To mark Earth Day (April 22), the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) announced it has received a donation of 885 acres from Nature Manitoba.
“I want to thank Nature Manitoba and its members for this donation and their vision. For many years, they have shown leadership in helping secure and steward this area by helping manage the lands and carrying out prescribe burns and controlled grazing, plant pulls, removing and relocating fences, paying property taxes, and conducting tall-grass prairie education in schools. They remain a tremendous conservation partner and we share the same interest of having these species survive while allowing Manitobans to connect with nature in a respectful way,” said Kevin Teneycke, Regional vice-president, Nature Conservancy of Canada Manitoba Region.
In addition to supporting tall-grass prairie, a habitat listed as Endangered under Manitoba’s Endangered Species and Ecoystems Act, these lands also support ten provincially and federally listed Species at Risk.
Of particular note is two of the seven Poweshiek skipperling habitat sites left in the country, a portion of the world’s largest population of Western prairie white-fringed orchid, and a portion of Manitoba’s small white lady’s slippers. There are also seven other federally and provincially listed species.
Once covering 1.5 million acres, less than one percent of the original tall-grass prairie habitat remains in Manitoba. It is home to over 1,000 different species, including seven globally imperilled species.
The lands have been donated to NCC which has the conservation planning resources and expertise needed to maintain the ecological integrity of this vitally important area.
The Zita and Mark Bernstein Family Foundation, Nature Manitoba and other individual donors also provided financial support for the transfer of these conservation lands.
The land is located in the RM of Stuartburn in the Vita/Tolstoi area.
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