Saskatchewan ranch celebrates 20 years of conservation

A ranch in southwestern Saskatchewan is marking a milestone anniversary for conservation in the province.

Today, the Old Man on His Back Ranch celebrates 20 years as an official wildlife preserve. It's quickly become one of Saskatchewan's most beautiful natural landscapes, stretching across 13,135 acres, featuring the mighty plain bison.

The ranch, just west of Frontier, Sask., was donated to the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) by Peter and Sharon Butala in 1996. The Old Man on His Back ranch has been a home for the recovery of plains bison as well as conserving the area's native grasslands.

"It's unique habitat, and the truth is that we're down to probably less than 20 per cent of native grassland in Saskatchewan," said Mark Wartman, vice-president of NCC Saskatchewan.

"It is home for a wide variety of species, many of those are at risk. So, caring for that land, making sure we can keep those species healthy and have a place where people can go and see this beautiful grassland, it's an incredible value."

What's keeping the ranch so healthy a vibrant, Wartman said that comes back to grazing bison.

"Bison graze, they disturb the soil and in that process they keep those grasslands healthier and in places they'll keep bush back as well," Wartman said. "You can see when you go out there are bird nests lined with bison hair, so those birds are healthier as a result."

But what about the ranch's name, Old Man on His Back? Wartman said there are varying tales about how the ranch got its name.

The first story is that it came from a silhouette from an old man who had died lying on his back and that's embedded in the distant contours of the rolling hills and if you look just right you might be able to see it, Wartman said.

Another theory is that you can see an old man on his back in a rock formation on top of one of the rolling hills. Wartman said it seems like there's no definitive answer, but speculating about it is entertaining.

Night-sky preserve

The Old Man on His Back Ranch is also well-known for its amazing skyscape. With almost no light pollution, Wartman said as soon as it gets dark, visitors tend to watch in awe at the night sky.

• Saskatchewan ranch under living skies becomes nocturnal preserve

"People love to go down there where you don't have light pollution, what you see is just the night sky shimmering and it's just an amazing site," he said.

Guests are welcome to the ranch. However, they have to be careful not to get in the way of the grazing bison.

Today the ranch is holding a 20th anniversary celebration at the ranch featuring speakers and wagon rides, capped off with a bison steak dinner.