NCC Magazine Spring 2023

SPRING 2023 

Songs 

of 

hope 

A chorus of 

Canadians has 

joined the call 

to conserve 

our remaining 

native prairie 

grasslands

SPRING 2023 

CONTENTS 

Nature Conservancy of Canada 

4 Our aim is true 

The power of partnership is essential to 

hitting Canada’s conservation targets. 

6 Dutch Creek Hoodoos 

These hoodoos in BC’s Columbia 

Valley offer a stunning view over 

an important wildlife corridor. 

7 Build a bee garden 

Four tips to help bees. 

7 Ripple effects 

For Catherine Stewart, Canada’s 

Ambassador for Climate Change, 

water nourishes mind and body. 

8 A gift for the Prairies 

The Weston Family Prairie Grasslands 

Initiative is empowering ranchers to 

conserve native prairie habitat. 

12 All smiles 

Keep your eyes open for the 

“smiling” Blanding’s turtle. 

14 Telling it like it is 

Aerin Jacob, NCC’s director of 

conservation science and research, 

on big thinking and genuine 

communication in conservation. 

16 Project updates 

Expanding protection on The 

Rock; ensuring a tall grass legacy; 

conservation, education and 

science unite; receiving high honours. 

18 A dance to remember 

Brian Keating on the spellbinding 

dance of the sharp-tailed grouse. 

Digital extras 

Check out our online magazine page with 

additional content to supplement this issue, 

at nccmagazine.ca. 


245 Eglinton Ave. East, Suite 410 | Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4P 3J1 

magazine@natureconservancy.ca | Phone: 416.932.3202 | Toll-free: 877.231.3552 

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is the country’s unifying force for nature. We seek 

solutions to the twin crises of rapid biodiversity loss and climate change through large-scale, 

permanent land conservation. NCC is a registered charity. With nature, we build a thriving world. 

The Nature Conservancy of Canada Magazine is distributed to donors and supporters of NCC. 

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2 FALL 2022 natureconservancy.ca

McIntyre Ranch, Alberta. 

Featured 

Contributors 

Dear friends, 

KEVIN TKTKTKTKTKTKT 

TENEYCKE: BRIAN YUNGBLUT PHOTOGRAPHY. ALBERT LAW: SACHIN KHONA. JULIE BARNES: MATT RAMAGE/STUDIO D. 

Ihave been privileged to experience our country’s vast and 

open grasslands — seas of gold and green, where blades of 

grass sway in the gentle breeze. Prairie wildflowers add pops 

of colour to the rolling plains. The wafts of fragrant prairie sage 

make you feel that this is the world’s biggest herb garden. These 

are my favourite things about the Canadian prairies, which both 

captivate and sustain. I have experienced this amazing landscape 

and my children have, too, but I worry that their children may 

never experience these same opportunities. 

In my 20 years of delivering conservation programming, I’ve 

seen a wave of change — even in just the last decade — that has 

enabled us to work toward innovative solutions that are compatible 

with conservation and livestock producers. 

When conservation groups collaborate with donors and supporters, 

we can provide ranchers with the financial resources to do 

things that increase the quality of grasslands, like rotational grazing. 

Meaningful changes like these take a whole-of-society approach 

to conservation. 

In this issue’s feature story, you’ll read about the Stewardship 

Investment Program, funded through the Weston Family Prairie 

Grasslands Initiative — the largest ever private investment in 

conserving Canada’s grasslands. This program is a great example 

of society’s collective effort to protect habitat and the species 

that depend on them. 

At the Nature Conservancy of Canada, we take to heart the 

belief that when nature thrives, people thrive. With the arrival 

of warmer weather, I invite you to reconnect with a part of nature 

that you love, learn about Canada’s grasslands and how you can 

lend a helping hand. 

Yours in conservation, 

Kevin Teneycke 

Kevin Teneycke 

Regional Vice President – Manitoba 

Julie Barnes is a 

freelance writer based 

in Saskatoon. She has 

written about travel, 

gardening, architecture, 

residential construction, 

food and agriculture, 

urban planning, cottage 

communities and 

education for a variety 

of publications and 

industry clients. She 

wrote “A gift for the 

grasslands,” page 8. 

Albert Law is a 

Vancouver-based 

editorial and commercial 

photographer. 

His work spans 

a broad range, from 

soft editorial portraits 

to photojournalism 

in austere conditions 

with the Canadian 

Armed Forces. He 

photographed Aerin 

Jacob for “Telling it 

like it is,” on page 14. 

natureconservancy.ca 

SPRING 2023 3

COAST TO 

COAST 

2 

Our 

aim 

is true 

Extending support for Canada’s natural areas 

1 

3 

4 

Over the next three years, the Nature 

Conservancy of Canada (NCC) will 

conserve an additional 130,000 hectares 

of priority natural habitat, thanks to the 

extension of the Natural Heritage Conservation 

Program (NHCP). With this support, 

along with matching funds from our partners 

and donors, NCC’s commitment will result 

in the protection of natural areas spanning 

roughly three times the size of Montreal. Since 

2007, the NHCP has matched more than 

$445 million in investment from the Government 

of Canada, with more than $875 million 

in non-federal funding to delivere more than 

$1.3 billion in conservation outcomes. 

The NHCP is designed to bring partners 

together to unlock conservation solutions. 

Working alongside other program partners, 

including Ducks Unlimited Canada, Wildlife 

Habitat Canada and the country’s land 

trusts, NCC will build upon the success of 

the program. 

