under threat, said Rebekah Neufeld, the Brandon-based conservation science and planning manager for Manitoba.

Invasive species, development and extreme weather are chipping away at what is left of the natural prairie environment.

“I think weeks like this help raise awareness about what is in our backyard,” she said.

“It also helps put climate change into perspective. It seems so big, overwhelming and far away, but really there is a lot of work fairly close to home and all of us can play a role. The nature around us is incredibly important and close to us that we can forget it’s such a normal thing for us, but the habitats we have here are globally important.”

Speaking specifically to the Westman region and recent flooding, she said it is usually a natural occurrence and also needed to restore nutrients to the soils. However, there have been more extreme flooding events over recent years, especially around Brandon and nearby communities. To help mitigate this, the NCC is looking at preserving more wetlands in southwestern Manitoba to act as buffer zones when waters rise.

Those include some riparian areas, creeks and headwaters upstream from the Assiniboine River.

Brandon itself has some patches of natural prairie left around it, as well as freshwater springs in the valley that feed into the river, she said.

It may look like a lot is left, but taking into account the size of the land, very little of the natural prairies is still here.

“I’d say Brandon and the Westman region is lucky because it has a lot of parklands and the Assiniboine River runs right through the city, but we have maybe about 10 per cent of the native upland habitat left in the province we are trying to protect,” she said. “You can look around and see what you think is so much nature but in the grand scheme, we really don’t have much left.”

Protecting biodiversity often means mimicking natural, if not destructive, processes. One specific project they are working on is controlled burns in the Fort Ellice area along the Assiniboine River valley. While that sounds counterintuitive to protecting the environment, Neufeld explained the prairie evolved to be disturbed by events like fires to renew itself. It also requires grazing from wildlife and livestock, as well as periodic flooding, to stimulate growth.

This year, the organization is planning several prescribed fires as weather and other conditions allow. They develop plans to set and control the fires to optimize the best outcome with the least amount of risk to wildlife and people living in the area.

One newer project the NCC is working on is partnering with local landowners and ranchers to help them set aside some land to preserve habitats or improve biodiversity, said Neufeld. It’s also related to ongoing work they have been doing with cattle producers preserving grasslands so their livestock have grazing grounds, as well as helping with fencing and controlling nuisance or invasive species that threaten their herds.

The federal government promised to protect 25 per cent of its land by 2025, but it has only reserved 13.5 per cent.

“That is quite small, and this is quite an urgent situation,” she said. “Highlighting what work we are doing close to home is an important piece to that.”

The conservancy is also using this time to let the public know it is actively fundraising for projects. People can find out more at natureconservancy.ca/en/.

Federal initiatives for Canada Environment Week can be found at bit.ly/394cS5M.

» kmckinley@brandonsun.com

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