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!

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.

 – 30 –

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

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

Foxes are rarely seen in the Tall Grass Prairie, but they play an important role in keeping rodent populations in check across the Southeast.

That is the focus of the next Adventures with Nature Norm program, where naturalist Norm Gregoire says foxes are most visible when they are hunting in tall, grassy fields.

Hunting behaviour

“They are out in these tall grassy fields hunting. That is pretty much the only time I really ever see foxes is when they are out hunting and they have that unique characteristic of jumping up, zoning in on their prey and head down first into the grass or even sometimes in the snow if you are in the winter.”

Gregoire says the tall prairie grasses provide ideal cover for rodents, which means those same spaces are also ideal for foxes.

“They are going to be going for mostly things like rodents and those little, small critters. So that is the perfect habitat for them. They go where their prey is essentially.”

Tracks, double imprints and other clues

While foxes may be elusive, Gregoire explains their tracks can sometimes be identified by a behaviour that causes people to mistake them for domestic cats.

“They have quite small paws and they do something, especially in deeper snow, called a double imprint, meaning that they are sort of walking on their own tracks.”

Using the Earth’s magnetic field to hunt

Fox behaviour contains surprising complexities, including an ability that scientists are still studying. Red foxes appear to use the Earth’s magnetic field to improve the precision of their hunting pounce.

“Scientists believe that red foxes have a type of protein in their eyes that lets them sort of use the Earth’s magnetic field to their advantage. That allows them to zone in precisely, to the millimeter of where their prey is, making their pounce when they jump up and then go head down into the grass or snow really, really accurate.”

This means that when foxes jump to catch prey hidden beneath grass or snow, they are aligning their head with the magnetic field to gauge distance and direction, making their attack extremely precise.

Family structure and litter size

Fox family structure also stands out in the Southeast.

“Fox are one of the few mammals in our area that are actually monogamous. So they will stay with their partners for multiple seasons.”

Litter sizes vary widely across North America.

“We can have an average of anywhere from 5 to 10 kits and even some records being over 25 kits in one litter.”

Gregoire says foxes are essential predators in the tall grass prairie.

“They are for sure big pest rodent controllers.”

Observing foxes takes patience

For those hoping to see a fox, he says patience and time outdoors are key.

“With wildlife viewing in general, the more time that you spend out there observing nature, the more of a chance you get to see them.”

He encourages people to slow down and pay attention to the smaller details of the tall grass prairie.

“It is a matter of really taking your time and really noticing the small things that are in our area.”

Event details for Saturday

The next Adventures with Nature Norm program takes place Saturday, November 22 at the Weston Family Tallgrass Prairie Interpretive Centre. The event runs from 10am to 12pm and begins with an interpretive hike on the life cycle of foxes, followed by an indoor presentation.

Earlier this fall, I was walking on the Prairie Orchid Trail in the Manitoba Tall Grass Prairie Preserve, completely lost in my thoughts of an upcoming field trip that was due to arrive later that day. Out of the corner of my eye I caught movement in the open prairie, maybe fifty meters away. At first, I couldn’t tell what the cause of the swaying big bluestem grass was, but after a few seconds a furry red streak exploded from the grass, high into the air and then back down again. This happened again, and shortly after, a red fox sauntered by with a meal in its mouth. Wow, what an amazing thing to witness! These unexpected glimpses into nature are something I love about the tall-grass prairie. We have such a variety of wildlife that lives here; there is always something new to discover and learn. After that day I couldn’t help but do some more research into the fantastic fox of Manitoba.

Foxes are one of three canine species that live in the tall-grass prairie area, the others being coyotes and wolves. Red foxes are much smaller, weighing in at ten to fifteen pounds on average. But like coyotes and wolves, red foxes are great opportunistic predators. They are focusing on smaller prey like rodents but will also eat everything from insects to berries to frogs.

A typical yearly cycle for a red fox begins with the mating season from February to March. Red foxes are considered monogamous, meaning they mate with a partner for the entirety of a season. After a gestation period of fifty days, a litter of four to nine kits is born. Both parents help raise the young throughout the summer, where the main activities are teaching the young essential life lessons like hunting.  By fall and into winter the kits go their own way, looking to establish their own territory and start the cycle over again.