The extended NHCP will help NCC find 

new and innovative ways to conserve more 

lands faster, including privately protected 

areas, publicly protected areas and conservation 

on working landscapes. NCC will also 

continue to support and advance Indigenous-led 

conservation, including Indigenous 

Protected and Conserved Areas. 

Lands protected and cared for by NCC 

under the NHCP will provide benefits 

for species at risk and migratory birds, and 

ensure the health and connectedness of 

natural systems. They will provide opportunities 

for climate change mitigation and 

VIEW OUR SUCCESSES 

SINCE THE START OF THE 

NATURAL HERITAGE 

CONSERVATION PROGRAM 

adaptation, and maintain ecosystem services 

for neighbouring communities. 

These projects have the potential to 

capture at least 250,000 tonnes of carbon 

over the three-year term of the program 

extension, equivalent to taking 52,000 passenger 

vehicles off the road 

While much has been accomplished 

through this partnership, the urgency of the 

biodiversity and climate change crises demand 

that we do more to ensure a thriving 

world for nature and people.1 

LEFT TO RIGHT: CARYS RICHARDS; STEVE OGLE; JASON BANTLE; NCC. 

4 WINTER SPRING 2023 natureconservancy.ca

HITTING THE MARK 

Contributions from the NHCP since 2007 have helped accomplish: 

90,000 

The total number of hectares of grasslands protected under 

the program, an area larger than the city of Calgary. 

480,000 

The total number of hectares of forested habitat conserved, 

an area three times larger than Gros Morne National Park. 

300,000 

The total number of hectares supported by stewardship activities. 

96 

The percentage of all NHCP properties within 25 kilometres 

of provincially or nationally protected areas, contributing to 

connectivity in these areas. 

10 

5 

8 

7 

9 

6 

LEFT TO RIGHT: ANDREW WARREN; KENAUK NATURE; MIKE DEMBECK; 

DENIS DUQUETTE; IRWIN BARRETT; ANDREW HERYGERS/NCC STAFF. 

Key projects since 2007 

1. Darkwoods Conservation Area, BC 

Valleys, mountains, lake 

2. Birch River Wildland Provincial Park, AB 

Boreal forest 

3. Buffalo Pound, SK 

Native grasslands 

4. Douglas Marsh, MB 

Marsh wetlands, native upland prairie 

5. Boreal Wildlands, ON 

Boreal forest, rivers, streams 

6. Kenauk, QC 

Old-growth forests, wetlands, lakes 

7. Musquash Estuary Nature Reserve, NB 

Acadian forest, marshes 

8. Conway and Cascumpec 

Sandhills Nature Reserve, PE 

Sand dunes, wetlands 

9. Shaw Wilderness Park, NS 

Temperate forest, marshes 

10. Grand Codroy Estuary Nature Reserve, NL 

Boreal forest, marshes, wetlands 



BOOTS ON 

THE TRAIL 

 

N 

Westside Road 

Dutch Creek 

Hoodoos 

Formed over thousands of years, 

these hoodoos offer a stunning view 

over an important wildlife corridor 

Dutch Creek 

Hoodoos 

Conservation 

Area 

The Hoodoos 

Dutch Creek 

The craggy spires and rugged cliffs of 

the Dutch Creek Hoodoos Conservation 

Area are a sight to behold. Looking 

much like a child’s sandcastle, the hoodoos 

formed over thousands of years of glaciation 

and erosion. The cliffs sit at the north end 

of Columbia Lake, in BC’s Rocky Mountain 

Trench in the territory of the Ktunaxa Nation 

and the Secwépemc (Shuswap Band). The 

trench is immensely important as a wildlife 

corridor. The Douglas-fir forest on the 

benchlands above the hoodoos provides 

prime habitat for many wildlife species, 

including mule deer and elk. The hoodoos 

themselves harbour precariously placed nests 

for white-throated swifts and violet-green 

swallows, while raptors circle on the updrafts 

looking for prey. 

The conservation area is a popular walking 

spot for locals and visitors alike. A wellgroomed 

trail leads through the forest to the 

bench above the hoodoos. From the top of the 

cliffs, visitors are treated to a stunning panoramic 

view of Columbia Lake and beyond.1 

LEGEND 

-- Dutch Creek Hoodoos Trail 

P Parking 

SPECIES TO SPOT 

• American badger 

• black bear 

• elk 

• golden eagle 

• mule deer 

• sharp-shinned hawk 

• violet-green swallow 

• white-throated swift 

LEARN MORE 

natureconservancy.ca/dutchcreek 

MAP: JACQUES PERRAULT. PHOTOS TOP TO BOTTOM: STEVE OGLE; 

STEVE OGLE; ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; STEVE OGLE; NCC. 

6 SPRING 2023 

natureconservancy.ca

ACTIVITY 

CORNER 

BACKPACK 

ESSENTIALS 

Tips for a 

bee garden 

Four tips to help bees 

Spring has sprung, and the warming weather and 

thawing ground may just be the motivation you need 

for some yard improvements this year. While you’re 

getting your hands dirty, we invite you to take stock 

of what you can do to support bees. Native bees are 

best adapted to native plants, which often require 

less maintenance from us than ornamental varieties, 

and provide a higher quality food source for the bees. 

You don’t need an overhaul right away; you can make 

an impact by adding one or two native species a year. 

