A multi-year project that will track bison tendencies in southwestern Saskatchewan launched last week.

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) has partnered together with the University of Saskatchewan in an attempt to monitor bison and cattle movements and grazing patterns on native prairie land.

Matthew Braun, a manager of conservation science and planning in Saskatchewan for the NCC, said he's eager to see the two students take on the project.

"To get to see them dive into this kind of question is pretty exciting, they're putting their heart and soul into it as grad students," he explained during a phone interview. "To get to see them out there doing all the field work that is involved in answering these questions and seeing them develop as scientists it's very exciting to be apart of that."

Earlier this year the project was able to put GPSs on 17 cattle that are located close to the NCC's Old Man on His Back property, which houses the bison. Last week they were able to round up the bison so they could attach GPS collars.

Braun believes that having the two plant science department students on board with the NCC to uncover some answers is a win-win situation.

"We get to get some of our research questions answered," he said. "It's a great opportunity for the graduate students at the U of S and their technicians that work with them to experience a different part of Saskatchewan and get some really great life and work experience that they're going to use to improve the livestock industry and how Saskatchewan's wildlife places are managed as well."

The two students will be doing on-the-field work more than full time for the next three to four years, depending on the results.

"They're both excellent speakers, so they will be spreading this knowledge around for years to come," Braun added.