Land Stewardship on TK Ranch

Land stewardship is of primary importance to us on TK Ranch. The wild prairie that encompasses the Northern Fescue Grasslands and 8300 acres of TK Ranch, is recognized as an endangered ecosystem by the World Wildlife Fund and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society. There are several endangered and threatened species that live on TK Ranch. These include Burrowing Owls, Loggerhead Shrikes, Ferruginous Hawks, Peregrine Falcons, and Sharp Tail Grouse. Burrowing Owls, like the one seen at right, are elusive animals and are usually only seen at dusk or during the night. Recently Dylan and Julia Biggs found a nesting site where 3 owls were seen. We find it very exciting to have found these owls on the ranch and are working closely with organizations like Operation Grasslands Community, a habitat program of the Alberta Fish and Game Association, to ensure our management practices meet the habitat needs of this special TK Ranch species. We understand that we bear a great responsibility for taking care of this fragile grassland ecosystem that we, and hundreds of other species, call home.

Within the Special Areas of Alberta, where TK Ranch is located, rainfall is scarce. From 1995 until 2005 we were in a severe drought – some years we received less than 3 inches / 7.5 cms of rain during the growing season. This means that during a dry year there is very little run-off in the spring and almost no standing water anywhere. Since pioneer times settlers have been capturing spring run-off in dugouts or man-made dams. Non-profit groups, such as Ducks Unlimited, have recognize the importance of these man-made waterways. Without them there would be little nesting habitat for water birds or water available for wildlife.

Ducks Unlimited has continued to build dams to create habitat and TK Ranch has worked with them. We have also signed 30 year Prairie Care Agreements with Ducks Unlimited to ensure upland habitat near the dams is protected from haying or grazing so that young birds have adequate nesting time to fledge.