Finding home in habitat

For the love of ducks

Jean worked for many years as a science teacher, with an enthusiasm for the subject that made her job a joy. Both inside and outside of work, her interest in wildlife and nature ran deeper than a prairie well.

“I’m a big birdwatcher and I just love ducks,” she laughs, describing having peppered their home with enough waterfowl decor to raise eyebrows, and a few questions. “Our kids’ friends would come over and ask why we had so many ducks all over the house. It never occurred to me that it was different than anyone else’s house.”

From B.C. and their duck-filled dwelling, the search for a new home-away-from-home continued. And in 2016, a promising parcel came on the market. Located on the outskirts of Naicam, Sask., it was a piece that Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) was “revolving”—returning to private hands while ensuring the habitat values were protected in perpetuity with a conservation easement.

For the Sveinsons and DUC, it was a perfect pairing. When a biologist—not a realtor—walked Jean and Darwin through the property, pointing out wetland plants and explaining the importance of the habitat for breeding birds, they needed no further convincing.

The Sveinson Conservation Project

It’s been nearly a decade now that Jean and Darwin have been the proud owners of the 55-acre (22-hectare) property that encompasses tame grassland, aspen bluffs and a portion of a large permanent wetland renowned for waterfowl and waterbirds. They’ve named it “The Sveinson Conservation Project”, a reflection of the fact that, for these two nature-lovers, conserving the land was central to their decision to purchase it.

Darwin explains, “The earth has been so good to us and yet we’re treating it poorly. It felt like a nice thing to do—to give something back—to acquire this land and protect it for wildlife and for people.”

While they’ve identified an allowable building site for a possible cabin, for now, the Sveinson Conservation Project remains home for wildlife alone, with one exception. “We’ve got a great arrangement in place with a local man who rents the land for hay. He often gets two cuts a year of high-quality forage for his horses,” Jean says. (Because haying and grazing can help keep forage stands growing vigorously and weed-free, they are permitted activities under the terms of DUC conservation easements.)

In the not-too-distant future, Jean and Darwin plan to haul a newly purchased travel trailer to the property, to boondock with the birds as their closest neighbours.

What pride looks like

Along with the aforementioned waterfowl artwork, the Sveinsons have another favourite picture in their B.C. home. In it, Jean stands against the backdrop of a prairie landscape—half land, half sky—posing next to a DUC conservation easement sign with SVEINSON in bold caps across the bottom. She is beaming.

More recently, and to celebrate their birthdays, Jean took a few items of DUC-branded clothing to a local embroiderer where she had them personalized with the words “Sveinson Conservation Project”.

These simple objects—a photograph, two T-shirts and two vests—reflect the Sveinsons’ humble satisfaction with a gesture made to support the birds and wildlife they love; and just as nicely, they serve as daily reminders of a special place waiting, back home in Saskatchewan.