Old Man on His Back Prairie and Heritage Conservation Area
The Nature Conservancy of Canada's (NCC's) Old Man on His Back Prairie and Heritage Conservation Area (OMB) is located in the RM of Frontier, Saskatchewan, 15 km west of Claydon and 210 km south-west of Swift Current. Thanks to Peter and Sharon Butala, the ranch's previous owners, this 5,297-hectare (13,088-acre) ranch will be protected for the long term.
Since 1995, NCC's Saskatchewan Region has conserved this prairie grassland ranch, leasing areas and fields for sustainable cattle grazing and managing pure plains bison. In 2003, NCC introduced a herd of plains bison to OMB. NCC manages the property as a working ranch and showcases the positive relationship between agricultural land use and land conservation.
Nestled in natural darkness from sunset to sunrise, OMB was designated a Nocturnal Preserve by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada in 2015. This designation makes OMB the Nature Conservancy of Canada's first nocturnal preserve in all of Canada. This property attracts both novice and seasoned stargazers and naturalists who visit the ranch to experience the vast natural prairie and dark night skies.
An interpretive centre on the property helps NCC share this rich natural and cultural heritage. The centre also promotes residents' and visitors' awareness and value of this area. Visitors can enjoy a rare opportunity to see the prairie in its ageless beauty, complete with a conservation herd of plains bison. The centre tells the story of the land, people, and wildlife on the Northern Great Plains of south-west Saskatchewan.
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External links[]
- The Nature Conservancy of Canada - NCC's Old Man on His Back Prairie and Heritage Conservation Area
- Reno No. 51, Saskatchewan
- Protected areas of Saskatchewan
- Division No. 4, Saskatchewan
- Saskatchewan geography stubs