A leading conservation organization has acquired a 127-hectare property in the province of Manitoba that includes a habitat for many rare and some at-risk species. The Ethier Sandhills property includes sand dunes left over from Glacial Lake Agassiz. That lake was the formed over 11,000 years ago and was the largest glacial lake in North America.
Canada’s only lizard lives here
Vegetation has grown on the dunes and stabilized them, making a good habitat for 11 species at risk and uncommon species as well as larger mammals like white-tailed deer and moose.
There is the prairie skink, which is Canada’s only lizard and other sub-tropical species which go south in winter and return in summer.
Plants include silky prairie clover, brittle prickly-pear and the provincially-imperilled spinystar.
Natural and artificial threats
The property was sold to the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) by a landowner who wanted to protect the natural area in honour of his late mother. “It’s important because it supports a number of Nature Conservancy Canada’s biodiversity conservation targets,” says Kevin Tenecyke, director of conservation for NCC’s Manitoba region.
Listen“The habitats are rare on the landscapes and there are a number of threats, both natural and artificial, that are working against these habitats that support these more rare and threatened species.”
The area will be maintained and enhanced to preserve the habitats and the public will be able to visit, but only on foot.
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