Here are a few tips for designing a bee garden: 

ILLUSTRATION: CORY PROULX. PHOTO: DOMINIC STEINMANN. 

1. CHOOSE PLANTS 

NATIVE TO YOUR 

REGION 

Refer to online sources, 

a plant guidebook 

for your region, or 

consult your local plant 

nursery for recommendations 

on bee-friendly 

plants that are native 

to your area. Planting 

a number of different 

species can provide 

nectar and pollen as 

food from spring to 

fall. Help foraging bees 

by providing their 

favourite plants in 

big patches. 

2. CREATE HABITAT 

FOR BEES 

Grow plants with 

hollow stems for 

cavity-nesting bees, 

like mason bees and 

carpenter bees. Come 

fall, leave any fallen 

plant material for bees 

and other pollinators 

to dwell in over winter. 

3. DESIGNATE A 

SUNSHINE SPOT 

Ground-nesting bees, 

such a sweat bees and 

mining bees, need loose 

and sparsely vegetated 

soil in a sunny location. 

Provide a patch of bare, 

dry and well-drained soil 

in a warm spot. 

4. ADD A PLACE TO 

QUENCH THIRST 

Provide a shallow dish of 

fresh, clean water, with 

partially submerged 

rocks as platforms for 

bees and other 

pollinators.1 

LEARN MORE 

Ripple effects 

For Catherine Stewart, Canada’s Ambassador for Climate 

Change, water nourishes mind and body 

Water has always been a big part of my life. Growing up on Lake Ontario, 

and later Rice Lake near Cobourg, Ontario, my early years spent lakeside 

gave me a deep appreciation for time spent in nature. 

At 17, I worked as an Ontario Junior Ranger, helping to maintain and clean Ontario 

provincial parks. It was a chance to connect with youth from across the province, and 

our conversations were deep and meaningful in those expansive landscapes. After 

a long day of canoeing, we would dip our standard-issue hard hats into the lake and 

enjoy a refreshing drink. 

Today, I’m rarely found without my stainless-steel water bottle in my backpack. 

Whether in nature or travelling through an airport, it’s an essential. I find sentimental 

value in my trusted companion of years, and each time I use it I know it’s one less 

plastic water bottle. 

To me, summers in Canada are about hearing crickets and loon calls on the water 

under the stars. In winter, there’s nothing like being carried by the wind while skating 

on a frozen lake. I always appreciate a short walk or a long trip, to connect more 

closely with others, and myself, in the outdoors. The magic of nature is that it can be 

felt by all.1 



A 

gift 

for the 

grasslands 

The Weston Family Prairie 

Grasslands Initiative is 

empowering ranchers to play 

a critical role in conserving 

the few native prairie grasslands 

we have left 

BY Julie Barnes, freelance writer and editor 

Tamara Carter takes 

stock of the cattle 

on her family ranch. 

RACHELLE HODGINS. 

8 SPRING 2023 natureconservancy.ca

It’s a crisp, early December 

afternoon when I approach the 

Carter family ranch in southwest 

Saskatchewan. At first glance, it’s 

a stark winter landscape, capped 

in a blanket of fresh snow, disturbed only 

by the tracks of a Nuttall’s cottontail rabbit. 

But spend a little time here, and it becomes 

clear that these lands are brimming 

with biodiversity, both above and below the 

mineral-rich soil. And the Carters are intent 

on keeping it that way. 

Three kilometres down the driveway, 

some of the Carters’ 250 black Angus cattle 

come into view; a dramatic contrast against 

the white backdrop. Just up ahead is the 

family homestead, perched on the crest of a 

hill, shrouded in majestic stands of towering 

conifers, green ash and box elder. 

Tamara and Russ Carter are the stewards 

of these 2,800 hectares of native prairie grasslands. 

They purchased the land in 1996 and 

raised their children here, but the Carters’ 

roots run even deeper. Russ’ family has farmed 

and ranched on these lands for over 100 years. 

Here, an interconnected web of soil microbiota, 

insects, plants, wildlife, cattle and humans 

work in harmony to maintain healthy 

and resilient grassland ecosystems. “It’s a gift, 

and it is a privilege,” says Tamara. “There’s 

a tremendous responsibility to care for the 

land. I don’t take it lightly.” 

Grasslands are among the world’s most 

endangered — and least protected — ecosystems. 

By some estimations, more than 

75 per cent of Canada’s prairie grasslands 

have been eradicated. Cropland conversion, 

urban sprawl and infrastructure, like highways, 

all play a role in their decline. Temperate grasslands 

are like giant lungs,” Tamara says. “They 

clean the air. They filter water.” She adds that 

the roots of the native grasses can reach down 

many metres, aiding in carbon sequestration. 

“People across Canada benefit from the positive 

impact of healthy and intact grasslands.” 

It’s Tamara’s “boots-on-the-ground” experience 

as a rancher that made her ideally 

suited to take on the role of director of prairie 

grasslands conservation for the Nature 

Conservancy of Canada (NCC) for the last 

two years to develop and lead the Weston 

Family Prairie Grasslands Initiative (WFPGI), 

the largest ever prairie investment in stewardship 

on Canada’s grasslands. Although 

Tamara will be handing off the project, she 

has set it up well for success. 

