A large piece of grassland within southwest Saskatchewan is now protected. The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC’s) Rangeview conservation project is located south of Robsart and is six kilometres west of the Old Man on His Back Prairie and Heritage Conservation Area, NCC’s flagship property in the province. 

The Rangeview property contains 521 hectares of grasslands and wetlands, including seasonal creeks and riparian areas. The property and surrounding areas inhabit many different species of plants and animals, including several listed as threatened, under Canada’s Species at Risk Act, including chestnut-collared longspur, common nighthawk, ferruginous hawk, Sprague’s pipit and swift fox. 

Jennifer McKillop, Vice-President for NCC’s Saskatchewan Region, stated, “Looking at the beautiful landscape on the Rangeview property, I get a sense of hope that future generations can experience all that nature has to offer. I’m grateful for our donors and partners who help conserve grasslands and the rich biodiversity found in the region. Their support ensures a thriving world for both nature and people.”

In a media release by the NCC, it states, “The generosity of private donors and the estates of William Gibbs and Margaret Smith helped make this long-lasting impact for nature. These donations help NCC obtain match funding from the federal government and other partners. The Government of Canada is a major funding contributor through the Natural Heritage Conservation Program, part of Canada’s Nature Fund. The project was also significantly supported by funds from The MapleCross Fund, The Mosaic Company, TC Energy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Walmart Canada.”

Conserving grasslands provides solutions to counter the challenges of rapid biodiversity loss and the impacts of climate change state the NCC. 

“The twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss are two sides of the same coin, and we must tackle them together. By working with partners like the Nature Conservancy of Canada, individual and corporate donors, we are helping to protect the natural environment in Saskatchewan and across the country. Through programs like the Natural Heritage Conservation Program our Government is helping progress toward our goal of conserving a quarter of lands and oceans in Canada by 2025,” stated The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change. 

“Grasslands store carbon, filter our water and help prevent flooding and droughts. In the past two years alone, NCC has influenced the protection of more than 1 million hectares (almost twice the size of Banff National Park), coast to coast to coast,” stated the release. 

The NCC plans on doubling its impact by mobilizing Canadians and delivering permanent, large-scale conservation success.