This program has been sponsored by Southern Health-Sante Sud Public Health, Healthy Living and Healthy Together Now funding.

This program has been sponsored by Southern Health-Sante Sud Public Health, Healthy Living and Healthy Together Now funding.

Residents and landowners of the Rural Municipality of Stuartburn are being invited to share their perspectives in a new Species at Risk community survey.

The survey, conducted by Probe Research on behalf of the RM of Stuartburn and its Shared Legacy partners, builds on original research completed in 2020. That earlier study established baseline information about community awareness, attitudes and priorities regarding the region’s tall-grass prairie ecosystem and conservation efforts.

Six years later, organizers say the follow-up survey will help determine how public understanding and attitudes may have evolved between 2020 and 2026. The findings will help guide future planning, community engagement, and stewardship initiatives in the region.

“Residents and landowners of the RM of Stuartburn are invited to share their views in a new community survey being conducted by Probe Research on behalf of the RM of Stuartburn and its Shared Legacy partners, said Monique Chenier, Economic Development and Tourism Manager for Sunrise Corner Economic Development. “This follow-up survey builds on the original 2020 Species at Risk research, which established important baseline information about community awareness, attitudes and priorities related to the tall-grass prairie and conservation in the region. Six years later, this new survey will help us understand how attitudes and understanding may have evolved.”

All residents are encouraged to participate. The survey takes approximately 15 minutes to complete, and responses will remain confidential. Participants can complete the survey online via a QR code available on community posters, the RM of Stuartburn newsletter and the Shared Legacy Partnership Facebook page, or by visiting ca1.voxco.com/S2/291/Stuartburn/. Paper copies are also available by contacting maryagnes@probe-research.com or calling/texting 204-470-8862. Mailed surveys include a stamped return envelope.

As an incentive, participants may enter to win one of three $150 prizes, each consisting of $100 cash and $50 in local gift cards. The survey remains open until March 25.

Shared Legacy is a cooperative working group led by the RM of Stuartburn and The Nature Conservancy of Canada, in partnership with Sunrise Corner Economic Development and the Province of Manitoba. The initiative is funded by Environment and Climate Change Canada and aims to advance understanding of Manitoba’s Tall Grass Prairie Natural Area, its relationship with agriculture, and the natural heritage that benefits residents across the region.

March 20th is the spring equinox, which officially means we can welcome back spring to the tall-grass prairie! It is on this date that in the Northern Hemisphere we have equal parts daylight and darkness, and going forward, daylight increases.

Community members are in a more cheerful mood as we move into longer days, which are also slowly getting warmer. We look forward to beginning all the spring chores, followed by summer vacations. If we consider the wildlife members of our community, this time of year poses many changes and challenges for them to overcome. Depending on how Mother Nature acts, spring can be a reprieve from winter or a final obstacle that is too hard to get through.

I don’t have any official numbers in front of me, but in my opinion this winter has been erratic. We have had weeks of -40 degrees Celsius followed by above 0 degrees Celsius. Warmer temperatures brought multiple days when we had winter rain! Rain in December and January is not something I remember much of as a kid. Compared to the last few years, we have also received a fair amount of snow as well.

This type of weather can negatively impact grazing animals, as rain or warm-weather melt can create a layer of ice that makes it very hard to get to food sources underneath. This is one of the reasons species like white-tailed deer switch from being grazers in the summer to browsers in the winter, focusing on the easier-to-reach woody browse such as buds, twigs, and bark. This woody forage is hard to digest and not as nutritious compared to what they would be focusing on in the summer, so they will slowly lose weight. Simply walking in this terrain can be exhausting as well; crunching through that ice layer while still having to punch through a deep layer of snow will burn calories that wouldn’t be an issue in better terrain.

On the other hand, a hard winter can benefit certain species. For example, the white-tailed deer, who are becoming weaker with each passing day, become an easier target for predators like coyotes or wolves. Winter-killed wildlife also means scavengers like ravens will have an easier time finding a meal. Nature has a way of balancing out, and different species have adapted to make the best of others’ misfortune.

Spring weather has a huge impact on how the rest of the year will shape up for many of our tall-grass prairie species. Warm, sunny weather will help with a quick “green up,” which will benefit a lot of the struggling herbivores; however, if we get a cold, snowy March, this could be the tipping point on whether certain animals make it or not. With spring migration, birthing season, and just a general increase in wildlife activity, I would urge everyone to give wildlife the space it needs to get through this time of the year so they can enjoy the beautiful tall-grass prairie summer ahead of us.

Adventures with Nature Norm
If you are looking to welcome back spring, please join me on the next Adventures with Nature Norm, March 28th, 10am-12pm at the Weston Family Tallgrass Prairie Interpretive Centre. We’ll be on the lookout for the first signs of spring and saying goodbye to the past winter. For more information, please contact info@sharedlegacymb.ca. I hope to see you there!

