Dan Degenstien - LMT
July 26, 2023
While there are natural enclaves which have been carved out and protected as National, Provincial and Regional parks, most of nature these days lives on farmer-controlled property. We see it all the time on drives where ducks swim on a slough that has been left in the middle of a wheat field, deer bounding into a bluff on another farm, or a hawk flying over a hay field in search of a mouse. Such scenes speak to the adaptability of wildlife to life in concept with farming and to the willingness of farmers to play a role in maintaining nature on some level.
While wildlife and nature don’t exactly mesh with the concept of profits on the farm – a flock of geese can eat a lot of barley as it gathers for its flight south, or whitetail deer can eat and damage hay as they feed in winter and most farmers hold a level of appreciation which makes them tolerant of nature. It would be difficult for a farmer not to smile from the tractor seat as they watch a fox chase a mouse near where they are working. A slough might be idle acres in terms of grain production, but a mother mallard and her brood out for a swim is another smile amid the tedium of seeding a field in the spring.
On a larger scale, society generally has an interest in nature too. While we increasingly live in clusters of steel, glass concrete and pavement, we also lobby for neighbourhood parks, hang potted flowers from our apartment balconies and dream of long weekends at the lake. There is something of a natural connection with nature in many of us. So there is importance in maintaining nature, something we seem to collectively realize today more than we did in the past.
Today we have greater nature awareness thanks to efforts such as the recent Native Prairie Appreciation Week marked in Saskatchewan June 18-24. The native prairie is part of our provincial identity; it is a distinctive ecosystem that brings a multitude of ecological, societal and environmental advantages while providing a habitat for several species, noted a government release announcing the week.
"Native Prairie Appreciation Week serves as a fantastic platform to celebrate the diverseness of the native prairie and its indispensable contribution to preserving Saskatchewan's rich biodiversity, carbon sequestration and other economic and environmental benefits," Environment Minister Dana Skoropad said in the release.
"Native prairie in Saskatchewan is a valuable resource to support the growth of the livestock industry and environmental biodiversity in our province," Agriculture Minister David Marit said in the same release. "Our ranchers understand the importance of practicing sustainable grazing management to maintain this important ecosystem for generations to come."
It is a small thing, but it does again show that nature and farming can exist together, and there is comfort in realizing that.
- Calvin Daniels
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Disclaimer: opinions expressed are those of the writer.
