The Nature Conservancy of Canada has announced that an expanse of grasslands located south of Maple Creek is now a protected conservation site.
The property, referred to as Zen-Ridge, is 195 hectares in size and is situated near the village of Consul, Sask. in the Milk River Basin Natural Area. It is home to grasslands and season wetlands habitats, as well as several species at risk.
Parts of the property have been designated as critical habitat spaces for the endangered greater sage-grouse, as well as the threatened species the chestnut-collared longspur and ferruginous hawks. Also listed as a special concern is the rare dwarf wolly-heads plant, which grows on the dried-up edges of the wetlands.
“The grasslands on NCC’s Zen-Ridge property are at risk, including many of the plants and animals that live here. Our focus on conserving grasslands in Saskatchewan represents an opportunity to protect and revitalize what remains,” said Michael Burak, program director of southwest Saskatchewan for the NCC.
Grassland habitats are one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world, with less than 20 per cent of natural grasslands remaining in the province.
Preservation of the property is possible through federal funding from the Natural Heritage Conservation Program, which is part of Canada’s Nature Fund, and provincial funding through the Fish and Wildlife Development Fund. Many individual donors also contributed to the campaign.
The announcement follows on the heels of a conservation site dedication along the shoreline of Buffalo Pound Lake in August.