A recent lynx sighting in southeastern Manitoba is a reminder that wild cats continue to live quietly across the region, even if most residents never see them.

Nature interpreter Norm Gregoire with Shared Legacy says he recently encountered one of the elusive animals in Sandilands Provincial Forest, a rare experience despite decades spent outdoors studying wildlife.

“And I’ve only ever seen five lynx in my entire life,” he said.

Gregoire spotted the animal just days before speaking publicly about Manitoba’s wild cats, underscoring how uncommon sightings remain even for experienced naturalists.

Wild cats at home in Manitoba

Wild cats are often associated with distant wilderness or tropical environments, but Manitoba is home to several species, including lynx, bobcat and cougar. All three can be found within the province, and southeastern Manitoba sits in a unique overlap zone where multiple species may pass through the same landscapes.

“We don’t think about them in Manitoba so much because we just don’t see them, right? We don’t see the cats that we have here,” Gregoire said.

Across the tallgrass prairie and surrounding forests, suitable habitat exists wherever there are wooded areas, prey animals and limited human activity. While residents may rarely encounter the animals themselves, signs of their presence can sometimes be found by those who know what to look for.

Lynx most common but rarely seen

Gregoire says lynx are likely the most common wildcat in southeastern Manitoba, particularly in wooded areas connected to the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. Even so, sightings remain rare.

Lynx prefer forested habitat where their primary prey, the snowshoe hare, is abundant. The two species are closely connected through population cycles that rise and fall together.

“For any sort of naturalist that looks up a little bit about lynx or even snowshoe hares in general, they’ll find that these two species are really connected,” he said.

He explains that lynx and snowshoe hare populations follow a boom-and-bust cycle lasting roughly seven to eleven years. When hare populations decline due to disease or environmental changes, lynx expand their hunting territory and may move into more open areas searching for food.

In some regions, snowshoe hares can make up more than 90 per cent of a lynx’s diet, though the animals will also hunt birds and smaller mammals when necessary.

Bobcats share the region

Bobcats also inhabit southeastern Manitoba but are harder to identify without a clear view. Gregoire says the species’ geographic range provides an important clue.

Generally, lynx are more common farther north in boreal forest regions, while bobcats are associated with areas closer to the Canada-U.S. border. Southeastern Manitoba lies within a transition zone where both species can occur.

Tracks can also create confusion. Lynx have large, snowshoe-like paws that leave prints similar in size to wolf tracks. Unlike wolves, however, cats retract their claws, meaning claw marks are usually absent in tracks left in snow or mud.

Understanding wildcat behaviour

Despite their presence, wildcats rarely interact with people and typically avoid human contact.

“When they see you, if they let you see them, they’re just going to go their own way,” Gregoire said.

Lynx and bobcats usually weigh between 30 and 40 pounds and are not considered a significant danger to humans.

Cougars, also known as mountain lions or pumas, are much larger animals. Adult males can exceed 200 pounds, though attacks across North America remain extremely rare.

Gregoire says people who encounter a cougar should avoid running, stand their ground and make themselves appear larger while maintaining eye contact.

“These attacks… are few and far between,” he said.

Cougar sightings increasing

Reports of cougars in southeastern Manitoba appear to be increasing, something Gregoire attributes partly to the growing use of trail cameras by hunters and wildlife enthusiasts.

Currently, provincial officials do not recognize cougars as an established breeding species in Manitoba because there is no confirmed evidence of kittens being raised in the province.

So technically, the mountain lion’s range doesn’t exist in Manitoba, he said, noting confirmation of a breeding population may simply require more documented evidence.

Unlike lynx, cougars are highly adaptable and can survive in forests, grasslands, deserts and mountainous regions, allowing the species to expand into new territories over time.

Learning more about Manitoba’s wild cats

Gregoire will share more about lynx, bobcats and cougars during an upcoming Adventures with Nature Norm event this Saturday at the Weston Family Interpretive Centre in the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve near Stuartburn. Participants will explore outdoor trails, conditions permitting, before moving indoors for a presentation about the wild cats that share the region’s landscape.

“We’ll try to spend some time out on the trail learning a little bit about the life cycles of these cats,” he said.

This follow-up survey builds on the original 2020 Species at Risk research, which established important baseline information about community awareness, attitudes and priorities related to the tall-grass prairie and conservation in the region. Six years later, this new survey will help us understand how attitudes and understanding may have evolved between 2020 and 2026. The results will guide future planning, community engagement, and stewardship initiatives in the region.

All residents are encouraged to participate. The survey takes approximately 15 minutes to complete and responses are confidential.

