CFGA‑supported work highlighted at Prairie Conservation Conference

Two Canadian Forage and Grassland Association (CFGA)‑supported projects took centre stage at this year’s Pairies Conservation and Endangered Species ConferenceP, the premier meeting of scientists and conservation practitioners for prairie landscapes.

Grassland Learning and Knowledge Hub

The first came from the Grassland Learning and Knowledge Hub (GLKH) when a team of representatives presented an introduction to the workings of the GLKH in a paper titled "Broader Social Impacts of Conservation on Grassland Species.” The context was set within the extensive efforts of biophysical research and extension to attain the goal of grassland conservation, which continue to be beset with grassland degradation and conversion to annual crop fields.

The GLKH seeks to address this issue through examining the conservation of grassland through the broader lenses, beyond the biophysical studies that have been the main focus of grassland conservation efforts to date. To do this, the GLKH focuses on the connected pillars of learning and knowledge transfer, policy (including Indigenous policy), economics, Indigenous-centric studies, community of innovation (all cultures) and human dimension studies.

The human dimension working group includes others, as well, who are working on spirituality, communications, Indigenous engagement and succession planning as related to grassland. The group working within this pillar presented some initial output from their work. Their focus to date has been a landowner and public survey and a video that will break down the concepts and definition for survey participants. Their main focus is to determine familiarity with grasslands, emotional connections to this ecosystem and behaviours related to grassland.

Working as cooperative, interdisciplinary teams, the GLKH hopes to elucidate other ways to work towards grassland conservation on the Canadian Prairies.

Tomorrow’s Prairies

Next up were researchers from Tomorrow’s Prairies. This Nature United-led project is characterizing trends in the condition and extent of Canadian grasslands and examining various possible futures for this important ecosystem.

Ronnie Drever and Alison Long from Nature United, alongside Bronwyn Rayfield from Carleton University, presented in a special session on initial findings for biodiversity, grasslands classification and landscape modelling.

The conference was a resounding success and showed how diversity and collaboration are key ingredients for prairie conservation and endangered species.