A recent Ipsos poll for the Nature Conservancy of Canada suggests 94 per cent of Canadians believe spending time in nature has helped them to relieve the stress and anxiety of the pandemic. NCC Saskatchewan Director of Conservation, Cameron Wood, says nine out of ten Canadians say we need to invest now more than ever in protecting and restoring our natural systems, and that’s what the NCC is all about.

The Landmark Campaign, which continued over several years recently reached its goal of raising $750-million and acquiring 115,000 square kilometres of land for conservation. Wood describes the total amount as about one-and-a-half New Brunswick’s in size.

From that campaign, 39 conservation projects in Saskatchewan were completed and 7,866 hectares (19,438 acres) of ecologically significant lands and waters were conserved. One of the areas is around the Asquith area, about 40 kilometres west of Saskatoon. The NCC is partnering with the Saskatoon Nature Society to develop some low impact trails so people can get out and experience nature.

Wood says there are species at risk living in all of the conservation lands, including in the Asquith area, but as well, the grasslands themselves are one of the most threatened ecosystems on the planet. Although the Landmark Campaign has reached its goal, Wood emphasizes that doesn’t mean they are done. The NCC will continue to do what its name implies – conserve nature.