Launched in 2021, the Stewardship Investment 

Program (SIP) is a four-year collaboration 

funded through the WFPGI. The SIP is 

designed to protect and conserve native prairie 

grasslands in Alberta, Saskatchewan and 

Manitoba. NCC has partnered with four land 

trusts to expand the program’s reach and 

amplify the impact: Ducks Unlimited Canada, 

Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation, 

Southern Alberta Land Trust Society 

(SALTS) and Western Sky Land Trust. 

Together with these land trusts, NCC is 

providing up to 830 grants. The funding aims 

to support work to maintain and enhance biodiversity 

outcomes on as much as 1.4 million 

hectares of grasslands in the Prairie provinces. 



All this is thanks to the generosity of the Weston 

Family Foundation’s healthy landscapes 

portfolio, which aims to restore and protect 

biodiversity on Canada’s wild, agricultural and 

urban landscapes. Landowners who meet the 

eligibility requirements can apply for an NCC 

grant of up to $10,000 to fund projects that 

protect their grasslands and the species that 

depend on them. 

The funding comes at an opportune time, 

as ranchers are under increased financial 

pressure due to rapidly rising costs of fertilizer, 

fuel, feed and machinery. “Everything 

is going up, except what we’re getting paid 

for our cattle. Retail prices are not at all representative 

of what the rancher gets paid.” 

Landowners can make more money converting 

their grasslands into cropland for 

growing high-value crops like canola, wheat 

or lentils. “It’s really tempting if you’re not 

making money with cattle,” explains Tamara. 

Much of the country’s remaining grasslands 

are managed or owned by cattle producers, 

so ranchers like Tamara play a critical role in 

their stewardship. As the administrator of 

the SIP, she acted as a conduit between the 

conservation and ranching communities. 

“I learned about conservation myself from 

NCC, and now I’m taking some of that learning 

back into the ranching communities 

and saying, ‘Hey — this is what you can do 

with a partnership with NCC.’” 

As of year two, the program has funded 

close to 330 projects. The development of 

water systems and wildlife-friendly fencing 

have been among the most popular projects 

initiated by grant recipients, says Tamara. 

Ranchers and their herds play a critical role in the stewardship of Canada’s remaining grasslands. 

Wells of conservation 

The Prairies have experienced five years of 

significant drought, and Tamara has met with 

ranchers who were considering downsizing 

their herd and have even exited the industry 

due to lack of water access. The program has 

helped grant recipients finance the installation 

of new wells and troughs, allowing ranchers to 

keep their herd intact. “Those projects have 

instant, measurable results,” Tamara says. 

Cecily and Brian Knodel have witnessed 

the immediate impact a new water source can 

provide. Their family has been ranching on 

the northern slopes of Cypress Hills, Alberta, 

for over 120 years. During their lifetime, the 

couple has seen much of the grassland surrounding 

their property converted to cropland. 

“We are trying very hard to rotationally 

graze,” says Cecily. This involves moving cattle 

through the pasture to improve soil, rejuvenating 

the grass and giving the land time 

to recover. Getting the balance right spurs 

the plants to send out more roots, with 

deeper root systems. 

The Knodels already had a conservation 

agreement with the SALTS, a rancher-based 

land trust with over 16,000 hectares conserved 

in Alberta’s foothills and grasslands. 

“We talked to SALTS about bringing 

water further south to an area of the property 

in the north where we had cattle, but 

the animals tended to want to stay on the 

native grass as opposed to grazing on the 

tame grass,” says Cecily. “We thought if 

we could get a new water source on the 

tame grass and then fence it off, we could 

better utilize that quarter and protect 

the native grass.” 

Their contact at SALTS introduced them 

to the SIP program. The funding allowed 

them to create a new water source (a spring 

and water trough) and install a fence to facilitate 

improved rotational grazing. 

“Once the fence was put up, the cattle 

were allowed to stay on the tame grass for the 

spring and early summer,” says Brian. “That 

gave the birds time to nest without further 

disturbance from the cattle.” Grassland 

bird populations have fallen by 57 per 

cent since 1970, and it’s not just birds; 

more than 60 species at risk depend upon 

grasslands. These species at risk have 

fallen by almost 90 per cent in the same 

time frame. 

“When you’re in the cattle business, 

there’s not a lot of extra money around,” 

adds Brian. “It would have been extremely 

expensive for us to do this by ourselves. This 

grant from the Weston Family Foundation 

helped us enormously.” Once these projects 

are implemented, “you’ve created a better 

environment for wildlife, you’ve created 

a better environment for the cattle — it’s 

huge,” says Brian. 

Cecily echoes a sentiment Tamara has previously 

shared during our walk at the Carter 

ranch: “I don’t think people really appreciate 

that, as well as operating a business, we have 

to be good stewards of the land. If we wreck 

the land, we’ve wrecked our business.” 

Brian chimes in to add, “The land looks 

after us, so we have to look after it.” 

RACHELLE HODGINS. 



ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; JASON BANTLE. 

Good stewardship is 

good for business 

As executive director of SALTS, Justin 

Thompson says one of the misconceptions he 

sees in grassland stewardship is that those 

who aren’t involved in ranching don’t recognize 

the positive role cattle can play. 

“Cattle are a tool in managing healthy 

grasslands. Grazing is the most compatible 

land use if your goal is to retain habitat 

for species at risk, watershed values and 

carbon,” he adds. 

Thompson says that funding from the 

Weston Family Foundation is having a multiplier 

effect, thanks to the strong partnerships 

fostered among environmental NGOs. 

