April 2024

By Karin Roen, CARA   It was another successful winter of hosting “Grazing Clubs” for the Chinook Applied Research Association. From December 2023 to March 2024 CARA hosted ten Grazing Club meetings and over 170 producers from across the Special Areas. The intention of the Grazing Clubs...

Common name: Ferruginous Hawk Latin name: Buteo regalis Conservation Status: Threatened Range: Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba Lifespan: 20 years or more. The oldest recorded age is 23 years and 8 months Size: Wingspan of 133-142 cm, head-to-talon length of 56-69cm, weight of 0.97-2.1kg, females are larger [caption id="attachment_14557" align="alignright" width="331"] Source: Nature...

Prairie crocus (Anemone patens) Early emerging native plants can be seen throughout the Special Areas as they begin to emerge. One of the earliest flowering species you can spot is the prairie crocus. Prairie crocus is our most conspicuous early flowering species. The prairie crocus is actually...

The investigation into regional irrigation continues to move ahead, and an open house is being planned for May 2 in Acadia Valley to highlight progress in Phase 2 work. To help share information on Phase 2 work completed so far, project partners are hosting an information...

Sand Dock (Rumex venosus) Sand dock is an interesting plant that grows in disturbed sandy areas in the Special Areas. It has inconspicuous greenish flowers in May which turn into three sided yellow to red fruits (as shown in photo), making for quite a lovely prairie...

We are all impacted by emergencies – and unexpected situations happen at any time! Being prepared at an individual level helps our communities have a stronger emergency management foundation. It also helps those impacted by emergencies get back to their life and work sooner after...

Special Areas Advisory Council held their spring council meeting on March 27 and 28. The group welcomed Gordon Long as the newly elected representative for Special Area No. 4, Subdivision 1. Appointments to various boards and commissions were discussed as there had been some vacancies...

Black  Henbane (Hyoscyamus niger) This NOXIOUS (which means it must be controlled) and TOXIC weed can act as an annual or biennial and prefers sunny areas with good drainage. While it can be located anywhere, it’s often found in gravel pits and well drained soils with...

In our March Kochia Webinar Series Jason Lindgren of NuFarm gave our listeners some excellent tips to increase the efficacy of herbicide applications. Here are some great reminders as producers start applying their pre-emergent herbicides: Layer your herbicides (use different herbicides with different modes of...

Gophers got you down? The optimal time to control Richardson’s ground squirrels is PRIOR to May 1st as control strategies should target females, who appear 2 weeks after males, and before their litters emerge mid-may. For a refresher on gopher control options check out this CARA webinar...