The Nature Conservancy of Canada launches campaign to conserve the Yarrow in Alberta

Oct 27, 2022

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) announced a major fundraising campaign to conserve a key piece of property near Waterton Lakes National Park.

Tom Lynch-Staunton, Alberta's Vice-President of NCC says they've been working on the Yarrow project for about 15 years.

The land covers 4,077 acres and is home to 27 different wildlife species of provincial or national significance.

The Yarrow was bought by Charlie Fischer who was interested in conservation and sustainable ranching.

The property features endangered prairie grasslands, wetlands, creeks and mixed forests in the Waterton Park Front.

It also has a number of wetland areas that hold vast amounts of water, helping to both reduce the severity of drought and buffer the impact of flooding in the area and downstream.

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Video: Why Invest in Canada’s Seed Future? | On The Brink: Episode 3

Darcy Unger just invested millions to build a brand-new seed plant on his farm in Stonewall, Manitoba so when it’s time for his sons to take over, they have the tools they need to succeed.

Right now, 95% of the genetics they’ll be growing come from Canadian plant breeders.

That number matters.

When fusarium hit Western Canada in the late 90s, it was Canadian breeders who responded, because they understood Canadian conditions. That ability to react quickly to what’s happening on Canadian farms is exactly what’s at risk when breeding programs lose funding.

For farmers like Darcy, who have made generational investments based on the assumption that better genetics will keep coming, the stakes are direct and personal.

We’re on the brink of decisions that will shape our agricultural future for not only our generation, but also the ones to come.

What direction will we choose?

On The Brink is a year-long video series traveling across Canada to meet the researchers, breeders, farmers, seed companies, and policymakers shaping the future of Canadian plant breeding. Each week, a new story. Each story, a piece of the bigger picture.

Episode 3 is above. Follow Seed World Canada to catch every episode, and tell us: Do you think the next generation will have the tools they need to success when they takeover? How is the future going to look?