6:30pm Registration at the Swift Current Museum (refreshments provided) 7:30pm Evening presentation: Stewards of Saskatchewan & International Year of the Rangelands and Pastoralists 8:30pm Brief overview of Saturdays tours with SODCAP and Stewards of Saskatchewan Good morning - breakfast on your own 7:45am - Meet in the Lobby of Home Inn & Suites - begin boarding the charter bus 8:00am - Bus departs Home Inn & Suites 9:00am - SOS Participant Tour - Wigness Bison Ranch Tour Lunch location TBD 12:00pm - SODCAP - Val Marie & Beaver Valley Community Pasture 3:30pm - Bus returns to Swift Current - Home Inn & Suites for quick break 4:00pm - Annual General Meeting 5:30pm - Cocktails 6:00pm - Banquet 7:00pm - Evening presentation: George Tsougrianis with Overtime Studio (local film maker and documentary maker, will present a few short films and hold a Q&A) Our local Southwest Naturalists will be guiding a birding walk at the grounds of the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Centre, a location many of their members visit often! More information will be provided at the meet. 2026 is the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists. Each month connected themes are celebrated, and June is sustainable rangeland use and restoration. To honour this theme, we will visit a family-operated bison range, a community pasture and the migratory bird sanctuary within it. Merek Wigness, along with his father Kurt and Uncle Myron, has run a family bison ranch in Southwest Saskatchewan since 2010. The Wigness family has been participating in Operation Burrowing Owl since 2005 and in Shrubs for Shrikes and the Stewards of Saskatchewan banner program since 2016. The Beaver Valley and Val Marie Community Pastures manage cattle grazing on lands deeply intertwined with the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA) and the conservation efforts of the Canadian prairie. The Val Marie Reservoir Migratory Bird Sanctuary is part of the local Val Marie Community Pasture. The host hotel for the weekend will be the Home Inn and Suites - Swift Current. A block of rooms is being held until May 19, 2026. Please mention Nature Saskatchewan when booking. Phone: 306-778-7788 Registration for this event is not open yet. Please check back.Friday June 19
- Rebecca Magnus (Species at Risk Manager - Nature Saskatchewan)
- Merek Wigness (Operation Burrowing Owl Participant)Saturday June 20
Saturday Evening at the Elmwood Country Club
Saturday June 21 (Bonus Tour)
Email: homeinnsc@d3h.ca