“In recent years, land conservation has become 

a lot more collaborative,” he says. “The 

grants have allowed us to partner and collaborate 

with other NGOs that are not part of 

the program to leverage other funding…It 

means we are not just doing one project with 

these properties; we are doing one project 

and we’re bringing in another partner to do 

another project.” 

The program is having a similarly successful 

snowball effect in southwest Saskatchewan. 

Clint Christianson is the Chair of Val 

Marie Community Pasture (40,400 hectares), 

the manager of the adjacent Beaver Valley 

Community Pasture (24,300 hectares) and 

a board member with Lone Tree Community 

Pasture (13,300 hectares). 

With funding from the program, he’s 

worked with NCC to kick-start four conservation 

projects on the three pastures. The projects 

have provided water development and 

a wildlife-friendly electric fence to manage 

grazing rotations, like the Knodels have done. 

The impact is enormous. “We have a special 

thing here,” says Christianson. He notes that 

the funds help producers bear the costs of implementing 

actions that benefit everyone. “[The 

impact is] spread between 100 producers and 

benefits almost 81,000 hectares.” 

Christianson works closely with NCC and 

the ministries of Agriculture and Environment. 

When they gather on the community 

pastures, they all look at the landscape 

through a different lens. 

“I see something different as a rancher and 

producer than what they see, but now we can 

all get on the same page,” says Christianson. 

“Deep down, we all want the same thing: for 

this land to be the same a hundred years from 

now as it is today.” 

As the chair of the Weston Family Foundation’s 

conservation committee, and a 

rancher herself, Eliza Mitchell says the goal 

of the WFPGI is to support conservation 

agreements on approximately 1.6 million 

hectares of private grasslands to improve 

habitat for species at risk, improve wildlife 

movement, manage invasive species and 

restore native prairie grasslands. Ultimately, 

the goal is to ensure that the health of the 

grasslands is not only restored, but even improved 

to the way it was 100 years ago. 

With only an estimated 20 to 25 per cent 

of Canada’s grasslands remaining, “it’s imperative 

that we value and protect what is 

left,” Mitchell says. She explains that grasslands 

have the power to resist climate change 

through carbon sequestration: “These landscapes 

store billions of tonnes of carbon in 

their root system and soil, making up some of 

the highest carbon stocks in the world.” 

These landscapes evolved with the bison, 

says Mitchell. It’s an ecosystem “that needs 

a similar disturbance, like cows, to maintain 

its ecological integrity. It’s grazing, but it’s 

also hoof action. Those all have an effect on 

the grassland species. Without proper and 

targeted stewardship to mimic those disturbances, 

grasslands would quickly lose 

their unique and valuable biodiversity.” 

Back at the Carter family’s ranch, Tamara 

vividly renders a snapshot of the past. 

Standing out on the prairie, “I get goosebumps,” 

she says. “If you had been here 200 

to 500 years ago, you would have seen massive, 

black herds of bison, moving across the 

grasslands and grazing. If you close your eyes, 

you can almost feel it — the thundering of 

their hooves, like you were there in spirit.” 

She adds, “For thousands of years, this land 

has supported bison, deer, moose and pronghorn 

and our ancestors. Today, cattle graze 

here too. These few remaining grasslands 

have never been ploughed, cultivated or developed. 

When I’m out here with my cows, 

it’s like being tethered to all things that are 

still good, still natural. How many other 

places on the planet can you stand in and 

say, ‘This is still natural’?”1 

Bison. 

Ferruginous hawk. 

THE DECLINE OF 

GRASSLAND BIRDS 

Birds are some of the best indicators 

of the health of our planet and 

are beneficial for our mental health 

and communities. 

But birds that depend on grasslands, 

such as ferruginous hawk and 

chestnut-collared longspur, are at 

great risk of disappearing. Forever. 

Nearly 60 per cent of Canada’s 

grassland birds have disappeared 

since 1970 — that’s 300 million birds! 

The reasons for this rapid decline 

include crop agriculture, pesticide 

use and erosion, and severe drought 

and flooding due to climate change. 

But all is not lost. 

NCC is working to protect grassland 

habitat. NCC is also helping determine 

the health of local bird populations 

at its Big Valley property in 

Saskatchewan by contributing to 

the Monitoring Avian Productivity 

and Survivorship (MAPS) program. 

The MAPS program monitors bird 

demographics and contributes to 

bird conservation across North 

America. A standardized system of 

fine mesh nets is used to capture 

birds during the summer nesting 

season. MAPS operators band the 

birds, collecting data on their age, 

sex, body condition and reproductive 

status. The captured birds are 

given a lightweight, uniquely 

numbered aluminum leg band and 

released unharmed. Since MAPS is 

a continent-wide program, data 

collected at Big Valley will also 

contribute to the conservation of 

birds across North America. 

SUPPORT CANADA’S GRASSLANDS 

natureconservancy.ca/grasslands 



SPECIES 

PROFILE 

Blanding’s turtle 

Keep your eyes open for this “smiling” turtle and its bright yellow stripe 

ROBERT MCCAW. 



APPEARANCE 

Blanding’s turtles are easily 

identified by their bright yellow chin and 

throat. And thanks to their curved mouth, 

these turtles appear to be always smiling. 

The species’ large domed, brown- to black-coloured 

upper shells (carapaces) can measure up 

to 28 centimetres long. They often have tan or 

yellow markings, but these may be faded or 

absent in some turtles. Their lower shell 

(plastron) is yellow with large dark 

blotches on the outside. 