I’ve been lucky enough to have spent some time working in the far north of Manitoba, where red foxes and Manitoba’s other fox species, the Arctic fox, live alongside each other. The traditional range of the red fox does not extend to the far north, but in 2014 a photographer took the first known photo of a red fox. Since that time, they have become more numerous. The main theory is as the north warms; it becomes more hospitable for red foxes. This is not good news for the Arctic fox. The red fox is nearly double the size of the Arctic fox, and they generally are competing for the same resources. The red fox has even been known to predate on the Arctic fox. This is a real worry for the Arctic fox as they head into a warming future.

When we live in an area with such an array of wildlife, we can sometimes forget about the species we don’t see daily. Foxes are adaptable animals who are a welcome presence in the tall-grass prairie; I hope to enjoy many memorable sightings in the future.

Adventures with Nature Norm

If you are interested in learning more about the fox of Manitoba, join me on the next Adventures with Nature Norm, November 22, 10am-12pm at the Weston Family Tall Grass Prairie Interpretive Centre. We will enjoy a short walk on the preserve followed by an indoor presentation. All are welcome! For more information, contact info@sharedlegacymb.ca.

Photo credit: Nature Conservancy of Canada

The fall season is full of cozy sweaters, colourful leaves, and pumpkin spice everything — but nature has its own way of celebrating the season. As the days shorten and the air grows crisp, the tall grass prairie transforms into something a little mysterious. The rustle of dry grasses, the hoot of an owl, and the distant yodel of a coyote can make even the bravest hiker look over their shoulder.

According to nature guide Norm Gregoire of Shared Legacy, this eerie atmosphere is exactly what makes fall so fascinating. “As the weather starts to cool down and the leaves fall from our trees, especially the oak trees, they can have that creepy look to them sometimes,” he says. “Then if you hear an owl start hooting or a coyote yodeling, your mind starts playing tricks on you.”

Gregoire leads the popular Adventures with Nature Norm walks through Manitoba’s tall grass prairie. Each month, he explores a different theme, and this October, it’s all about the misunderstood “creepy crawlies” and spooky sounds of nature. But while the setting might seem eerie, he assures there’s nothing to fear — only fascinating lessons to learn.

The importance of the icky

As insects settle into winter dormancy, Gregoire explains that even the tiniest creatures play a big role in keeping the ecosystem healthy. “Most insects go into something called diapause, which is kind of like an insect hibernation,” he says. “People think of them as creepy, but they’re really important. They’re the first piece of the food chain — if you have a healthy insect population, you’ll have healthy birds and mammals.”

Even flies, he says, are often overlooked heroes. “There are species of flies that are more important pollinators than certain bee species,” Gregoire adds. “They may not be cute, but they’re crucial.”

In the tall grass prairie, this balance between predator and prey, pollinator and plant, is especially delicate. The region’s remaining prairie pockets — among the last of their kind in Canada — are home to hundreds of species of birds, mammals, reptiles, and insects that depend on each other for survival. “Every sound you hear, from a cricket’s chirp to an owl’s call, is part of that larger story,” Gregoire says.

Bats, wolves, and misunderstood creatures

Fall is also a time when bats and nocturnal animals get a bad reputation. Gregoire hopes to change that. “There are thousands of bat species in the world, and only about three are blood drinkers,” he notes. “The ones we have here in Manitoba are fruit eaters or insect eaters.”

And while wolves might send a shiver down your spine when you hear their howls, Gregoire says they deserve admiration, not fear. “They play a key role in the ecosystem, and during the walk, I’ll share stories I’ve learned from experts about how to howl like a wolf,” he says with a laugh. “Don’t worry — it’s a daytime walk, so there’s no full moon to worry about.”

Of course, not every “spooky” encounter is with a predator. Gregoire recalls one startling moment in the woods that turned out to be less frightening than expected. “I heard crashing beside me and thought something was coming to get me. It turned out to be a ruffed grouse,” he says. “It flew right toward me! So the moral of the story — be more afraid of grouse than of wolves.”

Sounds of the season

Autumn also brings a change in the soundscape. The buzzing of insects fades, replaced by the rustle of dry leaves and the calls of migrating birds. Owls, which Gregoire describes as “the soundtrack of spooky movies,” become more active and vocal. “We have some really interesting-sounding owls in our area,” he says. “When you hear one, it’s always a bit of a treat for me.”

These changing sounds, sights, and smells make fall a perfect time to explore. “There’s a special kind of beauty in this season,” says Gregoire. “It’s quieter, more reflective. You notice things you might miss in summer.”

The darker evenings, cooler temperatures, and leaves falling from trees tell us it’s fall in the tall-grass prairie. This season lends itself to all things eerie, and over time people have associated certain wildlife as falling into this category. Unfortunately, a lot of the attention these species get is negative. Comments you sometimes hear sound like “Oh, look at those nasty creepy-crawlies,” or “Bats are gross,” and even “Wolves are scary!” Really, these creatures provide so much for the ecosystem that we all call home once you get to know them.

