SaskEnergy has committed a large annual sum to help the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) continue their goals of maintaining biodiversity and improving ecosystems.  

The Nature Conservancy of Canada will be receiving $25,000 of funding annually from SaskEnergy, intended to help conserve the Southwest Sandhills region. This funding is on top of a generous $50,000 two-year annual commitment from the crown corporation, bringing the total donation up to $125,000 over five years. 

Kristen Martin is the conservation, science and planning manager for The Nature Conservancy of Canada. 

“We've been really lucky to have a partnership with SaskEnergy for the past few years,” stated Martin. We definitely appreciate their funding, but they've also been really great supporters in terms of providing the time and energy and staff help for the on-the-ground conservation activities that we're doing in the area.”  

Martin mentioned that SaskEnergy provides more than funding, by putting people on the ground for the cause. SaskEnergy employees helped with the Cave Pasture Conservancy Project, which borders Swift Current, cleaning debris.  

“We're hoping to have another similar event with SaskEnergy staff and the general public to do some conservation volunteer opportunities in the in the coming years,” Martin noted. 

 The NCC works towards several aspects of improving and maintaining southwest Saskatchewan’s various ecosystems, including working with Community Pasture groups. 

“Healthy grasslands are really important for the ranching industry and sustaining livestock that graze these grassland ecosystems,” said Martin. “But we also know that grazing is a really key ecosystem process. The grasslands evolved under grazing pressure through bison, and now, grazing by cattle and livestock is a key component for keeping those grasslands healthy.”