Eco-Index: Best Lessons Learned

Best Lessons Learned



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February 2012

Organization(s): Nature Saskatchewan (NS), Canada

Lessons Learned

Voluntary agreements instill a sense of responsibility among landowners to protect species at risk.

Having a conservation symbol (like the burrowing owl) seems to effectively “capture the heart” of landowners and focus their conservation efforts.

Recognition efforts, in the form of gate signs and gifts to mark milestones within the program (5-, 10-, 15- and 20-years), have been successful in encouraging ongoing commitment to the program.

The annual newsletter has fostered a connection with landowners, promoted ongoing commitment, and has acted as a conduit for feedback that is used to shape our programs and better serve landowners in their conservation efforts.

Having a win-win situation for both landowners (in the form of educational and financial support for habitat enhancement) and the conservation organization (in the form of habitat conservation and population monitoring) allows programs like these to be a positive experience for all those involved.

Partnerships with other conservation organizations (e.g., Nature Conservancy of Canada, Saskatchewan Prairie Conservation Action Plan, Saskatchewan Watershed Authority, etc.) have allowed Nature Saskatchewan to provide landowners with resources that continue to improve our education and awareness, and habitat enhancement initiatives.

Goals

Habitat stewardship - engage landholders in conserving prairie and riparian (shoreline) habitat for target species through voluntary stewardship actions, agreements, and informed stewardship. Voluntary stewardship is used as a step towards legal ownership and conservation easements are promoted. Site-specific species at risk management plans are developed in our bird species at risk programs for burrowing owls, Sprague’s pipits, loggerhead shrikes, and piping plovers to facilitate informed stewardship. Target species are used to gain support for habitat conservation to benefit biodiversity.

Site identification and population monitoring:
- Rare Plant Rescue: identify new occurrences of target plant species as a basis for further stewardship and monitoring activities. Rare Plant Rescue staff conducts occupancy surveys for plant species at risk on private land and privately-managed provincial Crown lands within a 100 km radius of known species at risk populations to locate new occurrences and measure the area of occupancy. Rare Plant Rescue implements species-specific monitoring programs for all lands currently enrolled in the program having current or historic populations of plant species at risk. Information about population growth or decline is linked to landowner/manager on-site surveys and threat management.
- Bird species at risk: identify locations of bird species at risk and monitor population and distribution changes of target species through an annual census of Operation Burrowing Owl, Shrubs for Shrikes, and Plovers on Shore sites. Monitoring also provides an evaluation of the success of conservation actions in maintaining and increasing population numbers. Land use changes at bird species at risk sites and habitat enhancement sites are also monitored.

Education and awareness – provide information and increase awareness among producers and the public about both flora and fauna species at risk (natural history, threats, etc.), as well as other prairie species, and their habitat requirements. In addition, the importance of conserving prairie habitat and maintaining species diversity is disseminated when Stewards of Saskatchewan staff visit landowners with species at risk and provide them with a conservation toolkit of educational materials.

Habitat enhancement – assist landowners with improving habitat for target species:
- Bird species at risk: Grassland habitat is enhanced and restored through seeding cropland to native grassland in order to enlarge pastures and reduce fragmentation for burrowing owls. Wildlife-friendly fencing and alternate water development for livestock allow healthy grassland habitat to be maintained or improved for grassland birds and pristine shoreline habitat to be preserved for piping plovers.
- Rare Plant Rescue: In partnership with the Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan, plant species at risk habitat is enhanced by controlling invasive weeds where they threaten plant species at risk (e.g., hairy prairie-clover, Dalea mollis).