How to Participate

Online: Scan the QR code (on the community poster, mailed postcard, RM of Stuartburn newsletter, and Shared Legacy Partnership Facebook page) or visit ca1.voxco.com/S2/291/Stuartburn/

Paper copy: Contact maryagnes@probe-research.com or call/text 204-470-8862 to request a mailed survey with a stamped return envelope.

As a thank you, participants can enter to win one of three $150 prizes ($100 cash and $50 in local gift cards).

The survey is open until March 25.

Community input is essential. Whether you completed the survey in 2020 or are participating for the first time, your perspective will help shape how conservation, agriculture and economic development move forward together in Stuartburn.

Shared Legacy is a cooperative working group led by the Rural Municipality of Stuartburn and The Nature Conservancy of Canada along with partners Sunrise Corner Economic Development and Province of Manitoba, funded by Environment and Climate Change Canada. The goal of the Partnership is to help advance understanding of the wonder of Manitoba’s Tall Grass Prairie Natural Area, its relationship with agriculture, and the natural heritage that benefits all residents.

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Media Contact:
Monique Chenier, Economic Development Manager
Sunrise Corner Economic Development
monique@sunrisecornermb.ca
www.sharedlegacymb.ca

This program has been sponsored by Southern Health-Sante Sud Public Health, Healthy Living and Healthy Together Now funding.

This program has been sponsored by Southern Health-Sante Sud Public Health, Healthy Living and Healthy Together Now funding.

SPECIAL NOTE: This is also Vita & Area Winter Festival weekend, so plan to come out and spend the rest of your day in Vita enjoying dog sled races, curling, kids activities and so much more.

This program has been sponsored by Southern Health-Sante Sud Public Health, Healthy Living and Healthy Together Now funding.

Here it comes, winter in the tall-grass prairie! This is the time of year when nature starts to slow down, species go dormant or leave the frigid temperatures for warmer areas, and the outdoors gets quiet… mostly. Head outdoors, spend five minutes in a treed area, and more times than not you’ll be awarded with one of my favourite sounds: chick-a-dee-dee-dee! It’s during the long Manitoban winters that we can reconnect with the overwintering birds of the tall-grass prairie.

The easiest way to ensure that you stay connected with wildlife over the winter is to put up some bird feeders around your yard. Any standard bird feeder with a high-fat food source such as black oil sunflower seeds, nyger seeds, or peanuts works great for attracting black-capped chickadees, blue jays, pine or evening grosbeaks, and a host of other birds. Suet feeders work for a variety of woodpeckers and nuthatches.  

If you choose to feed birds during the winter, there are some general rules to follow. First off, use the above-listed high-fat foods and not things like bread. Bread is empty calories for birds and has the potential to do more harm than good. Secondly, it is important to clean your feeders regularly; this prevents the spread of disease and cleans up any potential mould growth when the weather jumps between freezing and thawing. A final and maybe most important recommendation for feeding birds in the winter is that if you are going to start feeding them, you must commit to feeding them right until spring! By providing a high-fat food source for these birds in a time when they need it most, they will begin to depend on it. If you take that food source away, especially during inclement weather, this could be devastating to the regular users of the feeder.

There are also birds that overwinter in the tall-grass prairie that don’t usually visit birdfeeders. One of my favourites, the common raven is often heard calling on the coldest days searching for carrion to fill up on.  A relative of the raven, the American crow mostly migrates south but can sometimes be seen during the winter, especially in urban areas. Ravens are larger with a wedge-shaped tail, whereas crows have a fan-shaped tail. Ravens have a “beard” when they call their typical deeper croaking call compared to a crow’s high-pitched caw. On the ground crows walk, whereas ravens hop.

I tend to see more owls in the winter compared to the summer. The most common that I see near the Manitoba Tall Grass Prairie Preserve would be Manitoba’s provincial bird, the great grey owl. Also seen throughout the winter would be the northern hawk owl, the great horned owl, and maybe the most impressive winter bird, the snowy owl. The short-eared owl, a species at risk, mostly migrates but from time to time can be seen over the prairie during the winter.

If you are looking to stay connected with nature over the long Manitoban winter, I highly recommend getting into bird watching. The spring may be when the colours are flashier and there is a higher variety in species; however, these overwintering birds are hardy and adaptable, and just like us, they call this beautiful area home when it’s at its harshest.

Adventures with Nature Norm

If you are curious about winter bird watching, please join me on the next Adventures with Nature Norm on December 20th, 10am-12pm. A birdwatching walk will be followed by an indoor presentation at the Weston Family Tall Grass Prairie Interpretive Centre. For more information, please contact info@sharedlegacymb.ca. I hope to see you there!

Photo: Black-capped Chickadee by Sunrise Corner