Southwest families, rural residents, and more are encouraged to take a moment next week to enjoy the outdoors or participate in one of several upcoming activities to embrace Saskatchewan's unique native prairies.
The Saskatchewan Prairie Conservation Action Plan (PCAP) has promoted the third week of June as Native Prairie Appreciation Week for more than a quarter of a century.
Carolyn Gaudet, manager at PCAP, shared that Native Prairie Appreciation Week has been proclaimed by Saskatchewan's Ministers of Environment and Agriculture for the past 27 years.
"It's the only week in North America devoted to recognizing and celebrating the diverse value of native prairie grasslands," she said. "It's just a way to bring awareness to the value of native prairies, including providing habitat to numerous grassland species at-risk and benefits to our ecosystem and economy, like water filtration, carbon sequestration, and forage for cattle."
A duo of free-to-attend webinars are set for next week, highlighting a few unique features of the prairies, including urban wildlife and connections between wildlife and geology, with subject matter experts.
Members of the organization will also be at several markets across the province, including at Swift Current's Farmer's Market next Saturday.
"We will be at three farmers markets during the week," Gaudet said. "We'll be there to talk about native prairie and hand out information and packets of seeds that are available for free."
Folks can also enter photos into PCAP's Native Prairie Photo Contest by submitting a photo to npawcontest@gmail.com for a chance to win in one of three categories; best native prairie wildflower, best wildlife in action, and best native prairie landscape.
Last year was the first time Native Prairie Appreciation Week was recognized by the City of Swift Current, alongside Saskatoon, Regina, and the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment.
For more information about Native Prairie Appreciation Week or to register for free for either of the Prairie Speaker Series' webinars next week, head to PCAP's website.
