{"id":16977,"date":"2026-08-19T14:51:35","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T14:51:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/?p=16977"},"modified":"2026-08-19T14:51:35","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T14:51:35","slug":"explore-observe-and-win-with-the-canadian-grasslands-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/en\/explore-observe-and-win-with-the-canadian-grasslands-project\/","title":{"rendered":"Explore, Observe and Win with the Canadian Grasslands Project"},"content":{"rendered":"

August is the perfect time to get outside, explore the incredible grasslands in Canada and put your nature-spotting skills to the test.<\/h2>\n

You could even win a prize<\/a> while you\u2019re at it!<\/p>\n

The Canadian Grassland Coalition is hosting a giveaway! During the month of August, simply enter the contest<\/a> through the Canadian Wildlife Federation website and join the Canadian Grasslands Project on iNaturalist<\/a> for a chance to win.<\/p>\n

Want an extra entry? Make an observation within the Canadian Grasslands Project locations and you\u2019ll earn one more entry into the contest.<\/p>\n

Here is a list you can use as inspiration for your bonus entry.<\/p>\n

Prairie Provinces: Top Species to Spot<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Rubber Rabbitbrush<\/h4>\n
\"Rubber
Rubber Rabbitbrush \u00a9Sue Elwell | iNaturalist.ca<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Rubber Rabbitbrush is native to Alberta and Saskatchewan and blooms from late summer into fall, creating a vibrant yellow display against the landscape. Tip: Rubber Rabbitbrush can be easily confused with Broom Snakeweed, another native late-season bloomer that contributes to the golden hues of the prairies in August. Use iNaturalist<\/a>\u2019s identification tools to help you distinguish the two!<\/p>\n

Hunt\u2019s Bumblebee<\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Hunt\u2019s
Hunt\u2019s Bumblebee \u00a9 Carol Boyce | CWF Photo Club<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Hunt\u2019s Bumblebee is an efficient, hardworking pollinator that inhabits prairies and meadows, helping native plants thrive.<\/p>\n

Tip<\/strong>: Hunt\u2019s Bumblebees love visiting the flowers of Rubber Rabbitbrush. Spot one, and you may find the other nearby!<\/p>\n

Swainson\u2019s Hawk<\/h4>\n
\"Swainson's
Swainson’s Hawk \u00a9 Tom Lusk | CWF Photo Club<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Swainson\u2019s Hawk is a true grasslands icon that loves wild prairies, hayfields, and pastures that allow for successful hunting of small mammals.<\/p>\n

Tip<\/strong>: Swainson\u2019s Hawks often return to areas where they grew up, so try revisiting places where you\u2019ve seen them in the past (or where they\u2019ve been observed on iNaturalist) to spot them again.<\/p>\n

Up for a Challenge? <\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"Orange-crowned
Orange-crowned Warbler \u00a9Kathlin Simpkins | iNaturalist.ca<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Orange-crowned Warbler<\/h4>\n

Within the Canadian Grasslands Project locations, the Orange-crowned Warbler has only been observed nine times. Can you be the 10th? <\/sup>Keep an eye out for this small yellow-olive songbird.<\/p>\n

Tip<\/strong>: Despite being its namesake, the orange crown of the Orange-crowned Warbler is often hidden, so don\u2019t be discouraged if you can\u2019t see it.<\/p>\n

East of the Prairies<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Grasslands aren\u2019t just a western Canadian story. There are plenty of grassland-loving species to discover in Ontario and beyond.<\/p>\n

Queen Anne\u2019s Lace<\/h4>\n
\"Queen
Queen Anne\u2019s Lace \u00a9 Stephanie Swayze | CWF Photo Club<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Queen Anne\u2019s Lace, or Wild Carrot, is an introduced plant species and the most observed plant in the eastern regions of the Canadian Grasslands Project. While not considered invasive, native members of the carrot family, like Blunt Sweet Cicely, are often better choices for supporting local biodiversity.<\/p>\n

Tip<\/strong>: Queen Anne\u2019s Lace, common in Ontario and Quebec, is often found in disturbed areas like roadsides and old fields.<\/p>\n

Monarch Butterfly<\/h4>\n
\"Monarch
Monarch Butterfly \u00a9 Heather McIlravey | CWF Photo Club<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s not surprising that the Monarch Butterfly, with its recognizable orange and black wings, is one of the most frequently observed insects as it feeds on the grass and forb flowers in grasslands and meadows.<\/p>\n

Tip<\/strong>: In August, Monarch Butterflies are packing on as much fat as possible before their long-distance migration to Mexico. Keep an eye out for their colourful fluttering wings in areas with late-season blooms.<\/p>\n

Be the first to record a Bobolink! <\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"Bobolink\"
Bobolink \u00a9 Jason Dain | CWF Photo Club<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Though not yet observed in the Canadian Grasslands Project, the Bobolink is found in agricultural lands, tall grasslands, meadows and prairies throughout Southern Canada and the US. Their songs are recognizable and often described as sounding metallic, bubbly and rambling.<\/p>\n

Tip<\/strong>: Listen for them during their breeding season from late April to August and be the first to add them to the project!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

August is the perfect time to get outside, explore the incredible grasslands in Canada and put your nature-spotting skills to the test. You could even win a prize while you\u2019re…<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":180,"featured_media":16980,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[631,638],"tags":[912,598],"class_list":["post-16977","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-connect-with-nature","category-fields-forests","tag-grasslands","tag-inaturalist"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16977","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/180"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16977"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16977\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17004,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16977\/revisions\/17004"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16980"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16977"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16977"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16977"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}