A Shout-Out to Grasslands: An Important Ecosystem Often Overlooked

Prairie Wildlife

One of the goals for my project was to get as many photos as I could of the species at risk that live in the Grasslands. Knowing this would be a challenge considering the elusiveness of much of this wildlife, I needed to attempt it to properly display the importance of this habitat for wild animals. My first wildlife photo for the project was of the Long-billed Curlew at sunset. This bird is classified as a species of special concern in Canada. Despite this classification, Long-billed Curlews are conspicuous in nature and not too difficult to encounter if you are out exploring the prairie. They are often heard first calling out their characteristic “curlee curlee” as they circle overhead – their call is a reminder to me that I am in good prairie habitat. A joy to the eyes and ears.

Badgers often get a bad rap for their extensive digging and burrow excavation, thus have seen significant persecution over the years. What people seem to misunderstand is how good badgers are for the prairie ecosystem. Their digs help aerate the soil, and the burrows get utilized by other prairie wildlife, including the endangered burrowing owl, pictured below.

Reptiles and amphibians are not the most common encounters on the prairie, but back roads at night can sometimes increase your chances of spotting them. On such an occasion one evening, I noticed a small hopping creature in the middle of the road. Thankfully, I was cruising at a low speed and was able to stop to get out and identify it as a Great Plains Toad, a sensitive species that are endemic to Grassland ecosystems.

With the help from my headlamp, I was able to get some decent pictures of the warty creature. I used my 40-150mm lens for this, and it performed beautifully in the low light. Once I got a couple snaps in, I escorted it to the side of the road that it was headed towards. Being slow moving and nocturnal creatures, they are quite susceptible to road mortalities. Another species that I was so excited to have encountered for this project was the Prairie Rattlesnake. A symbol of the Canadian prairies, these slithering souls are a vulnerable species due to multiple landscape level alterations and vehicle collisions. Encountering a rattlesnake is adrenaline inducing as you would often hear the rattle go before you see it which is a warning of their presence. How many snakes do you see in this picture? You may count several, and this is because I stumbled upon a hibernaculum – a place where snakes will seek refuge and potentially overwinter. As usual, their rattle alerted me of their presence, and once I found them sheltering under a rock, my careful exploration revealed numerous snakes... such a cool find!!! The wildlife photo series seen above was only a fraction of the threatened species that can be found on the Canadian prairies. Protection of their grassland habitat will help them continue to survive and thrive while also contributing to the conservation of a globally imperiled ecosystem. I hope some of these images inspire people to learn more about Grasslands and their importance to the world.

Grasslands National Park

I could not highlight the specialness of the prairies without making a trip to Grasslands National Park in Saskatchewan. I have been so lucky to have worked in this park for many years, which has led me to completely fall in love with it. The scenic road that meanders through it is like being on a safari. The openness allows for easy wildlife spotting which this park is plentiful of. It is the only place in Canada where the Black-Tailed Prairie dog is found. Their colonies attract so many other species including Burrowing Owls, American Badgers, Coyotes, all sorts of hunting raptors, and roaming Plains Bison.

Bison are a majestic bovine was once completely extirpated from Canada, but were reintroduced into Grasslands National Park in 2005 after 120 years absent from the land. Bison are vital to the Grasslands ecosystem – during their absence, cattle have taken their place as grazers on the prairie. Although cattle have helped fill that niche, bison specific behaviours create a diverse mosaic of habitats, which can benefit many grassland species. Their habit of wallowing creates small bowl-like depressions of bare soil that fill with water during spring runoff or after heavy rains. These wallows act as microhabitat for prairie plants that require moist soils and serve as a water reservoir for insects, which in turn feed other grassland animals. When I go to Grasslands, finding bison to photograph is always a top priority – I just love them. Another reason to head to Grasslands National Park is simply to soak in the gorgeously textured landscape. A fabulous place to see that the prairies are not always “flat.” The river valleys and coulees are dotted with rolling landforms called buttes, which gives the prairies with some elevation. The photo below is of me standing atop of a butte at sunset. The run up to get the photo was quite the workout!

More Prairie Love

More Prairie Love As you can tell by now, I love the prairies and hope more people will come to appreciate this delicate ecosystem. Below are a series of landscape photos that help show off the beauty of the ecosystem. Home to so many endemic plants like pin cushion and prickly pear cactuses, perfumy sage brush, and hundreds of rare flowers, the prairies are a beautiful sight. The big skies make for excellent sunsets, sunrises, star gazing, and northern lights Watching.

This experience with the Tell Your Story program has been such an incredible opportunity that I am grateful for. Having a chance to share about Grasslands through photography has been very special to me and I hope that it motivates other people out there to explore a nd fall in love with the prairies too. They deserve our attention, appreciation, and protection. The camera and the lenses This project was so fun to do not only because it was an opportunity to focus on Grasslands, but also because I was given such lovely equipment to work with. The OM5 camera has so many amazing features packed into its lightweight body that it really makes it a dream camera for all my needs. I was 100% satisfied with the wildlife and landscape photos that it allowed me to capture throughout this project. Out of the lenses that I was working with, I was most impressed with the 75-300mm F4.8-6.7 II. My expectations were a little low because of the higher f stop, but I was so pleased with the results. The bokeh was gorgeous and the images can though with brilliant sharpness. The 40-150mm F.8 is a fabulous lens. It was perfect for wildlife that were easier to get more up-close to, and I also enjoyed using the camera for longer range “macro” shots. The quality and sharpness of the images with this lens were next level. I would love this lens for portraits! It was challenging for me to shoot landscapes from a wider-angle lens. Thankfully, I already owned the M.Zuiko 12-40mm F2.8 PRO which allowed me to capture the grasslands landscape as I was hoping to and the lens paired so nicely with the OM5. Thank you, OM System, for this incredible opportunity, I am forever grateful.