Canada is down to the last 20 per cent of its native grasslands.
When you stop and think about that number, it is almost hard to absorb. Twenty per cent is not a reserve or a comfortable margin. It is what remains after most of a natural landscape has already disappeared.
If only a fraction of a place, a home, a future remained, every decision would carry more weight. That is the state that Canada’s native grasslands are in now. One of the great natural landscapes across Canada has been reduced to a fraction of what it once was.
If you had the chance to save it — would you?
Raising our Voices
The Canadian Wildlife Federation has created an opportunity for us to help speak for the last native grasslands Canada still has — and for the grassland species like Burrowing Owls, pollinators, Swift Foxes and other grassland-dependent wildlife that rely on these places to survive.
From a distance, grasslands can look quiet or ordinary, but up close they are bustling and buzzing with wildlife. This is where species find cover, raise their young and follow the seasonal rhythms their survival depends on. Wildlife is left with fewer places to go, and no replacement habitat waiting beyond the fence line.
The future of grassland wildlife will not be shaped by concern alone. It will be shaped by people who choose to act while there is still time to make a difference.
Working With the Workers
Grasslands are often working lands, too, where people grow our food and make a living from the land. Conservation solutions have to meet the realities on the ground including rangeland conversion, roads, fences, development and other land-use decisions — with science, collaboration and practical action.
Much of what remains is managed by local producers, working the land, conserving biodiversity as they earn a living for their families. Local stewards bring important knowledge, but they too are facing external pressures threatening their livelihoods. They need support, resources and practical conservation tools to help keep their lands as grasslands, supporting their livelihoods and wildlife.
What You Can Do
We believe that action can still shape what happens next for wildlife and their habitats. Let’s support this work before the opportunity becomes even smaller.
>>Raise your hand — tell us you care about our native grasslands!<<
The strength of this response will come from Canadians willing to stand together and act before the need becomes impossible to answer. Grasslands and the wildlife that depend on them cannot speak for themselves — but your voice, joined with many others, can help ensure Canada’s last 20 per cent is not lost in silence. Your support helps bring science, conservation leadership and practical action to the places where wildlife still has a chance. This is not work that happens from a distance. It requires field knowledge, credible partnerships and a clear understanding of what’s threatening Canada’s native grasslands today.
Think of the action you’ll take today as a means of seeding change. Learn more at CanadianWildlifeFederation.ca/20percent
Tobi McIntyre
Tobi is the Interactive Content Manager for the Canadian Wildlife Federation. With training in biogeography, paleoanthropology and journalism, Tobi is happiest being outside feeling the sun, wind and soil on her skin. She has a deep respect for wildlife and enjoys sharing this awareness with her son and anyone else who'll listen.
