April 2026 | Volume 18 Issue 4

Happy Spring, Grassland Enthusiasts!

Exciting News!

If you haven't already heard, the updated SK Range Health Assessment is ready and available! You can find the PDF on the SK PCAP website, or you can contact me (pcap@sasktel.net) for printed copies (quantities are limited).

Upcoming Events

The International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) monthly theme for April is 'Climate change and resilience'. Keep an eye out for events and resources celebrating grasslands on this Trello board. If you want to learn more about pastoralism and climate change, there are resources on the IYRP website.

The 2026 Prairie Conservation and Endangered Species Conference is a month away, occurring May 5 - 7, 2026 in Saskatoon, SK. There will be presentations, posters, a tradeshow, tours and workshops, entertainment and awards. There are fewer than 40 spots currently available, so register before April 15th to get the regular pricing. You can find the draft program and more information here: prairiecesc.ca.

Webinars

Our March Native Prairie Speaker Series webinar was about adding native plants to your yard and it was very popular. You can find the recording on YouTube. The April webinar will be about the importance of prairie climate adaptations ! Register here.

Thank you all of our Prairie's Got the Goods Week speakers! Caitlin organized 5 amazing webinars. The titles and dates are listed below in the PCAP Recap.

Thank you Sponsors

We would like to thank our sponsors for their generous support: 

K+S Youth+Us, North American Helium, Pembina, TC Energy, and Wildlife Habitat Canada, as well as the continuous support of all the PCAP Partners!

Carolyn Gaudet, SK PCAP Manager 

pcap@sasktel.net

PCAP Recap:

Prairie's Got the Goods Week - March 16-20, 2026

Caitlin organized a fantastic week-long series of webinars about the ecological goods and services provided by the native prairie ecosystem. There were almost 860 participants taking in the 6 webinars.

Landscapes of Understanding| the Grasslands Learning and Knowledge Hub with John Pattison-Williams.

Characterizing the Impacts of the Saskatchewan Beef Industry on Biodiversity with Emily Holden.

Not All Wetlands are Created Equal with Owen McKenna.

"Coffee Table Conversation" with Gerald and Patti Anhorn.

OSOF's Community Land Regeneration and Shelterbelt Programs with Elizabeth Bekolay.

The importance of Native Prairie from an Indigenous Perspective with Alvin First Rider.

There's been over 700 views on the recordings so far.

If you missed any of the Prairie's Got the Goods webinars, they are all on our YouTube Channel.

A big thank you to our Prairie's Got the Goods Weeks Sponsors:

International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists!

Check out the SK Working Group's Trello board for upcoming International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists events and range-related content. You can find the Trello board for Canadian Resources here. You can find more global information at the official IYRP website: https://iyrp.info/ They also have resources for the April theme of Climate Change and Resilience.

Canadian Forage and Grassland Association (CFGA) is inviting organizations, networks and leaders from across the country to participate in a biweekly national Zoom call dedicated to collaboration, promotion and shared learning. You can register here.

Register for the next IYRP Book Club: April 14th at noon, we'll be discussing Towards a Prairie Atonement with Trevor Herriot. Register here.

Towards a Prairie Atonement was chosen as the 2026 One Book One Province initiative. The Saskatchewan Information & Library Services Consortium has unlimited ebook copies and over 100 audiobooks of Towards a Prairie Atonement that you can access through the Libby app for a limited time. Check it out while you can!

14th Prairie Conservation and Endangered Species Conference

This dynamic gathering brings together researchers, government and NGO staff, Indigenous and ranching communities, and conservation practitioners from across the prairies. Whether you’re working in the field, managing policy, or leading grassroots initiatives — PCESC is your place to connect, learn, and share.

🌟 Register now ! Prices increase after April 15th.

Your conference registration includes:

✅ Evening Reception to kick-off the event

✅ Inspiring Keynotes & Breakout Sessions (Draft Program available online!)

✅ Poster Session & Tradeshow

✅ Banquet & Awards Night (Banquet only tickets are available)

In addition to the regular PCESC events, there are also Tours and Workshops available to get participants out on the landscape and experience native prairie or prairie species. Please register before April 16th.

📍 Learn more: www.prairiecesc.ca

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

Rooted in Resilience: The Importance of Grasslands in Prairie Climate Adaptation

Speakers: Olivia Richardson and Talha Awan, Smart Prosperity Institute

Wednesday April 29th, 2026 at 12:00pm

Register Free

More information

Save the Date!

May Native Prairie Speaker Series

Topic: Prairie Amphibians

Speaker: Jordan Vos

Tuesday May 12th, 2026 at 12:00pm

Register free!

June Native Prairie Speaker Series

Topic: Road Ecology

Speaker: Ben Goldfarb, Environmental Journalist and Author

Tuesday June 9th, 2026 at 12:00 pm

Register free!

Oskana Plains TREX

April 20-24, 2026

Regina, SK

Prairie Conservation and Endangered Species Conference

May 5-7, 2026

Saskatoon, SK

Native Prairie Appreciation Week Tour

June 12-13, 2026

Sask Landing and Monet Pasture

Nature Saskatchewan Spring Meet

June 19-20, 2026

Swift Current, SK

SAVE THE DATE

Central Grasslands Roadmap

November 10-12, 2026

Chihuahua City, Mexico



Living Labs - Central Prairies Conference

December 15-16, 2026

Saskatoon, SK

Employment Opportunities

Nature Saskatchewan and the Last Mountain Bird Observatory are hiring a Banding Intern.

Native Prairie in the News

$1M parcel of land expands horizons for cattle farming research on the Prairies

Con­ser­va­tion through col­lab­or­a­tion: advan­cing grass­land resi­li­ence in the Cypress Hills

On Capitol Hill, a Rancher’s Message: Grazing is Key to Healthy Grasslands

Announcing the Great Plains’ Bird of the Year: the Western Meadowlark

Prairie's Got the Goods Week promotes public awareness

2026/27 Education Programs:

Presenting Sponsors:

SK PCAP gratefully acknowledges financial support in 2026-2027 from:

North American Helium, Parks Canada - Grasslands National Park of Canada, K+S youth+us, Pembina, Saskatchewan Cattle Association, Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment - Fish and Wildlife Development Fund, SaskEnergy, University of Regina, University of Saskatchewan - College of Agriculture and Bioresources, the Department of Plant Sciences, and the College of Arts & Science, Water Security Agency and Wildlife Habitat Canada.

SK PCAP gratefully acknowledges in-kind support for 2026-2027 from: 

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada - Science and Technology Branch, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Association, Environment and Climate Change Canada - Canadian Wildlife Service, Meewasin Valley Authority, Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan, Nature Conservancy Canada, Nature Saskatchewan, Parks Canada - Grasslands National Park, Ranchers Stewardship Alliance Inc., Redberry Lake Biosphere Region, Salthaven West. Saskatchewan Aboriginal Land Technicians, Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities, Saskatchewan Association of Watersheds, Saskatchewan Bison Association, Saskatchewan Burrowing Owl Interpretive Centre, Saskatchewan Cattle 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, the Department of Plant Sciences, and the College of Arts & Science and Water Security Agency.