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The Duke of Edinburgh (left) presented special habitat conservation awards to five landowner families from Alberta and Saskatchewan in recognition of their long-term dedication to conservation.
The Duke of Edinburgh Awards Lifetime Conservationists 
When Ted Perrin is out fencing along his 13,000 acres of native pasture near Beechy, Sask., he can take a lot of pride in the natural beauty of his land. Ted and Olive Perrin, along with their daughter Pam and husband Neil Danroth, operate Castleland Ranch, which has focused on effective native range management since 1943.
In an area prone to drought, the Perrins sought to establish reliable sources of water and leave adequate forage carry-over from year to year. “Grass is like rain and money,” says Perrin. “It takes some to make some.” Today, an impressive 90 per cent of Castleland Ranch remains native prairie, and it’s a popular site for ecotourism, hunting and sightseeing as well as numerous studies and rangeland tours.
People like the Perrins are why Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) chose the centennial year of Alberta and Saskatchewan to recognize landowners who are working to conserve natural areas in Western Canada. On May 20, His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh presented five recipients with The Duke of Edinburgh Habitat Conservation Award. The five families, three from Saskatchewan and two from Alberta, were treated to a royal reception in Regina, where each was recognized for their lifetime commitment to conserving the land.
Don and Bev Campbell own the B-C Ranch near Meadow Lake, Sask., along with their sons Mark (and his wife Bluesette) and Scott (and his wife Jenna). Nearly 40 years after Don’s father, Bruce, helped establish DUC’s Woolard Project, the Campbells continue the conservation tradition in the way they manage their own 50-paddock grazing system and by encouraging other ranchers to make decisions that are socially, environmentally and financially sound.
Larry and Sheila Kitz manage a large mixed farming operation southeast of Two Hills, Alta. Lone Spruce Farms is a fourth-generation family operation that puts a priority on agricultural sustainability, through direct seeding methods, remote livestock watering systems, retaining wetlands and planting crops that provide good wildlife habitat and ensure adequate forage carryover. “I feel that we need to balance production and stewardship,” he says. “Water cycles are thrown out of kilter when we drain water bodies and destroy riparian areas. We will not realize the changes in our ecosystem until it is too late.”
Brothers Fred, Maurice, and Richard (Dick) Porter were key players in Waterhen Marsh, the very first DUC project established in Saskatchewan in 1938. Although Fred and Maurice are now deceased, Dick and his family still reside close to the project near Kinistino, Sask. DUC hired the Porters in summer of 1938 to help build the nearly one-mile dyke that holds water on the marsh.
In addition to their work on Waterhen Marsh, Fred and Maurice served as Kee-Men for many years. Kee-Men were volunteers organized by DUC in 1938 to assist with waterfowl census surveys for DUC’s chief biologist in the spring, summer and fall to determine population trends. DUC owes a debt of gratitude to the pioneering service of local supporters like the Porters who started a tradition of wetland restoration in Saskatchewan. The Porters were—and still are—avid conservationists and waterfowl enthusiasts. “We simply love the outdoors and wildlife,” Porter says.
The Ralph Thrall family of Lethbridge, Alta. is justifiably proud of the 87-section, 110-year old McIntyre Ranch. Originally owned by Billy McIntyre, today three generations of the Thrall family are involved in the ranch including Catherine and Ralph Thrall, Jr., (whose father purchased the property), and their four children, Ralph III, Erin, Eric and Chris. The Thralls maintain a successful cattle ranching business while preserving the native prairie ecosystem on Alberta’s Milk River Ridge . “Over the years, I’ve enjoyed working with DUC,” says Thrall III. “My family is committed to protecting this grassland environment and its many inhabitants.”
DUC is proud to recognize the contributions of these five families. The recipients of this special award exemplify the conservation values and commitment to land stewardship of those who have helped to build our two great provinces.
For more information:
Lori Gasper, l_gasper@ducks.ca
Communications Specialist
Ducks Unlimited Canada
Tel: (306) 665-7356