RANGE 

There is a separate 

population of Blanding’s 

turtles in Nova Scotia, but 

most of the species’ Canadian 

range is in southern 

Ontario and western 

Quebec. 

ROBERT MCCAW. 

HABITAT 

Their preferred habitat is 

restricted to wetlands, beaver ponds, 

and lakes with shallow water and mucky 

bottoms. They spend the winter buried 

under the mucky bottoms in a hibernation-like 

state called brumation and enjoy 

basking in the sun in the spring. Blanding’s 

turtles travel several kilometres 

between their summer and 

winter habitats. 

THREATS 

The Great Lakes/St. Lawrence 

and Nova Scotia populations of 

Blanding’s turtles are both assessed by 

the Committee on the Status on Endangered 

Wildlife in Canada as endangered. 

Threats to this species include wetland 

habitat loss, motor vehicle collisions 

and illegal collection for the pet 

trade. Raccoons and foxes 

are nest predators. 

HELP OUT 

Help protect habitat for 

species at risk at 

natureconservancy.ca/ 

donate. 

What NCC is 

doing to protect 

habitat for 

this species 

In Quebec, NCC has conservation 

projects where Blanding’s 

turtles occur in the Outaouais 

region, specifically in the 

Pontiac, Bristol, Clarendon and 

Sheenboro municipalities. 

Beaver ponds account for 

approximately 90 per cent of 

the species’ habitat. In building 

their dams, beavers create 

bodies of water where there 

used to be only streams, 

creating an ideal environment 

for Blanding’s turtles. By settling 

on top of the beaver lodge, 

these turtles can even sunbathe, 

which is necessary for 

their survival. To avoid dismantling 

beaver dams that can 

cause flooding, NCC is involved 

in installing sustainable and 

practical solutions, such as 

a pipe system that naturally 

regulates river levels without 

destroying these habitats.1 



FORCE FOR 

NATURE 

Telling it 

like it is 

Aerin Jacob on big thinking and genuine communication in conservation 

ALBERT LAW. 



Growing up, Aerin Jacob spent part of 

her summers at a family camp, north of 

Ontario’s Lake Superior. Her family would 

catch an overnight train from Toronto and sleepily 

meet her grandparents beside the railroad tracks 

after the long trip. 

ALBERT LAW. 

Jacob vividly remembers the call of the loon and the crunch of leaves 

under her feet, as she walked through the forest that surrounded 

the small lake. 

Her family lived in different parts of Canada and internationally, 

and she enjoyed lots of time spent in nature and exploring new 

places. “A common theme was our responsibility to other creatures,” 

says Jacob. “And trying to leave things better than you found them.” 

Jacob joined the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) in September 

2022 as its director of conservation science and research, after 

six years with the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative. She 

has a deep well of experience to draw from, including designing and 

leading research across Canada and internationally, and authoring 

more than 50 scientific papers, technical reports and book chapters. 

Jacob is an adjunct professor, has served on panels and committees, 

and has received fellowships and awards for her conservation work. 

Jacob is a leader in encouraging conservation rooted in science, 

conducts research and supports projects with more than 150 research 

partners across Canada. She oversees NCC’s Weston Family Conservation 

Science Fellowship Program for masters’ and PhD students 

who conduct research about NCC-identified priorities, such as species 

at risk, ecological connectivity and invasive species. 

We need to be careful to be doing the right 

things in the right places and measuring 

our successes or failures over time to 

ensure we’re always striving to be better. 

“The fellowship program is really fun and meaningful,” says Jacob. 

“There’s so much energy about working with young people who have 

new ideas and are the next generation of conservation leaders.” 

Together, the priorities identified by NCC help to ensure the quality 

of conservation work, not just the quantity. “We need to be careful 

to be doing the right things in the right places and measuring our 

successes or failures over time,” she adds. “To ensure we’re always 

striving to be better.” 

The big picture is a theme throughout her work. She stresses the 

importance of looking at multiple threats to nature, with individual 

and cumulative impacts, and how different solutions can work together. 

“It’s about working on the biggest threats and courageous solutions so 

that we’re not just tinkering around the edges,” says Jacob. 

Communicating scientific knowledge is an important piece of the 

puzzle for her. She wasn’t always a comfortable public speaker, but 

has embraced it as an important way to mobilize scientific knowledge 

and conservation action more widely and effectively. Throughout the 

2022 UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in Montreal, she was busy 

with media interviews and public speaking. As a conference attendee, 

she says she felt inspired. “It was important 

to see Canada walking the talk about ambitious 

conservation and Reconciliation, which 

includes more funding and actively supporting 

Indigenous-led work.” 

Jacob believes there is an increased 

emphasis on the importance of Indigenous 

Knowledge in conservation. “It’s a significant, 

much-needed, shift,” she says. “Science and 

Indigenous Knowledge are both valid types 

of evidence, and we need to learn from both. 

Humility is important for scientists in this regard. 

It’s about being open to expertise from 

people who were trained in different ways.” 

Growing up, Jacob imagined her future 

self in different roles, including as a veterinarian 

or journalist. She sees a theme of service 

to community and environment in her 

aspirations. She also admits, with a laugh, 

that she was a nerdy kid. 

