Dawson Trail Dispatch, written by Norm Gregoire, July 2025
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Well, it’s finally here. Summer in the tall-grass prairie! There is no doubt that the summer months are when this endangered ecosystem is at its most vibrant. It seems almost every day a new species begins to bloom. At the time of writing, small white lady’s-slipper and golden alexander are in their full glory. By the time you are reading this, it will be the turn of showy lady’s-slipper and black-eyed Susan to have their time to shine.
For many of us who call the tall-grass prairie home, over time we become accustomed to living amongst such beauty. If you have been out with me on the Manitoba Tall Grass Prairie Preserve in the past, you may have heard me mention that even I would sometimes look west to the mountains or north to the tundra for my next nature-based adventure. These places are great; however, there is something special in coming home, knowing that the tall-grass prairie is incredibly rare and holds such a unique relationship with all species that call it home. But still, it may surprise some locals when they find out that our tall-grass prairie can call to people the same way the mountains or tundra can.
Adventures with Nature Norm (and Friends!)
Ethan Freese is a tall-grass prairie enthusiast. In fact, for consecutive years, Ethan has visited the Manitoba Tall Grass Prairie Preserve, travelling from Lincoln, Nebraska. Visiting and photographing the tall-grass prairie is not just a passionate hobby for Ethan but also his profession.
Ethan is a conservation photographer and filmmaker with bachelor’s degrees in Fisheries and Wildlife and Grassland Ecology and Management, as well as a Masters of Applied Science from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. While pursuing his undergraduate and graduate degrees, Ethan worked on research projects monitoring grassland birds and plants in Nebraska. His masters project, A Year in the Prairie Corridor, highlights the biodiversity of a tall-grass prairie habitat corridor in eastern Nebraska. For more information on Ethan’s work, please visit www.ethanfreesephoto.com
On the July 5th edition of Adventures with Nature Norm, Ethan has kindly volunteered to co-lead the event with me. The morning will start at the Weston Family Tall Grass Prairie Interpretive Centre, where Ethan will present on his work in the conservation photography and filmmaking industry. From there we will travel to the Agassiz Interpretive Trail, where Ethan will share some prairie photography tips as we enjoy the incredible variety of the tall-grass prairie in bloom.
A highlight of this trip will be having the opportunity to photograph the western prairie fringed orchid! This is the only place in all of Canada where this special orchid grows, and we are lucky enough to have over fifty percent of the global population on the Manitoba Tall Grass Prairie Preserve and surrounding area.
There are so many reasons to join this event, from learning from Ethan, who is an expert in his field of photography and tall-grass prairie, to viewing an orchid you won’t find anywhere else in Canada, and let’s not forget that you will get to spend time with your favourite (and most humble) prairie guide, Nature Norm! For more information or to register for this free event, please contact me at info@sharedlegacymb.ca. I hope to see you there!
Photo credit: Meadow of Western Prairie Fringed Orchids by Ethan Freese