A Lake Manitoba wetland about five times the size of Birds Hill Park called Big Grass Marsh has been protected by the municipalities of Lakeview and Westbourne for conservation, making this the largest such land donation in the province’s history, Conservation and Water Stewardship Minister Gord Mackintosh announced today. This is the largest conservation agreement of its kind in Canada. … Read More
Wetland Restoration: Restoring Landscape Resilience
The Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation (MHHC) is working with landowners to address on-farm and community-level water concerns through wetland restoration. Restoring wetlands under paid 10-year term contracts or perpetual agreements is a simple and effective way to reduce nutrient loading to Manitoba’s lakes and rivers and support wildlife and waterfowl, while improving your land’s natural resilience to extreme wet and … Read More
Hen Houses Provide a Haven for Nesting Mallards
Thousands of new mallard ducklings will be hitting the water in wetlands across southwestern Manitoba this spring. That would appear to be unremarkable, however, these ducklings would likely not exist but for the combined efforts of the Delta Waterfowl Foundation and the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation. These two organizations have erected more than 2400 nesting structures on wetlands throughout southwestern … Read More
Sustainable Slopes – The Pembina Escarpment Partnership
A stark contrast to the surrounding flat grasslands, the Pembina Escarpment marks the boundary between the Red River valley to the east and the prairies to the west. Rising 200 metres above the valley, this unique landscape was formed thousands of years ago as beach deposits on the margins of Glacial Lake Agassiz. The escarpment is steep and gouged with … Read More
Wildlife Habitat Organization Cutting Shrubs in Pastures
The Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation (MHHC) has been working with private landowners in South-Western Manitoba over this past summer to cut down shrubs in native pastures. The MHHC is a wildlife habitat organization interested in the conservation and management of native mixed grass prairie in Manitoba. They have begun a 3 year program, available to landowners, that is aimed at … Read More
Shrub mowing to enhance grasslands for Species at Risk
Encroachment by wolf willow, snowberry and other woody shrubs, is a major threat to native mixed-grass prairie habitat. Without proper management, extensive patches can develop. A high density of shrub species negatively affects the health of prairie by competing with grasses for sunlight, nutrients and water. Shrubs also decrease the health of warm season grasses by shading the ground, resulting … Read More
Conserving Critical Grassland
When Earl Malyon was approached by Al Bourrier, Habitat Conservation Specialist with the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation, to consider having a portion of his land preserved for wildlife habitat under a conservation agreement, he didn’t hesitate. “I was familiar with the program and the efforts to conserve habitat in the area,” Earl says. “So when Al approached me, I knew … Read More
Grosse Isle Restoration Project and Slideshow
[slideshow_deploy id=’1383′] The Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation (MHHC) has partnered with a team of conservation organizations and local landowners to restore what has almost been completely lost—native prairie. Currently less than 1% of the original Tall-grass Prairie stands remain in Manitoba, but, through the Prairie Habitat Revival Project, MHHC is undertaking the restoration of 223 acres (90 hectares) of habitat … Read More
Species At Risk Profile: Western Prairie Fringed Orchid
Common Name: Western Prairie Fringed Orchid Species Name: Platanthera praeclara Description: The Western prairie fringed orchid is an endangered wildflower that occurs only in Manitoba and seven American states. It grows perennially to a height of 16 to 35 inches. Flowers are arranged in a spike of four to 33 (most often less than 20) white to creamy white flowers. … Read More
Species At Risk Profile: Sprague’s Pipit
Common Name: Sprague’s Pipit Species Name: Anthus spragueii Description: The Sprague’s Pipit is a medium-sized, cryptically coloured songbird with a thin bill and distinctive tail pattern, with white outer feathers contrasting with brown inner feathers. Where it can be found: Throughout southwestern Manitoba on native prairie fields. Threats: Approximately 80% of all global breeding of this species occurs in Canada. … Read More