Conservation science · since 2011
Grassland. Wetland.
Science.
Our work rests on a simple conviction: native grasslands and wetlands are the foundation of biodiversity on the northern Great Plains. We restore what's been lost, recover what's been damaged, and rigorously track what remains.
Grassland restoration
Bringing back
native prairie
Saskatchewan has lost over 80% of its native grassland since European settlement. Native prairie is one of the world's most threatened ecosystems — more endangered, acre for acre, than tropical rainforest.
We focus on reseeding degraded and cultivated land with native grass, sedge, and wildflower species drawn from local ecotype remnant prairies. We do not use agricultural species or commercial seed mixes. Every seed we plant comes from regionally matched sources.
Our approach
Seed collection from local ecotype remnant prairies → land preparation → species-matched seeding → 5-year monitoring protocol. We work only with willing landowners, at no cost to them.
sites
management
seeded to date
Wetland recovery
Reclaiming the
prairie pothole
Prairie potholes — shallow, glacially-carved depressions that dot the landscape — are the nurseries of North American waterfowl. Over 70% of Saskatchewan's potholes have been drained for agriculture since the mid-20th century.
We work with landowners to re-plug drain tiles, restore hydrology, and reseed wetland vegetation from locally sourced native species. Each restored pothole becomes a recharge zone for the aquifer and a breeding habitat for dozens of species.
Species returning to restored potholes
Canvasback · Redhead · American avocet · Yellow-headed blackbird · Franklin's gull · Wilson's phalarope · Ruddy duck
since 2011
drained since 1950
Species monitoring
Science open
to everyone
You can't protect what you don't measure. Annual plant and wildlife surveys are conducted across all active sites using protocols developed with University of Regina ecology researchers.
We publish all survey results on our website every year. No paywalls, no embargo periods — the data belongs to the public. Our monitoring feeds directly into provincial and federal species-at-risk assessments.
At-risk species we monitor
Annual surveys cover all of the following — each with standardized protocols, GPS-referenced transects, and year-over-year trend analysis.
annually
publications
Get involved
Help us do more of this
Whether you're a landowner, a scientist, a volunteer, or a donor — there's a place for you in this work. The prairie doesn't restore itself. But with enough hands, we can bring it back.