I’ll start my defence of all things eerie with the creepy-crawlies group. This includes all the beetles, moths, spiders, and really all bugs. Insects make up over fifty percent of species throughout the world, and these small creatures provide big services to the ecosystem. The positive impact list includes being pollinators, being a key prey item on the food chain, being soil creators, and providing waste disposal services. Without the creepy-crawlies, we simply couldn’t exist!

The way Hollywood has portrayed certain wildlife in the past is what started an unnecessary dislike of bats and wolves. Bats have been seen as bloodthirsty vampires, even though out of over fourteen hundred species of bats, only three consume blood. Most bats are insect eaters (pest control) or nectar feeders (providing valuable pollinating and seed dispersal services). The werewolf is seen as the ultimate full moon villain, and these stereotypes have been passed onto wolves. Although I don’t think people should fear wolves, a healthy respect is required. They are apex predators that help to keep ungulate populations in balance. If you haven’t seen the short video on “How Wolves Change Rivers” in Yellowstone National Park, I highly recommend you look it up, as it highlights the incredible importance of a balanced ecosystem.

When you are watching a show or movie where the outdoor scene is meant to be on the scary or uneasy side of things, a few things are certain: it will be dark, anxious music will be playing, and an owl will be hooting in the background. So now if we are out camping and we hear an owl start to call, we subliminally get a little apprehensive. In truth this should put a big smile on our faces as we think about these amazing birds hunting nearby, which provides population control of rodent species. I don’t know of another animal that has an opposite reaction when you hear/see it from day to night. A sighting of an owl is often a highlight of any outdoor adventure.

There is another family of birds that gets lumped into the unnerving category as well. With black plumage and a sometimes-haunting call, crows and ravens (in the corvid family) are often thought of as “bringers of death” or tricksters. I must admit that I can see how the assumptions came about. Corvids are great scavengers and are often first on the scene of a roadkill incident or deceased animal in the forest. In nature nothing goes to waste, and it’s great that so many scavengers can find fortune in other wildlife’s misfortune. As for the claim of being tricksters, this is more of a compliment. Corvids are seriously smart birds that can problem-solve and use tools.

Adventures with Nature Norm My main advice when thinking about these feared animals on the tall-grass prairie is to educate yourself on the importance of them to our ecosystem. Join in on the next Adventures with Nature Norm on October 11^th, to learn all the services these creatures provide and even learn how to howl like a wolf! Contact info@sharedlegacymb.ca for more information.

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

From hummingbirds to wood frogs, prairie wildlife prepares for winter. Today marks the official start of the fall season, and the tall grass prairie is showing its first signs of fall as birds, plants, and animals shift into seasonal survival mode.

Nature interpreter Norm Gregoire says the landscape may still seem alive with summer colour, but subtle changes are underway. “Some of the more summertime blooms are starting to wither a little bit. Some of the leaves are starting to fall,” he says. “But what some folks don’t realize is that early September actually brings new blooms too, so there’s still fresh growth even as other plants fade.” 

Alongside these plant changes, birds are on the move. Gregoire says summer migrants are leaving while familiar winter species like chickadees and blue jays are becoming more noticeable again. He’s also observed an increase in hummingbird activity as they fuel up before their long journey south, even sharing feeders instead of competing. 

Native prairie grasses are now at their peak height, with towering big bluestem standing more than two metres tall. Gregoire says the plants are losing chlorophyll and shifting into dormancy, while late-season species are just coming alive. “Even threatened plants like Riddell’s goldenrod and the very tiny but fragrant Great Plains lady’s tresses are starting to bloom right now,” he says. 

Animals are also busy storing energy for the colder months ahead. Squirrels are gathering seeds and cones, while berry-eating animals are bulking up. Gregoire notes that even frogs are getting ready in fascinating ways. “Wood frogs have a chemical compound in their blood that works like an antifreeze,” he explains. “They can freeze solid under a layer of leaves all winter, then thaw and come back to life in spring.”

Gregoire says the whole prairie gradually “shifts gears” with wind changes that bring huge flocks of geese, cranes and common nighthawks heading south. A cold snap can quickly speed the transition, while warmer weather can briefly delay migrating species. 

“This transition period is some of my favourite times of year,” he says. “That summer into fall—it’s such a beautiful time of year to be outside.”