After three years of consultation and planning, we are thrilled to officially announce the Shared Legacy Partnership. Our goal 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.
This is a cooperative working group led by the Rural Municipality of Stuartburn and The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) along with partners Sunrise Corner Economic Development and Province of Manitoba. We have three key areas of focus:
- Nature: creating and delivering a strategy for sharing our unique nature in the RM of Stuartburn with future generations.
- Culture: engaging with local producers, landowners, Stuartburn residents, and Indigenous communities to guide our direction.
- Economy: pursuing “win-win” solutions that work for the ecosystem, landowners, residents, our economy, and communities.
A hidden gem centered right here in Sunrise Corner, the Tall Grass Prairie Natural Area covers 445,628 hectares and supports one of the largest and last remaining tall-grass prairie landscapes in North America. It forms the northern end of an international conservation corridor comprised of protected and managed prairies, wetlands, forests and streams within a working landscape that includes conservation, agriculture and eco-tourism. The tall-grass prairie is home to 28 listed Canadian species at risk (SAR), such as the monarch butterfly, the globally rare Poweshiek skipperling butterfly, and the Western prairie fringed orchid. Many of these species depend on the tall-grass prairie for their very survival.
Shared Legacy Partnership invites you to learn more about the tall-grass prairie and the species at risk that call it home. We will be participating in Vita Canada Day festivities on July 1st, with a float in the parade and a booth at the vendor market to answer questions. We will also be offering two guided tours at NCC’s Agassiz Trail west of Vita to view the spectacular western prairie fringed orchid that will be in full bloom at that time; it’s the only place you can see these unique perennials in Canada. Check out our Shared Legacy website and Facebook page for details. For more details, contact Norm Gregoire at info@sharedlegacy.ca or 204-408-6166.
CONTEST ALERT: Just like the Shared Legacy Facebook page and comment, and you’ll be entered to win a Shared Legacy prize package that includes just about everything you need to have a great family picnic in the tall-grass prairie. Details on our FB page.
In the meantime, if you have a business venture or tourism idea related to our unique tall-grass prairie you’d like to discuss, contact me to learn about the business-building support and training that is currently available.
Monique Chenier
monique@sunrisecornermb.ca