The Nature Conservancy of Canada is inviting Swift Current and area residents to sign up for a free tour of Cave Pasture coming up on Wednesday, June 12.

Cave Pasture is a conservation project with a 286-hectare area of grasslands, wetlands, and shoreline areas located north of Swift Current.

The event will run from 1 - 4 p.m. and will give attendees the opportunity to explore and set up ferruginous hawk platforms and bluebird houses.

Kayla Burak, engagement manager with the Nature Conservancy of Saskatchewan, encourages everyone to attend the outdoor experience and see one of the organization's first projects as part of the Praire Grasslands Action Plan.

"At Cave Pasture there's lots of waterfowl and there's species at risk, also present on the property is our provincial bird, sharp-tailed grouse and some of their breeding grounds as well," said Burak. 

She notes that areas like Cave Pasture are home to species at risk including Sprague's pipit, loggerhead shrikes, long-billed curlew, and lesser yellowlegs.

"Grasslands are one of the rarest and most at-risk ecosystems not only in Saskatchewan, but globally," Burak added. "They're really important for water filtration, flood and drought mitigation, and carbon storage."

Community members interested in attending the tour can register at cavepasture.ca and sign up for the Nature Conservancy of Canada's newsletter to stay up to date on their latest events.

"Anyone can join us, and we'll have members of local nearby indigenous communities around to tour with us," she concluded.