“My younger self would probably be 

really happy to know that you can make 

a career out of loving animals, the outdoors 

and always wanting to learn more,” she 

says. “Don’t hide that enthusiasm; use your 

voice to help others”1 



PROJECT 

UPDATES 

1 

Expanding protection on The Rock 

ST. MARY'S BAY, NEWFOUNDLAND 

2 

THANK YOU! 

Your support has made these 

projects possible. Learn more at 

natureconservancy.ca/where-we-work. 

4 

3 

1 

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) has an opportunity 

to more than double the size of its Salmonier Nature Reserve 

(177 hectares), located an hour’s drive south of St. John’s. 

NCC is narrowing in on protecting an additional 230 hectares of 

forested land along the Salmonier Arm and is seeking the public’s 

support in closing the financial gap. 

The expansion area, located on the southeastern side of St. Mary’s 

Bay, is near the mouth of the Salmonier River and Avalon Wilderness 

Reserve, habitat that supports iconic woodland caribou. The reserve’s 

undulating, rugged landscape features a healthy forest comprised 

of balsam fir, black spruce and the eastern-most population of yellow 

birch in North America. A variety of wildlife, such as peregrine falcon, 

short-eared owl and red fox, and species at risk, like red crossbill 

and olive-sided flycatcher, thrive here. 

Learn how you can contribute and help make this opportunity a reality at 

natureconservancy.ca/salmonier. 

LEFT TO RIGHT: PHOTO COURTESY GAIL PENNINGTON; MIKE DEMBECK; MIKE DEMBECK. 

A lasting 

legacy 

“Ursula Linderkamp, my late 

stepmom, left a generous gift to 

the Nature Conservancy of Canada 

(NCC) in her Will. I was not at all surprised 

because her whole life had been one of loving 

the great outdoors in its purest form. 

Caribou. 

“Ursula moved to Sudbury, Ontario, from Germany 

in 1957 and soon found her happy place on the 

shores of Wanapitei Lake. A fierce, independent 

woman, she built one of the first homes on the 

lake and loved the peace and calm that it brought 

to her. After meeting and marrying my father, 

Kenneth Pennington, in the 1980s, she enjoyed 

many years with him. No matter where they lived, 

they always stayed connected to the outdoors. 

Ursula loved to take cold swims in the Lake of Bays 

in Muskoka, and when they moved to Kitchener, 

they fell in love with the Grand River Trails and 

took their dogs out for daily excursions. 

“Nature was a large part of their life story. 

“Both Ursula and my late dad had a great appreciation 

for the continued preservation of the incredible 

landscapes of Canada. They knew that leaving 

a gift to NCC would be something they could 

do to help protect the lands and waters that they 

loved dearly. Their legacy will support conservation 

well into the future, for generations to come. 

It leaves me quite humbled and very proud.” 

~ Gail Pennington 

16 WINTER 2023 natureconservancy.ca

2 

A legacy for future generations 

TALL GRASS PRAIRIE, MANITOBA 

Manitoba’s tall grass prairie region is home to a community that is 

working in partnership to ensure the area’s unique nature is here for 

future generations to enjoy. The tall grass prairie is one of the rarest 

ecosystems in North America. The region is home to 28 species at 

risk, including western prairie white-fringed orchid, which is found 

nowhere else in Canada, and Poweshiek skipperling, a butterfly 

with a global population of fewer than 1,000. 

The Shared Legacy Partnership is a cooperative working group led 

by the Rural Municipality of Stuartburn and NCC, along with partners 

Sunrise Corner Economic Development and the Province of Manitoba. 

The primary focus of the partnership is to alleviate threats for species 

at risk, through advancing understanding of the wonder of the area, 

its relationship with agriculture, and the natural heritage that benefits 

all residents. It also aims to build meaningful relationships through 

the pillars of nature, culture and economy. 

Western prairie 

white-fringed orchid. 

To learn more, visit sharedlegacymb.ca. The partnership gratefully 

acknowledges the support of Environment and Climate Change’s Community 

Nominated Priority Places program. 

3 

Conservation, education and science 

KENAUK, QUEBEC 

Wood duck. 

ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; MARK TOMALTY; MIKE FORD; HELEN JONES. 

The Nature Conservancy of Canada and the Kenauk Institute (KI) 

are partnering in a unique campaign to ensure that Kenauk, located 

between Montreal and Gatineau, is not only protected for the long 

term but that this 25,000-hectare gem is also dedicated to the natural 

sciences and educating future generations. 

To make this happen, NCC and KI are creating a permanent 

open-air laboratory devoted to studying the impacts of climate 

change on Kenauk. By partnering with universities and public 

stakeholders, this expansive laboratory will provide opportunities 

for research within a temperate forest. 

Kenauk’s old-growth forests, lakes and wetlands house exceptional 

biodiversity, including rare and at-risk species, such as black maple 

and eastern wood-pewee. 

4 

NCC’s former president named 

a Member of the Order of Canada 

CANADA 

We are pleased to share that John Lounds has been named a Member 

of the Order of Canada.The announcement was recently made by 

Governor General Mary Simon, recognizing 99 Canadians from a range 

of backgrounds for their contributions to the country. 

As NCC’s previous president and CEO, Lounds led the organization 

through an incredible journey of growth and success. During his 

24 years of stewardship, he made it his personal and professional mission 

to protect Canada’s natural legacy for future generations. Both 

within NCC and beyond, he has encouraged continuous learning, big 

ideas and boundary-breaking approaches to Canada’s biggest conservation 

challenges. 

