Conservation

Rare Plant Rescue, a voluntary stewardship program launched in 2002, engages landowners in conserving habitat where rare native plants species occur. The primary threat to rare native plants in Saskatchewan is habitat loss. Due to widespread agricultural development and urbanization in the prairies the natural habitat of many plant species is threatened.

Through the Rare Plant Rescue (RPR) program, rural landowners are informed that endangered and threatened plant species are growing on their land. RPR then invites the landowners to sign a voluntary stewardship agreement to conserve the area. In the 2005 field season, with support from Environment Canada and WWF-Canada, RPR targeted six endangered or threatened species. The targeted species include small white lady’s slipper, tiny cryptanthe, sand verbena, western spiderwort, hairy prairie clover and slender mouse-ear cress. RPR uses historical records to determine where to start looking for the plants. With the permission of landowners, they survey the area and notify landowners of any findings.

Nearly 65 landowners are currently participating in RPR and are conserving habitat for one or more species of rare or endangered plants on their land. RPR participants receive a species at risk fact sheet and landowner guide, photographs of potential species their land may support and educational materials to help support their stewardship work. RPR helps to prevent the inadvertent destruction of species by educating landowners and encouraging informed stewardship. By building relationships with landowners and sharing little known information, RPR is helping to ensure the survival of rare plants in Saskatchewan. RPR is run by Nature Saskatchewan a non-profit organization that promotes the appreciation and understanding of our natural environment through education, conservation and research.