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The McIntyre Ranch located south of Lethbridge is 130 years old and is one of the largest private landholdings in Canada.
The 22,000-hectare property is home to more than 150 species of plants and animals.
Grasslands are one of the most threatened and least protected ecosystems worldwide.
This week is Native Prairie Appreciation Week, stats show that over 80 per cent of native prairies in Canada and around the world have been lost.
Canada’s iconic grasslands continue to disappear due to land conversion, with nearly 60,000 hectares lost every year, including an estimated 10,000 hectares annually in Alberta.
Today, only about 26 per cent of native prairie grasslands remain in Alberta, but hope remains if we act now to conserve and care for what remains.
Preserving the native prairie grasslands is a key project for the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC).
The NCC recently announced the largest private prairie grassland conservation project in Canadian history - the McIntyre Ranch south of Lethbridge at 54 thousand acres.
Thorsten Hebben, the Manager of Provincial Operations for Ducks Unlimited Canada in Alberta says while it will remain a working cattle operation they have set up conservation easements on the property to prevent it from future development or conversion into crop production.
The current owners of the property - the Thrall Family - are donating part of the easement which has been certified under Canada’s Ecological Gifts Program.
Like the McIntyre family before them, the Thralls’ dedication to sustainable stewardship practices has maintained the natural value of McIntyre Ranch, ensuring that its conservation is possible.
The Thralls recognize how rare and valuable this habitat has become and want to ensure the McIntyre Ranch is protected in its current state forever.
The provincial and federal governments are investing a total of over $16 million into the project, and several businesses have contributed as well.
The NCC has launched a public campaign to raise the remaining $3 million needed to complete the project.
More information on the project and how to donate is available online at conservemcintyreranch.ca.