McIntyre Ranch, located in Southern Alberta south of Lethbridge, is a sprawling 122-hectate space that’s home to some vital ecosystems.
The area is one-quarter the size of the city of Calgary and has been designated as environmentally significant and biodiverse.
Now owned by the Thrall family after its inception around 130 years ago, it’s the subject of a new partnership with the Nature Conservancy of Canada and Ducks Unlimited Canada, two organizations dedicated to preserving Canada’s natural spaces.
“The process has been very rewarding and has resulted in a win-win agreement that will have very little impact on how the ranch is historically operated,” said ranch CEO and president Ralph Thrall III.
It’s a partnership focused on protecting grasslands, which experts say are one of the most threatened and least protected ecosystems worldwide.
According to Catherine Grenier, NCC president and CEO, tens of thousands of hectares are lost each year and only 26 per cent of native prairie grasslands remain today in Alberta.
“Conserving the McIntyre Ranch pushes back against this loss,” she said during a press event Thursday.
“We create the (conservation) easement so that those will not ever be converted to another use, whether that’s development or cultivation,” explained Tom Lynch-Staunton, the Alberta VP with NCC.
“So we’re keeping those intact.”
It’s being called a project of global significance, as one of NCC’s biggest undertakings yet.
However, despite receiving various donors and contributions from both the provincial and federal governments, they still need $3 million to make it happen.
On Thursday, Lynch-Staunton made a plea to the public.
“Conservation is not a one-person task, but this is a collective responsibility,” he said.
“I implore each and every one of you to help join in this cause, whether it be through individual contributions, corporate sponsorships, or by spreading the word or by getting out in nature and volunteering and raising awareness.”