Saskatchewan biodiversity hotspots receive national recognition
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BiodiversityPublished
2025-02-06Five incredible sites across Saskatchewan have now been officially recognized as nationally important sites for nature.
Home to iconic and lesser-known species alike, including bison, kangaroo rats, Black-tailed Prairie Dogs, Greater Sage-Grouse and endemic plants like Mackenzie Hairgrass, these new Key Biodiversity Areas play a critical and outsized role in preserving globally and nationally important populations of threatened flora and fauna.
The new KBAs include:
- Grasslands National Park and Area: One of Canada's largest remaining areas of undisturbed mixed-grass prairie, this site contains 16 species that meet KBA criteria, as well as being home to Canada’s only populations of Black-tailed Prairie Dog, Plains Minnow, 50% of Canada’s Greater Sage-Grouse, and over a third of Canada’s Plains Bison!
- Burstall Sandhills, Tunstall Sandhills and Webb Sandhills: These KBAs recognize the unique prairie sandhill ecosystems of Saskatchewan. They are among the only places in Canada where you’ll find Ord’s Kangaroo Rat, and are home to a host of other rare and threatened dune species, such as Dusky Dune Moth, Gold-edged Dune Moth, Smooth Goosefoot and Spiny Milk-vetch.
- Athabasca Sand Dunes: One of the most northerly active sand dune formations on the planet, this place is home to three plant species found nowhere else on Earth, and three other plants found nowhere else in Canada.
As well as being home to an incredible diversity of endemic species, these areas are also of historical, cultural and spiritual significance to many Indigenous Nations, including the Cree, the Saulteaux, the Dakota, the Lakota, the Nakota, the Blackfoot, the Stoney, the Dene and the Métis.
“Some of these vulnerable species cannot be found anywhere else in Canada, or in some cases, the world!” says Peter Soroye, KBA Canada Assessment and Outreach Coordinator with WCS Canada. “These sites, which represent some of Canada’s most threatened habitats, now form part of a network of globally important sites for nature. It’s our hope that being recognized as a KBA will support local conservation efforts into the future.”
To earn this designation, a site must meet strict scientific criteria. These include a site's importance for rare or threatened species or ecosystems, seasonal concentrations of migratory animals, or being among the best examples of intact and healthy ecosystems.
“With less than 200 Greater Sage-Grouse left in Canada, and more than 50% of Canada's population depending on Grasslands National Park for survival, we’re happy to see it as an accepted site.” – Amanda Bichel, Key Biodiversity Areas Coordinator, Birds Canada
The new sites join a growing cohort of 230 KBAs across Canada. See all sites: KBA Home (kbacanada.org)
