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Giving the gift of habitat 
Yorkton, Sask., December 22, 2009 — While many people are busy rushing through malls this week, Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) has found a gift in a most unlikely place – on a habitat project near Goodeve, Saskatchewan. This field was the site of a first-of-its-kind community-growing initiative earlier this year, and one that is growing ducks, too.
With support from DUC and others this spring, Habitat for Humanity - Yorkton embarked on a unique partnership project that is raising funds to build affordable housing in the area while supporting the development of habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife.
Dubbed the “Habitat for Habitat” project, this initiative took place on a 170-acre parcel of land in the Goodeve area recently acquired by DUC for upland restoration. For Trevor Plews, DUC’s head of upland restoration in Saskatchewan, this project was a perfect fit with DUC’s efforts to retain and restore habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife.
“We purchased the Goodeve property in 2008 as part of our upland restoration program but, because of perennial weed problems, we needed to prepare it for seeding to perennial cover– and this takes time and resources,” says Plews.
Rather than grow an annual crop, DUC offered the use of the land to Habitat for Humanity who then made arrangements with local farmer, Rod Wlock, to seed, spray and harvest a canola crop during the 2009 growing season. Local crop input suppliers Viterra and Monsanto also came on board supplying agronomic support, canola seed & herbicide for the project. Although poor fall weather meant the canola wasn’t harvested until early November, a 37 bushel per acre crop is now in the bin. Net proceeds from the sale of the crop will be used to build homes for low income families and ensure communities have safe, decent, affordable housing options in Yorkton and surrounding rural communities.
The “Habitat for Habitat” project is the first of its kind in Canada and has exceeded the expectations of all the partners. Habitat for Humanity Fund Development Member, Andrew Rae says, “Affordable housing is an issue in rural and urban communities alike. Our target was to raise between $10,000 and $20,000 with this project. We made close to $15,000 so our feeling is we’ve achieved that target. More importantly, though, this project has provided a successful model for our organization in how to engage rural, agriculturally-based communities and businesses in providing affordable homes for their residents.”
As a not-for-profit organization, DUC knows all too well the challenges of raising funds and managing costs. “This initiative is a win-win for both organizations,” says Plews. “We keep our maintenance costs down on land we have secured for habitat, and Habitat for Humanity raises funds to support their housing projects in the community.” He adds, “It’s especially rewarding at this time of year to know that this conservation project is helping provide homes in more ways than one.” The partners plan to repeat the project again in 2010.
For photos and media information, contact:
Lori Gasper,
l_gasper@ducks.ca
Marketing and Communications Specialist
Ducks Unlimited Canada
Phone: 306-222-6430
For information about donating or joining the project, contact:
Andrew Rae,
andrew.rae@sasktel.net
Fund Development Member
Habitat for Humanity
Phone: 306-782-0625