Congratulations to John and the other distinguished Canadians 

who received one of our country’s highest honours.1 

Researchers at Kenauk. 

John Lounds. 

Partner Spotlight 

Since 2020, Northern Keep 

Vodka has been supporting the 


(NCC) in accelerating conservation 

and protecting natural 

habitats from coast to coast to 

coast. Northern Keep Vodka 

partners with NCC in support of 

its Land Preservation Campaign. 

Every bottle of Northern Keep 

sold during the campaign helps 

NCC protect .5 square metres 

of ecologically significant 

land and supports Northern 

Keep’s mission to Grow for 

Good, protecting the water, 

fields and forests that are 

integral to their product. 

Our partnership with Northern 

Keep provides us with the 

resources we need to help 

protect Canada’s biodiversity, 

now and into the future. 


CLOSE 

ENCOUNTERS 

A dance to remember 

By Brian Keating, naturalist 

The sharp-tailed grouse dance at The Yarrow, in 

southern Alberta, is one of many spellbinding 

natural displays observable at this special place. 

I have explored The Yarrow through and through — 

its many wetlands, rolling grasslands and beautiful forests, 

all teeming with life and beauty. That’s why I jumped at 

the invitation from the Nature Conservancy of Canada 

to help raise awareness about the effort to conserve this 

place in perpetuity. 

Simply put, there are not many places like it. 

One of my most memorable experiences at The Yarrow 

came when I visited it in late April 2022 to view the mesmerizing 

spectacle of sharp-tailed grouse performing their 

annual courtship display, known as lekking. 

Each year, groups of sharp-tailed grouse congregate 

in the same location, known as a lek. The males perform 

an intricate courtship display while the females keenly 

watch on. It’s a Darwinian spectacle that determines 

which male gets to mate with several females, and which 

must simply wait until next year. 

When we arrived [at the lek], there were still several 

grouse on the site, so we ate dinner in our camper, parked 

some distance away, and waited for them to depart. 

At 8:15 p.m., just before sunset, they flew off for the 

night. In the pre-dawn the following day, when I awoke 

shortly after 5 a.m., I could hear the grouse calling. The 

calls got louder as dawn approached. I was feeling very 

excited. Soon, it was light enough to film, and the grouse 

did not disappoint. There were 15 displaying males in 

total, and at least two females that approached them to 

inspect their performances. 

When the first female appeared, the dance intensity 

increased significantly. The males’ neck sacks glowed 

purple, brilliant yellow eye combs were puffed up, and 

with wings held out to the side, their foot stomping 

was a blur. 

By 9 a.m., the last grouse flew off, and the show was 

over. It was an experience I will never forget, and one 

I am keen to share with anyone willing to listen — to just 

say how special The Yarrow truly is. 

Without pristine landscapes like The Yarrow, these 

miraculous birds would simply have no other place to go. 

Conserving this place is a no-brainer, and we will all be 

richer for it, in experience and in the beings we share 

this wondrous planet with. To learn more about how you 

can help The Yarrow, visit theyarrow.ca.1 

To read the 

full version of 

this story, visit 

natureconservancy.ca/ 

memorabledance. 

CORY PROULX. 

18 SPRING 2023 natureconservancy.ca

LET YOUR 

PASSION 

DEFINE 

YOUR 

LEGACY 

Your passion for Canada’s natural spaces defines your life; now it can define 

your legacy. With a gift in your Will to the Nature Conservancy of Canada, 

no matter the size, you can help protect our most vulnerable habitats and the 

wildlife that live there. For today, for tomorrow and for generations to come. 

Order your Free Legacy Information Booklet today! 

Call Jackie at 1-877-231-3552 x2275 or visit DefineYourLegacy.ca

YOUR 

IMPACT 

Conservation 

through 

collaboration 

In late January, the Government of British 

Columbia announced the protection of 

75,000 hectares of Crown land and fresh 

water in the majestic Incomappleux 

Valley. The project is the result of meaningful 

collaboration between NCC, 

First Nations, the Government of BC, 

Interfor Corporation and funding 

partners, including charitable foundations 

and the Government of Canada. NCC 

acted as an important project broker and 

funder for the project. Learn more at 

natureconservancy.ca/incomappleux. 

Small addition with huge benefit 

At 255 hectares, the latest addition to the Waterton Park Front in southwestern 

Alberta may seem like a relatively small area, but this important parcel of 

fescue grasslands, forests and wetland habitat builds on over 13,000 hectares 

of conservation lands surrounding Waterton Lakes National Park. This area serves 

as an important corridor for wildlife movement in this incredible landscape, 

connecting natural areas outside this park, known as the Waterton Park Front. 

Thank you for all you do for nature in Canada! 

AUGUST 3–7, 2023 

This upcoming August long 

weekend, grab your camera 

and spend some time outdoors 

observing nature around you. 

Each year, the Big Backyard 

BioBlitz unites thousands of 

people across Canada in a 

collective community effort to 

celebrate and document the 

diverse species across our beautiful 

country. Together, we’ll 

grow the inventory of species 

observations so that scientists 

and conservation planners can 

use the data for future protection 

and conservation. 

Check out what we accomplished 

in 2022, and sign up 

for notifications about the 2023 

event: backyardbioblitz.ca 

TOP TO BOTTOM: PAUL ZIZKA; BRENT CARVER.

NCC Magazine Spring 2023

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