The Secret is Out

When grassland scientists, conservationists, managers and advocates get together, it is like being part of a secret club.

Sometimes being part of a small, exclusive group feels good. But not in this case.

We have a shared vision where all Canadians understand and value the beauty and importance of grasslands — and are aware of the trouble they are in.

Coalition Assemble!

This is why we have assembled a very keen group of like-minded organizations and individuals into the Canadian Grassland Coalition: to work on sharing the secret of Canada’s disappearing grassland ecosystems.

Over the past year and a half, the Canadian Wildlife Federation has been working with more than 30 Coalition organizations preparing an awareness campaign to spread the word about Canada’s grasslands.

It’s been a great experience. We have met monthly to share experiences about the work we do and brainstorming ways to best communicate messages that will make more Canadians aware of natural grasslands. Working together, we have learned a lot.

Now, after a few years of hard work, the secret is out. The Canadian Grassland Coalition, with support from the Canadian Wildlife Federation, has launched the awareness campaign “The Secret Life of Canada’s Grasslands.”  You may see our ads on your favourite social media networks and you can visit our new website at CanadasGrasslands.ca.

We hope you learn something about our native grasslands and are inspired to do more. How? You can visit a grassland, join our iNaturalist project or even spread the word about grasslands to your friends and family.

So, What’s the Big Secret?

The secret is that Canada’s natural grasslands are magnificent places. They are home to many fascinating and beautiful wild species found nowhere else in the world. Native grasslands sustain our ecological systems and society by supporting pollinators, managing water in times of flood and drought and sequestering carbon underground, which in turn helps tomitigate climate change.

Native grasslands are also cultural resources. They are revered by First Nations and Métis peoples as well as a wide swath of Canadians who feel connected to Canada’s prairie heritage.

maskoskahk ōma pimatisowin. ē kaskihtamāsot iyīnitoayīsiniw isīhcikēwin, ahcahkowin, ēkwa pīkīswēwin. ka isi wahkotomihk kāwī paspīhk ēkwa ka apihkātamīk pōko kikwiy, ōma tāpwēwin kā kisētamihk ka isi pīmātīsomakahk okāwīmāw askiy.

Native prairie is the lifeline for Indigenous plains people’s cultural, spiritual and linguistic existence. Our collective wellbeing and survival are braided together with that of what remains.

This is the truth of a living world.

~Philip Brass, the testimonial is in nēhiyawēwin (Plains Cree), he is from the Peepeekisis Cree Nation, Treaty 4 Territory, Saskatchewan.

Grasslands are the backbone of Canada’s vital agricultural system. They are found across Canada — from B.C.’s Okanagan Valley, through the Great Plains of the prairie provinces, to southern Ontario tallgrass prairies and salt marshes in the Maritimes.

Why are Focusing on Grasslands Now?

Canada’s natural grasslands have sacrificed much in the past 150 years. Experts estimate that more than 80 per cent of natural grasslands have been converted for other uses: agriculture, transportation, mining urban development. Of the many species that call grasslands home, about 90 are at risk. Natural grasslands are difficult to restore and continue to disappear every day. They are in desperate need of our support, and that starts with creating awareness.

2026 is the United Nations International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists — a global campaign raising awareness of the contributions of grasslands and farmers to sustainable food systems, biodiversity preservation and climate resilience. This makes 2026 the ideal year for the Canadian Grassland Coalition’s grassland awareness campaign, providing us with the opportunity to engage with and highlight messages about grasslands in both Canada and on a global scale.

Like the members of the Canadian Grassland Coalition, we are confident that once you discover the secret life of Canada’s grasslands you will fall in love with, and want to conserve, our natural grassland ecosystems.

Uncover more secrets — Visit CanadasGrasslands.ca