May 2024 | Volume 16 Issue 5

Happy May, Grassland Enthusiasts!

We are organizing the 26th Native Prairie Appreciation Week (NPAW, June 16-22)! We have our photo contest, a youth poster contest, we'll be handing out native seed packets at Farmer's Markets in Regina, Moose Jaw and Swift Current. More information on NPAW activities can be found here.

We're also working with the Society for Range Management-Prairie Parkland Chapter to plan this year's tour that will be held in the Avonlea area, June 19-20, 2024. Registration will open tomorrow! The registration page can be found here.

April had two webinars, there's one on trumpeter swans by Nick Carter and one on multi-taxa research in the southwest SK by Canadian Wildlife Federation, Birds Canada and SODCAP. You can find all our recorded webinars on our YouTube Channel.



Make sure to register for the May webinar on the management of brome by Anabel Dombro. More information can be found here.



And finally, we would like to thank our sponsors for their generous support: Canadian Forage and Grasslands Association, K+S Youth+Us, North American Helium, Nutrien, Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association, SaskEnergy, SaskPower, SaskTel, SaskWater, Wildlife Habitat Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada, as well as the continuous support of all the PCAP Partners. 

Carolyn Gaudet, SK PCAP Manager 

pcap@sasktel.net

Singing Back the Buffalo

Tasha Hubbard made a documentary called Singing Back The Buffalo. The documentary tells the history of Buffalo and Indigenous people from a completely Indigenous perspective. The Canadian premiere of the documentary occurred at the end of April, check the Facebook page: Singing Back the Buffalo for future screenings. More information can be found on the website: https://buffalosong.com/

The SK and MB Native Seed Collaborative is a new initiative formed by a diverse group of native seed producers and users. The group meets 3 to 4 times per year and shares information related to all aspects of prairie restoration including such things as existing seed supply and demand, effective seed collection, cleaning, and storage. The goal of the collaborative is to increase the availability of locally adapted native plant seeds, through contracts, shared resources, and potentially seed exchanges. The hope is that members will eventually be able to share seed collection and cleaning equipment, storage facilities, experiences, and knowledge to ensure quality seed is not a limiting factor for restoration activities in the two provinces. If you or someone from your organization would like to participate in the discussions, please reach out to: prairieseedcollaborative@gmail.com

Partner Spotlight:

Saskatchewan Aboriginal Land Technicians

Saskatchewan Aboriginal Land Technicians (SALT) is a non-political entity that provides support for Saskatchewan First Nations Land Managers to help develop and increase capacity on their Traditional territories while respecting local customs and traditions.

The Saskatchewan Aboriginal Land Technicians (SALT) was established in 1995 as a Regional Land Association of the National Aboriginal Land Managers Association (NALMA). SALT has worked to ensure that Land Managers of First Nations in Saskatchewan have access to professional development and technical expertise opportunities in order to empower land managers and support their Nations values and traditions. 

SALT is a governed by an all-Indigenous board, each member of which has land management expertise, and includes a representative from Indigenous Services Canada in an ex-officio capacity.

In the past few years SALT has seen a dramatic shift in its capacity and impact. The hiring of a full-time Executive Director and a strong staff cohort has made it a magnet for funding and partnerships related to land management. SALT has developed a positive working relationship with Indigenous Services Canada, which in turn is eager to turn over many responsibilities for management of reserve lands to SALT, as an independent, professional, First Nations led organization. SALT in turn is ready to fulfill a bigger role in providing comprehensive services and programs for Aboriginal land technicians, and helping First Nations assume more jurisdiction over their lands.

SALT offers training opportunities to First Nation Land Managers including an annual Land Manager conference, annual drone training, and annual pasture management and rider training.

More information can be found on the SALT website: https://salt-sk.ca/

Stay tuned for news about our upcoming Native Prairie Speaker Series webinars!

May Native Prairie Speaker Series 

Management of annual brome invasion within northern mixed grassland using indaziflam

Speaker: Anabel Dombro 

Thursday May 23rd, 2024 at 12:00pm 

Register Free

More information

World Migratory Bird Day

May 11 @ 10 AM

Regina, SK

SK Wildlife Federation's Spring Women’s Outdoor Weekend

May 24-26, 2024

Candle Lake, SK

SSGA's AGM and Convention

June 9-11, 2024

Swift Current, SK

NCC's Celebrating Grassland Conservation at Cave Pasture

June 12, 2024

near Swift Current, SK

Native Prairie Appreciation Week

June 16-22, 2024

Nature Saskatchewan's Spring Meet

June 21-23, 2024

Saskatoon, SK

Native Prairie in the News

Deal to protect ranch in southern Alberta from development means family can keep raising cattle there

Saskatchewan's Rangeland Health Assessment Gets A Reboot

ACT LOCALLY: HOW TO ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF NATIVE GRASSLANDS IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD

Push to protect native grasslands picks up steam 

For Educators

SK PCAP has two free education programs available.

See more information here!

SaskOutdoors has a number of PD and facilitator training courses available this month. You can check them out here.

2024/25 Education Programs:

Presenting Sponsors:

SK PCAP gratefully acknowledges financial support in 2024-2025 from:

Canadian Forage and Grassland Association, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, North American Helium, Nutrien, Parks Canada - Grasslands National Park of Canada, K+S youth+us, Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association, Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment - Fish and Wildlife Development Fund, SaskEnergy, SaskPower, SaskTel, SaskWater, TC Energy, University of Regina, University of Saskatchewan - College of Agriculture and Bioresources, Water Security Agency and Wildlife Habitat Canada.

SK PCAP gratefully acknowledges in-kind support for 2024-25 from: 

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada - Science and Technology Branch, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Association, Environment Canada - Canadian Wildlife Service, Friends of the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, Meewasin Valley Authority, Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan, Nature Conservancy Canada, Nature Saskatchewan, Parks Canada - Grasslands National Park, Prairie Wind & Silver Sage, Ranchers Stewardship Alliance Inc., Redberry Lake Biosphere Region, Saskatchewan Aboriginal Land Technicians, Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities, Saskatchewan Association of Watersheds, Saskatchewan Bison Association, Saskatchewan Burrowing Owl Interpretive Centre, Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association, Saskatchewan Environmental Society, Saskatchewan Forage Council, Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment, Saskatchewan Ministry of Energy and Resources, Saskatchewan Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport, Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association, Saskatchewan Stock Growers Foundation, Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation, SaskEnergy, SaskOutdoors, SaskPower, Society for Range Management - Prairie Parkland Chapter, South of the Divide Conservation Action Program Inc., University of Regina, University of Saskatchewan - College of Agriculture and Bioresources.